Epilogue- It Was Worth It.
-Emma-
Rolling over on my bed, I heard my room door creep open but I didn't pay any mind to since I was trying to block out any noise so I could go back to sleep. The sound of approaching footsteps started to get me a bit irritated, but I still brushed it off hoping whoever it was would leave once they saw I was still 'asleep' and just when I thought the person left my room so I could go back into a peaceful slumber, I felt a small body collide with my back.
"Emmy! Emmy! Emmy! Emmy!" Tyler's sweet but annoying at the moment voice yelled. Turning on my side caused Tyler to roll off my back. I sat up and looked at the clock on my nightstand then at him.
"Tyler, what are you doing up at 7:30 in the morning?" I asked him incredulously running a hand through my brown locks.
"Emmy, don't you know what today is!?" He asked excitedly jumping up and down on my bed. I raised an eyebrow at him with an expecting look on my face. Tyler's face formed into a frown. "Emmy, you really don't know?" He asked plopping down on my bed and I shook my head.
"It's your birthday!" Tyler yelled attacking me with a hug causing us to fall back onto my bed.
I chuckled. "I know, Ty. I was just messing with you." I said ruffling his brown hair.
"Happy Birthday Emmy!" He said giving me a huge kiss on the cheek.
"Aw, thank you Tyler." I said giving him on last squeeze before he left my room. I grabbed my phone off my nightstand and pressed down on the lock button checking to see if I had any messages and the date. Honestly, I didn't know it was my birthday, it slipped my mind and when Tyler came bouncing on my bed all happily saying if I knew what today was then I realized it. Looking down at my lock screen, I noticed the date. November 20. Yup, it's my birthday.
Just when I went to put my phone down it started to ring and vibrate. I slid my finger across the screen putting the phone to my ear and before I could even say hello, Nick and Amy's voices were blaring out of speaker of it.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!" Amy and Nick's voices sang off key. "Happy birthday our amazingly awesome Emma. Happy birthday to you!" They ended carrying out the last letter.
"Wow, I'm actually surprised that this year you guys actually sang in unison." I said with a grin plastered on my face. I was truly shocked that actually happened because years from before either Nick or Amy would messed up or one of them would mixed up the 'amazingly awesome' part with something totally different. Like I mean completely random.
I heard them high five each other and Nick said 'finally!' which caused me to chuckle. "Yes, we practiced this year!" Amy said proudly. "Okay, we're coming to get you around noon, so be ready." After she said that Amy hung up the phone.
I shook my head and pushed the comforter off of me and walked to my bathroom to do my daily routine. When I was done I dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a cream colored sweater, a black beanie with dark combat boots. I get cold, sue me.
Walking into the kitchen, I smelt the sweet aroma of chocolate chip pancakes. Total favorite right there. I'm so touched, my mom knows me so well.
"Happy Birthday!" My parents both yell when they caught sight of me. Each walked over and gave me a bone crushing hug.
"I can't believe my baby is finally eighteen." My mother said wiping away a fake year.
I rolled my eyes as I sat down at the round kitchen table near my father. across from Tyler and next to my mother. "We all knew it was coming." I said.
"Yup, you're getting old Emma." My dad said. "Next thing you know you'll be walking with a cane like an old person."
That caused my mother to chuckle and Tyler to snicker. I gapped at my dad and slapped his arm. "I am not that old! If anything I'm young as young can be."
"No, that's Tyler. You're just old now." He said with a slight smirk.
"Dad, stop calling me old! How would you like it if I called you old?" I asked glaring at him.
"Emma, I'm young. Right honey?" He asked my mom and she nodded. I mumbled some incoherent words under my breath but didn't respond to him as I ate my breakfast. " Well, since it is your birthday I believe you deserve a gift."
Hearing that made my sour mood turn into an excited one. "What did you get me?" I said literally bouncing in my chair.
"Patience, grasshopper." My dad said and I rolled my eyes. He bend over from his chair and picked something up off the kitchen floor and placed a small light blue box wrapped in white ribbon onto the kitchen table sliding it over to me.
I raised an eyebrow at him and my dad just grinned. I picked up the blue box and unwrapped the ribbon removing the top of it. Inside the box was a sterling silver charm bracelet with one small charm on it. The charm was a sliver heart engraved with small intricate designs around it and inside the middle of the heart was a small diamond. It was completely breathtaking.
