Finding Olivia

Epilogue

October

A few months later

Moving on, after going through something like I did...is difficult, to say the least. There were many days that I didn't want to get out of bed and face the world, but I knew I had to, and Trace helped to push me. He didn't let me dwell on what happened. He helped me move on. I didn't know what I would do without him.

Before I knew it, summer was over, and I was starting my junior year of college. It didn't seem possible that so much had happened to me in such a short period of time.

But it did.

I lived.

I died.

I came back.

I moved on.

I wasn't letting my past define me. Instead, I was choosing to embrace my future, and whatever it had in store for me.

"What are you thinking about?" Trace asked as the air rushed through the open windows of the Camaro.

"Just thinking," I murmured, staring out at the orange, yellow, red, and brown leaves. Fall was in full swing.

"About what?" He asked again.

I sighed dramatically at his stubbornness. "Life."

"That's vague," he muttered.

"It was supposed to be," I giggled. "You still haven't told me where we're going."

"And I don't plan on telling you," he smirked. "Be patient. Good things come to those who wait."

"Sometimes, I wonder why I love you so much," I shook my head, my long wavy hair falling forward.

"It's because I'm a beast in the sack," he glanced at me, waggling his eyebrows, before returning his attention to the road.

"You're so full of yourself," I snorted.

"When you've got it, you've got it," he enforced his words with a thrust of his hips. "Ah, here we are," he pulled off onto the side of the road.

I looked around, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Where are we?"

Trace grinned crookedly at me. "Look around, Olivia."

I did and a smile spread across my face.

"It's where we first met," he took my hand and placed a tender kiss on my knuckles. "A year ago today, I pulled over to help this beautiful girl change her tire. She made me laugh with her incessant use of the word, uh, and her mention of Prince Charming," he winked. "She woke up something inside me and I knew I had to get to know this girl. You changed my life, from the moment I met you, Olivia," he feathered the lightest touch of his fingers over my cheek. "Your smile stirred something inside me that I had never felt before." His eyes were a fierce dark green. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. "This last year has been a rollercoaster. But I wouldn't change a thing. Every moment with you, is a moment I treasure."

My heart skipped a beat at his sweet words and tears of happiness pricked my eyes. That stupid flat tire, that I had been so mad about, had changed my life. One moment, that's all it took, for my life to change completely, and veer onto a different path.

I was reminded of one of my favorite quotes: "Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away." From the moment I met Trace, he'd been taking my breath away, and showing me what life was really about.

"Come on," he grinned and opened his car door. I did the same.

We climbed onto the hood of his car and watched the sunset. The color of the sun reflecting off the leaves made them seem as if they were on fire.

"I think there's one last thing to cross off," he beamed, pulling the folded piece of paper from his pants pocket.

He kissed my cheek before placing the paper in my hand. He grabbed a pen and handed that to me as well.

He skimmed his nose along my cheek, and pushed my hair back, so he could whisper in my ear, "I love you, Olivia."

I smiled at him and leaned my head against his shoulder. "I love you, too."

The metal hood of the car wasn't the most comfortable place, but I didn't mind. I was here, with my love, and nothing else mattered.

I looked down at the list in my hand, reading through all the things that just a year ago, had merely been dreams of mine, and now I had accomplished all of them.

Everything was crossed off except for the very last thing.

With a smile aimed at Trace, I drew a line through the last item on the list, the most important one.

Things I want to do

1. Get drunk

2. Fly in a hot air balloon

3. Go to the carnival

4. Go to a concert (even if it's someone I've never heard of)

5. Go to a party

6. Lose my virginity

7. Dance in the rain

8. Go roller skating

9. See the ocean

10. Learn to paint

11. Get a dog... or a cat... or a rabbit. Any pet will do.

12. Sing in front of real people. Avery doesn't count.

13. Make more friends

14. Shoot a gun

15. Smoke

16. Get a tattoo

17. Learn to pole dance

18. Go skinny dipping

19. Pierce my belly button

20. Fall in love

I never meant to fall in love with Trace, but I did, and by some miracle, he fell in love with me too. We had some crazy adventures along the way, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world, because all of those crazy things defined us. All the laughs, all the tears, all the kisses, it was all us, and it would always be that way, because I had found someone worth loving through the good and the bad.

I handed the piece of crinkled up paper to Trace and he smiled as he read it over.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" He asked, with his signature cocky grin, that I had learned to love. He threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me fully against him. Both our legs were stretched out, my left flush against his right.

His lips pressed tenderly against the top of my head.

I stared out at the setting sun, squinting against the brightness, as it disappeared over the line of trees.

"I'm sure we'll think of something."

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I hope you enjoyed Trace and Olivia's story! It was so much fun to write and it's a story I'll never forget. 

Thank you for reading! Trace and Olivia's story continues in Chasing Olivia. Now available on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble.