my better half | c.w. ✓

Epilogue

Cole's POV

[two years later]

I leaned back against the wooden bench, putting my earbuds in and looking out at the water. I'd come to the lake house countless times before, but I'd never get used to the view.

The pier was probably my favorite place in the world. It was so peaceful: no wifi, no notifications, no stress. Kenna and I came here all the time in the summer. During the school year, it was hard enough to find time to see each other for a day, let alone a trip to the lake house.

Today was our two year anniversary. I'd wanted to drive up to New York and surprise her, but my car had broken down the week before. I hated not being able to spend our anniversary together, but I knew she was living her dream. That made everything worth it.

I turned on my phone and put on iTunes radio. I couldn't help but smile when the first song that played was Honest by Shawn Mendes, one of Kenna's favorite songs. Without even realizing it, I started singing along to it, closing my eyes and leaning back against the bench. I'd sung this song so many times with Kenna, I guess it was just a habit now.

Just then I heard a voice behind me.

"I spend two years trying to get you to like Shawn Mendes, and now you're telling me you've been a fan this whole time?"

I yanked out my earbuds and whipped my head around. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"What? Kenna, oh my god," I said as I ran to her, picking her up and spinning her around. She laughed as I put her down and kissed her, then immediately went back to hugging her.

"Holy crap," I said, still in disbelief. "How did you...when did you?"

"I drove down here today. Traffic was awful but it was so worth it to see that look on your face," she said, grinning.

I just stared at her. "I can't believe you're here."

"You really think I'd miss our anniversary?" Kenna asked. "I've been stuck with you for two years now, I think that's worth celebrating."

I laughed and kissed her again, lowering my hands to her waist. "Happy anniversary, Gracie," I said when I pulled away.

"I can't believe it's been two years," she said.

I shook my head. "Me neither. It feels like it's gone by so fast, but at the same time it feels like we've been together for ten years."

"Hey, lovebirds!" I looked up to see my mom on the back porch. "It's lunchtime!"

I nodded to her. Kenna started to walk away, but I grabbed her hand and brought her back to me. "One more thing." I took her face in my hands and kissed her, like it was the first and last time I'd ever get to do it. I didn't realize how much I'd missed her until I saw her again.

I pulled away, grinning. "Okay, now we can go," I said.

I took her hand in mine, and we walked down the pier. When we got to the end, Kenna stopped for a second and said, "By the way, you're a much better singer than I thought."

~     ~     ~

After lunch, Kenna and I spent the rest of the afternoon together. Right before sunset, we ended up back on the pier, sitting on the edge with our legs dangling over the water. She rested her head on my shoulder, and we watched the sky change colors, something we always did at the lake house.

"Kenna?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I just say something?"

She looked up at me. "Yeah, of course."

I took a deep breath and looked out onto the water, trying to get my thoughts in order. "When I met you, I wasn't looking for a girlfriend, and definitely not the person I'd spend the rest of my life with. I had no idea how much you'd impact my life. But the moment I saw you for the first time, I knew my life was about to change.

The past two years have been the best years of my life. You've helped me in more ways than you'll ever know, just by being there for me and loving me even when I don't deserve it. You're the most amazing person I've ever met, and honestly I still can't believe you said yes to being my girlfriend two years ago."

She laughed a little at this, and I could see her starting to tear up. To be honest, I was about to do the same.

"I never thought I would meet the love of my life in high school. But age really is just a number. I mean, you can drive at sixteen, go to war at eighteen, drink at twenty-one and retire at sixty-five. So how old do you have to be before your love is real?"

Kenna smiled at this, hearing one of her favorite quotes from her favorite TV show, One Tree Hill.

"I know we're young, but I also know that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you. So," I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box. "That's why I got you this."

Her eyes widened, and she looked at me in shock. "What? Cole...what?"

I laughed softly. "Don't worry, I'm not proposing." I opened the box to reveal a rose gold ring with a small diamond in the center. "It's a promise ring."

She looked up at me, eyes wide. "A promise ring?"

I nodded. "As a symbol of my commitment to you. This represents my promise to always love you, no matter what, and that one day I'll replace it with a much nicer ring."

She let out a small laugh, a single tear rolling down her face. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me, and I did the same, making sure to keep a tight hold on the box so the ring didn't fall out.

When she pulled away, I took her hand in mine and slid the ring on her finger. She just stared at it, like if she blinked it might disappear.

"Do you like it? I know it's not super fancy or anything," I said.

"I-I love it," she said, grinning at me. "But I don't care what the ring looks like. You could've given me a ring pop and I'd still love it."

I laughed. "Good to know."

Kenna shook her head again, like she still couldn't believe it. "Seriously, Cole, this means the world to me. Everything you said, and this..." she looked down at the ring, then back at me. "I don't know what to say. Just...I love you."

I smiled at her, bringing my hand up to her face. "You deserve this and so much more." I leaned down and kissed her. I still couldn't believe she was mine.

I pulled away and hugged her, kissing the top of her head, and it hit me all over again how much this girl means to me.

"I love you, Gracie. Forever."

the end.