I clasped the bracelet onto my wrist and gave my dad a huge hug that almost cause him to fall out the chair. "Thank you so much! I love it." I said squeezing him tightly.
My dad chuckled and patted my arm. "You should be thanking your mother. She picked it out for you." I released my dad and went over to my mom who was washing dishes at the sink. Before I could give her a bone crushing hug, she whipped around and held the soapy sponge out.
"Your hugs are killer when you get excited like this, now I warn you if you take a step closer I will use this sponge on you." She said with a small smile.
"Is that a challenge?" I asked smirking and she nodded. "Challenge accepted." Before my mom could make any other move, I grabbed the sponge she was holding out of her hand with not swipe.
She gapped at me. "How did you do that?" She asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I have ninja skills." And before she could say another word, I wrapped my arms around her giving her a bone crushing hug. Obviously, she hugged back because it would have been rude of she didn't and it's my birthday too. Who doesn't love hugs on their birthday?
After breakfast was over with, I lingered around my house until noon when Amy and Nick were suppose to pick me up. I was seated on my couch in the living room watching TV when I heard my front door slam open and then slam back shut. "Emma Marie Miller, your amazingly awesome best friends are here!" I heard Amy's voice announce as she waltz into the living room with Nick trailing behind her. They both ran up to me when they caught sight of me and plopped down next to me wrapping their arms around my body pulling me into a suffocating hug.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They yelled.
"I-I can-n't breat-th." I tried to force out since my lungs where being push down my these heavy people. When I said that they both let go of me at the same time.
"Sorry!" Nick apologized. "We can't kill the birthday girl." He said nudging my shoulder with his.
"Yeah, but you could put her as close to death as possible with these damn hugs." I said glaring at him. "Where are we going?"
"Before I tell you where we're going, Nick and I have a gift for you." Amy said smiling as she opened up her bag and pulled out a small gold box handing it over to me. "From us to you, Emma."
I grinned at her and took the box. Honestly, I don't care what kind of gift it was. As long as I have these two annoying but yet lovable people who have been with me since I could remember, I have the best present anyone of them could give me. I opened the top of the box and lying within it was a small silver charm shaped like a cupcake. It was simple yet cute at the same time.
"Em, this charm represents how great of person you are. Easy to love, cute and of course as sweet as anyone could be. And the fact that you love to bake also plays a part in it, but you are an amazing person, a humble, simple but yet a complex person, so don't ever change." Nick said giving me a small smile and hooking on the charm onto my bracelet .
I threw my arms around Amy and Nick's shoulders pulling them into my embrace. I couldn't ask for better people in my life, these two have been with me since the beginning and hope it will continue to the end.
"Okay, okay." Amy said trying to get out of my arms. "Now you're the one trying to kill us with hugs. Let go and I will tell you where we're going."
I instantly released them. "Spill." Was all I said.
"We're going to the Harvest Festival!" Nick blurted out before Amy got the chance which caused her to glare at him.
"Really?" I asked excitedly and they nodded. The Harvest Festival is a type of fair that comes around once a year in November. It has rides, games, food and the theme of fall and we go every year. It never has one official date, so we never know when in November it will be. But it seems like this year it fell on my birthday. "What are we waiting for!?" I asked hopping up from the couch. "Let's go!"
About fifteen minutes later, we were all on the fair grounds walking around in the Harvest Festival while munching on a caramel apple. "Thank you guys for bring me." I said after swallowing a bite of the delicious treat.
"Not a problem, you are the birthday girl." Amy said taking a bite of her own caramel apple. Oh how I wish everyday was my birthday. But if it was, birthdays would lose the special meaning to them so once a year is good enough. Don't you think?
I was about to take another bite from the apple until I heard my name being called from afar. Looking up, I saw Derek, Matt and Mia waving at us.
"Hey guys." I said when they finally stood before us.
"Happy birthday!" Each of them said giving me warm hugs. We all walked around the festival playing games and riding some rides for awhile. Did I mention I'm pretty awesome at fair games? No? Well, the boys found out the hard way. I bet them at each game we played, if it wasn't me who won it would be Amy or Mia. Never the guys. Which, by the way, caused them to pout and whined after each game.
"That's not fair." Derek said pouting. "I think these games are rigged."
"How? By allowing us girls to win and not you guys?" Mia said holding her stuff panda in her arms.
"Yes." Matt agreed. "I think the people in those booth just want you guys to win. I think they know it's Emma's birthday."
