Enemies with Benefits

Epilogue

Two weeks later

"Thank you all for being such a good bunch. I hope you all have an amazing break and great next semester. One last thing." I reached under my desk and grabbed the warming bag, setting it on my desk. "I got a fuck ton of pizzas. Come grab some! Just don't leave your trash everywhere. Total dick move."

I laughed at the wave of cheers and bolting students rushing down from their seats to flood my desk. In my peripheral vision, I saw my door swing open and a familiar blond on the other side, waving.

I stepped out into the hall.

"I just wanted to wish you a good break, Rachel. And congratulations," David smiled, pointing down at the diamond sitting happily on my left hand.

It had been a question of whether or not to get a new ring from the one I'd kept hidden away all these years. I hadn't had the heart to ever get rid of it because it held so many memories—both good and bad. I'd almost thrown it away more times than I could count. Something—now I knew what—had always kept me from believing I should part with it in the most violent of ways. In the end, Caleb wanted a clean slate with a new one, but I wanted to keep it in my jewelry box anyway.

Come to find out, we hadn't been so dissimilar, considering his own band had been tucked away in his bedside drawer all these years, too. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed or not, yet, but I'd taken it last week and dropped it off at the jeweler to be re-plated. The same ring but different. As were we.

The same. Different. But still us. Always us.

I spun the ring on my hand, staring down at it.

David's voice cut through the silence. "You deserve to be happy. Both of you."

I met his eyes with sincerity. "So do you, David. I'm sorry for the shit I put you through these last few months. It wasn't fair to you. I'm sorry."

And I was.

He shrugged. "I actually met someone last week. We're going out tonight. Someone that doesn't work here or know anyone who does," he chuckled, and I joined in.

"That's probably for the best, honestly. Less drama, I hope. Have fun tonight."

I laughed again, offering him a hand to shake. But he didn't take it. Instead, he smiled and pulled me in for a hug before saying goodbye until the turn of the year.

_

I was on my way home when the jeweler called to say the ring was ready. Home, because I'd terminated my own lease early—a five thousand dollar fee to do so, much to my astonishment, since I'd signed it for a year and didn't even make it halfway—and moved in with Caleb where I belonged.

But by the time I had the ring—shiny and new and yet still the same—there was only one place I wanted to be.

I parked in the first spot I found, stepping out of the car and smiling down at the band in my hand. I slid it onto my thumb, still too big for even that finger. I took a deep breath and looked out at the setting sun, absentmindedly spinning the metal on my finger again and again. And again.

Tossing my shoes in the car, I made a childish run for the beach, laughing like a kid when I slipped and slid through the deep sand. Sitting down a few feet from the water, I dug my toes in and wrapped my arms around my bent knees.

I listened to the waves. I watched the sun as it set. I let the scent of sunblock and the salty air soothe my mind.

And with a grin, I pulled my phone out and found the album labeled Do Not Look You Idiot. I laughed down at the screen as I flipped through them. And then, I changed the name and looked forward to adding more pictures. Glancing down at the new title, I felt a few tears well up in my eyes.