you belong with me | c.w. ✓

epilogue

e p i l o g u e

____________________

I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, turning back and forth and admiring my dress. I had barely recognized myself when Raegan had finished my hair and makeup and let me look in the mirror.

I couldn't help smiling to myself as I pictured Cole's reaction. He'd made it clear he thought I was beautiful no matter what I wore or how much makeup I put on, but it'd be nice to dress up and shock him just this once.

"Ry? You ready?" Maggie called from the other side of the bathroom door.

"Yeah, just a sec," I answered. I sprayed a little more hairspray on the updo Raegan had put my hair in and went back out to the main room.

"Oh my gosh, you look so pretty!" Zoe exclaimed, running up to me.

I blushed. "Thanks, Zo. So do you." I turned to the other two girls. "All of you."

"I'd better. I spent an hour doing this crap," Raegan said, gesturing to her face. "Jaden better faint at my feet for the time I spent on this," she added under her breath.

We looked at the time and realized it was close to seven, when the dance was starting. We would've left already, but Cole insisted on "picking me up" like a proper date. I let him have his moment; after all, I'd been depriving him of opportunities to act like a cute boyfriend for the past six months.

There was a knock on the door, and I went to open it. Sure enough, Cole was standing there. He had a big smile on his face, and had no doubt prepared a cheesy line for this moment.

But the smile was wiped right off his face when he saw me.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly, and he just stood there staring for several seconds. Then he blinked and swallowed nervously. "Wow. Um...wow."

I laughed. "Raegan and Zoe really worked their magic, huh?"

Cole shook his head slowly, a smile coming onto his face. "No, it...it's all you."

My heart nearly skipped a beat, and I was sure my face was turning bright red. I should've told Raegan to skip the blush - I should have known I wouldn't need it.

"Uh, sorry to ruin this ridiculously adorable moment, but we'd better get going," Zoe said from behind me.

We left the room and met Jaden, Zack, and Braden in the hallway. I looked down the hallway towards the West dorms and smiled when I saw Walker and Mia laughing together in front of his room. After I'd told Walker about Cole and me, I set him up with Mia. They seemed to be hitting it off. Maybe they'd bonded over how they were the two people who almost kept Cole and I apart.

We all joined the wave of people leaving the Grove and going next door to the building where the dance was.

Once we reached the doors, Cole held his arm out to me. "Shall we?"

I smiled and looped my arm through his. "We shall."

He held the door open for me as we went inside, and immediately were greeted by pop music blasting throughout the spacious room and people all around us, dancing and laughing.

We talked for a little bit, then Cole said, "I'm gonna go get us some punch." He squeezed my hand and went over to the food table across the room.

Just as he left, Walker came up to me, a cup of punch in his hand.

"Hey Riley," he said. "You look great."

"Thanks," I said with a smile. "Having fun?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Perfect way to end the summer."

I nodded in agreement and looked across the room and saw Mia dancing next to Zoe and a few other girls. "How are you and Mia?"

"We're good. I like her, she's really cool."

"I'm glad. I'm happy for you," I said genuinely. Even though I knew he was hurt when I told him about Cole, he understood why I had to do it. I really was glad he wasn't mad at me; he'd become one of my closest friends, even though we hadn't worked out romantically.

"Well, I'd better go. I promised Mia at least one dance." He shook his head. "Good thing we're leaving tomorrow so I don't have to deal with these people judging me after tonight."

I laughed. "Oh, come on. You can't be that bad."

"Spoken like someone who's never had the privilege of seeing me dance." Walker took a sip of his punch and gave me a kind of weird salute before walking away. "I'll see you later."

I laughed to myself at his dorkiness. "See you."

A minute later Cole came back carrying two cups of punch. "Here you go," he said as he handed one to me. "Williamsport's finest."

I chuckled and took a sip. "Mmm, not bad."

Just then a guy our age came up to us. "Hey Cole, congrats. Must feel good to win a game like that," he said.

Cole nodded, smiling. "Thanks, man. Yeah, it's awesome. I still can't believe it."

They talked for a little while longer before the guy left. When he was gone, I smiled at Cole and said, "And I still can't believe I scored a world champion as my date."

He laughed and shook his head. "I think we both know who the lucky one in this relationship is."

I smiled, feeling my heart swell in my chest. No, I'm definitely the lucky one, I thought.

Just as I was taking a sip of punch, the music switched from Drake to a slow Ed Sheeran song. Cole held his hand out to me. "Can I have this dance?"

I smirked. "I don't know, can you?"

He groaned, closing his eyes. "Why am I dating you?"

I grinned like a little kid in a candy store. "You know you love me."

This earned me a smile. "I guess I do." He took my hand and squeezed it. "Trust me, I've tried not to. But you're a hard habit to break, Riley Henline."

Feeling like my heart might burst out of my chest, I rose up on my toes and kissed him on the cheek. Like so many other times, I'd run out of words to describe how I felt about him.

"Come on, let's dance." I pulled him over to the dance floor, which was now filled with couples dancing to Thinking Out Loud.

I put my right hand in Cole's, my left on his shoulder as his went on my waist. I rested my head on his chest and blocked out all the noise, pretending we were the only ones in the room.

We swayed to the music, not saying a word. We didn't need to - all the words we needed to say had already been said.

As the song came to a close, I lifted my head and looked around the room. I saw my friends, my family, my boyfriend, and smiled. This was where I belonged: surrounded by the people I loved.

And while I knew this moment wouldn't last, I knew the feeling would. As long as I had these people by my side - as long as I had him by my side - I would never be alone.

And that would last forever.

the end.