I rolled my eyes and sat down on one of the picnic tables near the food stands. "Hush, and go get some food." The guys complied silently only because they were hunger.
"Have you heard from Aiden yet?" Mia asked as she sat in front of me.
I shook my head. "No, not as of yet." I said playing with one of stuff animals I won. Aiden went with his parents to one of their business trips a few states away. He and his parents seem to be getting along well. They're trying to make things right and so was Aiden, it was no use to hold grudges. Since they were all trying to act civil, his parents told him to tag along to one of their business trips and see how things are within the company since he will be taking it over after college. He went but didn't know that it would have over lap with my birthday. Aiden thought it would ended a day or two before it but obviously it didn't. He wouldn't be back till two days from today and we plan to do something simple when he comes back.
"He'll call soon." Amy said. "Don't worry." I nodded and the guys came back with three trays of fries for all of us. We all sat there and talk while eating the fries. The current topic was the paintball game we all had a few days after Nick was discharged from the hospital. We all played a furious game, but at the end we had no clue who won since no one was keeping score. Smart, right?
"We totally beat you guys!" Mia stated.
"Hell no! We beat you guys. Did you not see the amount of hits you guys racked up?" Matt retorted.
"You guys had double the hits!" Amy answered.
"Bullshit, we had less hits then you guys." Derek said.
"I agree with the guys, you guys did had a few more hits then us." Nick agreed.
Mia, Amy and I threw the fries we had on our hands towards the guys. After a few more minutes of arguing, we couldn't come to a conclusion so we decided to have a rematch when Aiden returned to finally see which team is the better on.
"I'm going to get something to drink." Amy said standing up.
"Me too." He said also walking away with Amy to one of the food stands.
"Bathroom break." Nick said walking over to the bathroom quarters leaving Mia and Matt with me.
Popping a fry into my mouth, I looked up to see them smiling at me. "What?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We have a gift for you." Matt answered.
"Really? What is it?" I questioned curiously. Mia placed a small red box onto the table and passed it over me. "This one is from Matt and I. We decided it was best to pair up and get you a gift."
I took the box onto my hand and removed the top and inside had a small silver charm it was shaped like a book.
"Em, you are a smart intellectual person filled with knowledge and wisdom. Not only are you book smart, you are also street smart when it came to certain situations." Mia said. I knew she was referring to the Mark situation with the 'certain situations.' "And if it wasn't for you Matt and I probably would be failing in English. That's why we thought that get you a charm shaped like a book was a great one just for those reasons."
I grinned at them. "Thank you guys. I love it." Matt hooked the charm onto my bracelet. "Did all you guys decided to go charm shopping or something?" I asked with a a raised eyebrow and they just shrugged their shoulders not giving anything away.
Once everyone returned we all decide we should go on one last ride. But we couldn't all agree on one ride, I wanted to go on the ferris wheel and most of them wanted to go on the roller coaster that was there.
Derek decided he would go onto the ferris wheel with me. So we left the others and got onto one of the carts on the ferris wheel. The ride started up and soon we were on our way around. "Enjoying your birthday so far?" Derek asked.
I smiled and nodded. "Of course, having you guys with me makes it all the better."
"Ah, but yet you feel incomplete without that one special person." He added with a small smile. My smile faltered a bit but I didn't say anything. "He'll call soon. Trust me."
"What are you? Psychic?" I teased.
"How did you guess?" He asked fake gasping. "Now I have to flee before you can tell anyone on my secret. Unless, you can keep this one for me."
I smacked his arm softly giving him a small smile. "You know you can trust me. I'll always have your back."
Derek grinned back. "Oh, before I forget." He said reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out a small dark blue box placing it into my palm. "Happy birthday."
I opened the box and saw a small silver charm shaped like a coffee cup. I looked up at him with a raised eyebrows curious about this charm. "Well, I want this charm to represent all the good times we had, just you and I. All the laughs, jokes, tears and happy moments and it all officially started in that little café I took you too. So I hope that when you look at that charm you'll be able to reminisce all those moments." Derek said taking the charm as hooking it onto the bracelet.
I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. I love this one very much and I'm sure I will always carry those memories with me."
After the ferris wheel stop Derek and I got of and walked around until we saw Amy and Nick and walked over to them. "Where's Matt and Mia?" I asked.
Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure, we lost them in the line of roller coaster and haven't seen them since."
