Cupidity (Sequel to Cupid's Daughter)

Epilogue

A/N: LISTEN TO THE SONG ABOVE WHILE YOU READ, IT WORKS SO PERFECTLY I CAN'T EVEN. :D

"Do you, Hamish Peter Conway, take thee, Darla Christine Freeman, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

My dad smiled warmly, his thumb stroking Darla's wrist. "I do."

The celebrant turned to Darla, who was flushed pink. "And do you, Darla Christine Freeman,take thee, Hamish Peter Conway, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Blinking a few times as if to wake herself from a daze, Darla nodded, tears finding their way to her eyes. She fanned her face with a nervous laugh, and a few people in the crowd chuckled.

"I do."

The celebrant closed the little book in her hands and smiled gently. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Everyone burst into applause as my dad and Darla embraced each other, and my heart swelled to at least three times its size as I latched onto JC's hand, who was stood beside me looking dapper in a black suit. We grinned at each other as I clapped awkwardly around the bouquet of white and pink flowers in my hands. In the very front row of seats and off to the right sat my mother, dressed elegantly in a dark navy dress and her fair hair pulled into a chignon at the base of her neck.

Her left foot was clad in a silver stiletto, whilst her right leg was engulfed in a medical boot, which she had reluctantly agreed to wear whilst she was recovering. There was a small smile on her face as she clapped along with us all, and I had to give her credit, as she seemed genuinely pleased that my father had found someone to spend the rest of his life with.

My eyes trailed a few rows back and found Noah, Sam and Kiely all grinning like cheshire cats, their eyes locked on my dad and step-mom. Ethan had been invited too, but had been unable to make it due to work responsibilities. I didn't mind though, he knew he was always welcome.

A few moments passed and Darla and my dad made their way back down the aisle, Darla's slimming white dress swishing as she walked. JC and I linked arms and followed after them, JC supporting most of my weight so that I wouldn't trip in these ridiculously tall, champagne-pink colored heels. I glanced around the outdoor reserve, which was decorated with fairy lights and large white bows.

The sun was just starting to set when my father and Darla moved onto the wooden floor for their first dance, to the song Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra. I watched as they twirled about in an un-choreographed manner, Darla giggling and pressing her lips to his shoulder every once in a while. As their dance ended, more couples started to join them on the dance floor, swaying side to side or breaking out embarrassing dance moves that didn't match the slow pace of the music.

I was hypnotised by the magic of the evening-- the lights, the music, the dancing, it was all so classy and beautiful. A tap on my shoulder woke me from my haze, and I turned to find Noah standing before me with his hand outstretched. "Can I trouble you for a dance, miss?"

I chuckled. "We're both terrible dancers if I do recall, but yes, you may."

Noah led me out onto the floor, slipping both hands around my waist. I reached up to loop mine around his neck, the heels assisting me in gaining a few inches.

"You look beautiful, by the way." Noah complimented, his gaze not meeting mine.

I glanced down at my silky champagne-pink dress, which fortunately, only reached below my knees and wasn't a tripping hazard. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself."

Noah snorted. "Oh please, I look far better than 'not too bad'." He teased, shooting me a wink.

I smiled but didn't answer, simply rocking from side to side in time with the music. Over in the corner I spotted Ellie sat at a table with JC, laughing hysterically at something he had said. "Hey, look." I murmured, nodding towards the ex-lovers.

Noah snuck a glance over at them and shook his head. "Well what do you know? Fiery little Ellie still has a spark for JC. No wonder she was so defensive about it."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Noah. "Don't even bring that up. She's still touchy about that, and I've been back living with her at Princeton for over a year now."

I'd made the move back to college a few weeks after the charges against Noah had been dropped, as my six month deferral had ended and had I stuck with the internships, I would have been going back to school anyway. This time though, I wasn't in such a rush to start my writing career. I was still studying and having fun, and a career would come at the right time. My blog, which I still made weekly entries in, had been gaining attention, and I wondered if that might bring more opportunities in the future.

For now though, I was happy with how things were.

"Isn't it strange how things work out?" I questioned quietly, more to myself than to Noah.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed thoughtfully. "But it does always work out in the end, doesn't it?"

"Somehow."

I glanced back over at JC and Ellie, who were now practically sharing a seat as they poured over JC's phone.

"I think it's kind of nice to see them together again. It just shows that second chances really do exist." I mused. When I turned back to Noah, his dark eyes were burning into mine so intensely that I had to fight the urge to blink.

"Do they exist for everyone?" He asked in a whisper, stroking a lock of hair away from my face absentmindedly.

I bit my lip, fighting off a smile. I nodded slowly. "Yes, second chances exist for everyone, Noah."

AND THAT'S IT! THE END OF NOAH, ISSY, ETHAN AND THE GANG'S STORY.

Just a note, I wanted to leave the ending open to interpretation. If you ship Noahbelle, feel free to assume that their interaction meant that they want to give each other a second chance at a relationship. If you don't ship them, feel free to believe that they gave each other a second chance at friendship.

Whichever one you choose, this series is really about friendship, caring for people, second chances and forgiveness. It's not always about who the girl ends up with, but what she learns and how she grows along the way. I hope you enjoyed reading this journey as much as I did writing it.

Thank you all for your support and loyalty.

Love always, Meg :)