Under the New York Sky | ✔️

•E p i l o g u e•

I still met with Doctor Miranda every now and then, though our scheduled appointments weren't as frequent as they used to be. The sessions were never as difficult as the first few, and they were just to make sure I wasn't still bathing in guilt or regret.

True to his word, Luke did try to be involved in Aden's life more. Though, the damage had been done and I wasn't sure if Aden ever truly forgave his dad, even if he did get help for his gambling addiction. Aden and his mom still kept in contact through occasional phone calls and texts. He visited her once in Los Angelos but he never initiated more than that.

The sky was pitch black by the time Aden and I made it to the subway station, lit up only from the street lamps and the bright lights from the skyscrapers above. The both of us were still doubled over, giggling and laughing like a madman at our failed attempt to fit in at a prestigious French restaurant; neither of us could pronounce a word on the menu.

We ended up going around New York City and eating from various food trucks instead. A waste of our outfits that was for sure. I'd put on a navy blue lace dress that ended at the knees and Aden had made the effort with a burgundy dress shirt and black dress pants.

"Honestly the only thing I could read on the menu was ratatouille, and that's cause of the movie," Aden chortled as we got onto the subway. He clutched onto my hand tightly just as he'd been since the whole time we went around New York.

"I think the mini donuts were more for us." I commented, smirking as I remembered how we'd basically busted out of the restaurant and stuffed our faces full of them — because who cared about diabetes. We sat down on an empty seat on the subway, Aden insisted that I take the window seat.

It wasn't a surprise there were empty seats, it was a little past seven o' clock in the evening and the rush hour had passed.

We'd been together for five years now. Besides the occasional fight we had about stupid things, we rarely ever disagreed on anything. Both Aden and I got into the university in New York City after high school.

I managed to achieve what I'd always wanted, and majored in Business, which I knew my mom and dad would be grinning from ear to ear wherever they were.

Aden got a degree in Criminal Justice — and then onto law school. I wasn't surprised Aden would take that path, but I was definitely not going to spend eight years in university. Thankfully, we both had just graduated with our bachelors degree, the four years spent juggling between school and our part time jobs.

Now my status had changed from a student to unemployed, with a crippling debt.

We both talked about our future together frequently. Most of it consisted of us looking at apartments we'd never be able to afford, or joking around about names that we would give our daughter.

Josie and Ryan both went to separate colleges out of state and I guess the distance took a toll on their relationship. They broke up in their second year of college, but they still remain friends — according to Josie. She was off taking summer classes to get ahead, leaving me alone for the summer, with Aden and occasionally Ryan. Everyone else after high school disappeared off the face of the earth, besides whenever they posted a picture on Instagram.

"So, why did we take the subway today? You have a car, we both do," I pointed out as it began to move. We had to take it all the way to the final stop, where Aden had left his car when he ushered me into the subway to get to the restaurant. I placed my head onto his shoulder.