Ringing of a phone sounded between us. Derek pulled out his phone and answered it. "Hello?" He said. "Where? Is she okay? Alright, I'll be there soon." Derek hung up his phone slipping it into his pocket and turn his attention to us. "Mia got sick before one of the rides and it doesn't seem like she's getting better. I have to go help Matt with her since I am their ride."
"Is she okay?" I asked.
"She'll be fine I'm sure of it." Derek bid us a goodbye and walked away to the entrance of the festival. The rest of us lingered around a bit longer and got some more treats to eat.
Once we were all tired out, Nick decided we should leave. With Nick driving, Amy in the passenger seat and me in the back seat I pulled out my phone checking my messages. No new messages. Is what it read. I just wonder if he remembers or if he's just too busy to send a message or call, but I still had a bit of hope. I glanced at the time on my phone, 6:30 pm. Okay seeing the time kind of crushed my hope a little.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and rest my head against the window. I closed my eyes and felt myself slip into a light slumber with my last thought lingering in my mind. I hope Aiden is okay.
It felt like we were driving for awhile, but I didn't question it or open my eyes, but I felt us come to a full stop and heard the parking brakes click also. "Emma, wake up." I heard Amy's voice said softly.
"Do I have too?" I asked with my eyes still closed.
"Well, unless you want to stay in this dark lonely forest alone then no." Nick said nonchalantly.
My eyes snapped open at the sound of that. "What?" I exclaimed and I looked outside the windows and saw tall oak trees all around us.
"Well, it seem like this amazing driver of ours got us lost in the woods." Amy said glaring at Nick.
"How was I suppose to know they would close some roads down for the festival?" Nick said trying to defend himself. "They didn't do that from the years before." He pouted crossing his arms over his chest.
I smacked him over his head. "Idiot."
"We're going to have to walk and find away out." Amy said as we all got out of the car.
"Nick, if I get eaten by a bear I'm coming and haunting your ass." I warned him as we walked through the deep forest.
"Ditto." Amy agreed.
"Great." Nick muttered under his breath.
We all walked a bit further until I spotted a light, it's probably a street light. I pointed it out to Amy and Nick. Nick decided to walk in front of us and led us towards the light as it got brighter. When we were only a few feet away, Nick stopped us. "Let me see what is on the other side before we all go, don't want us all to get killed by an axe murder." Amy and I nodded staying in our spots as Nick got closer to the light and peeped his head out of the trees. "Everything is cl-" Before he could finish is sentence, Nick was pulled through the trees by a gloved hand.
"Nick!" Amy yelled running over to where Nick was and before I could react or say anything Amy was also pulled through the trees by the back of her shirt, I could hear her scream from the other side.
"Amy! Nick!" I yelled. Without a second thought I ran through the trees to face off with the 'axe murder' on the other side without any weapons. I know it wasn't a smart idea but I just couldn't leave my friends like that.
I burst through the trees, ready to throw punches and kicks. Before I could register what I was doing my eyes widen with shock to the sight in front of me. "SURPRISE!" An array of voices yelled. I completely taken back, in front of me was Mia, Matt, Derek, Amy, Nick, their families, my family and some of my other friends from school, even Ashley was there wearing a smile. But one person caught my eye, the one person I've been looking forward to seeing, waiting for that call or message. That hazel eyed, dark brunette guy who stole my heart. Aiden was standing there in the middle of everyone with a huge smile on his face and his hazel eyes twinkling with happiness.
"W-What? I was expecting an axe murder over here." I said still in shock causing everyone to chuckle.
"Well, we're no axe murders. But we are your friends and family who came to celebrate your eighteenth birthday with you." Mia said.
"How did you guys pull this all off?" I asked.
"It was Aiden's idea." Derek said. "We all came together and help prepared this. Obviously, Mia wasn't sick that was just a lie to get out of the festival. See she's good as new."
"Aiden's 'trip', well that too never happened. He spent all his time here trying to get this place ready for your birthday." Matt added by this time people already were talking among themselves.
"And you guys kept it a secret?" I asked Amy and Nick and they nodded. "What?! You guys can never keep secrets for so long!"
"I know! It was one of the longest week of my life!" Nick said.
"Same here! You don't know how many times I wanted to burst out and just tell you, but I knew better because they" Amy said gesturing to the others. "would have my head on a silver platter if I did."
I didn't know what to say. These people in front of me did all of this for me, they took time and prepared a party, to buy gifts and spend time with me just for one day. I felt warm tear surface at the rim of my eyes, happy not sad ones. "Thank you guys so much." I said with a grin. They all came in for a group hug and they pulled away, I walked over to Aiden who was just grinning at me.
"You're very slick you know." I said smiling at him.
"How so?" He asked with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me closer to him.
"The fact that you did all of this and hid it from me." I answered looking around. We were at the cliff's clearing where Aiden had took me on our first date. It was gorgeous with white fairy lights wrapped around the tree limbs and trunks, a few round tables were draped with cream colored table cloth with a few chairs around them, tables were set up with food, snacks and drinks plus a three tear cake placed in the middle. There was also a stage set up with microphones, drums and a keyboard. That got me curious, but I didn't questioned it.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart." He said leaning in and kiss me full on the lips. The kiss was filled with love and passion yet it was sweet. I moved my lips softly against his own and just as the kiss was getting heated I remembered where we were. Pulling away from him I pecked his lips softly.
"Thank you." I said slightly breathless. "For everything."
"Well, I know a way you can repay me." Aiden said smirking and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively which caused me to smack his arm. "Okay, okay, well it's time for your gift." Aiden reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black box and opened it for me. Inside was a small gold rose charm, it had a small diamond in the center of it and it was completely gorgeous. "Well, this charm is different from the recent ones you got, this one is unique. Obviously it's gold, but it stands out from the rest." He said hooking the charm onto the center of the bracelet. "Because you are unique yourself, you're different from everyone else. You caught my eye from the day we bumped into each other in the hallway and I knew I could never let you go. You're different from any girl I knew, you intrigued me but yet kept your distance away and for some reason you pulled me in more. You stand out from everyone because you are beautiful person from inside and out. I hope you never change because you are perfect just the way you are." Aiden finished and pecked my lips. "And I love you."
I wiped away a tear that slipped from my eyes. "I love you too."
Aiden smiled at me. "I have one more gift or well surprise actually." I raised and eyebrow but Aiden just walk away towards the stage stepping up to the microphone. "Okay everyone." He said catching everyone's attention. " So obviously you know it's Emma's birthday." That caused everyone to cheer and me to blush. "So I decided I to give her one more gift." He said as Matt and Derek also got onto the stage. Derek going behind the drums and Matt behind the keyboard. Mia stepped up in front of the stage and hand Aiden an acoustic guitar and place the strap around his shoulder.
"So a lot of people don't know I have this talent and I'm pretty sure my own girlfriend doesn't even know either. So bare with me if I'm a bit off. This is for you sweetheart, I hope you remember this one." Aiden finished grinning towards me as they started to play.
The beat of 'Two Is Better Than One' started to stream through their instruments. Then it clicked, that was the song that Aiden played for me and him on our first date.
I remember what you wore on the first day
You came into my life and I thought hey
You know, this could be something
Aiden sang the first few lines. His voice was like no other, sweet and simple yet strong and loud.
'Cause everything you do and words you say
You know that it all takes my breath away
And now I'm left with nothing
He sang the ballad and just before he reached the last line of it, I felt my body being pushed towards the stage and a microphone placed into hand. I was pushed up the steps of the stage and when I looked back it was Mia and Amy who brought me here. I was shocked to even be up here at all, I just can't run down from here. Can I? Aiden caught my eye just as he finished the last line and nodded signaling for me to enter the song. Well here goes nothing.
So maybe it's true that I can't live without you
And maybe two is better than one
But there's so much time to figure out the rest of my life
And you've already got me coming undone
And I'm thinking two is better than one
We sang together. It felt right to be up there with him on stage sing the one song that described us perfectly. We continued the song perfectly in sync throughout it with each word stepping closer to one another and just as we sang the second to last line we faced each other with only a small distance between us.
But I'll figure out with all that's said and done
Two is better than one, two is better than one.
We finished the song with our foreheads resting on each other and our breaths heavy from the lack of oxygen. I heard applause and cheers coming from the crowd but that didn't matter. The person in front of me mattered at the moment. "I love you" He whispered for only me to hear.
Those three words took me back to the day I had the dream of those three words. That day I met Aiden, thinking he was a jerk that was full of himself. But once I got to know him and Matt and Derek I figured out you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Eventually my feelings for Aiden morphed from a slight crush to me falling for him. I don't know when it happened or how if happened but it did. Then the whole Mark thing happened and we were all thrown into a world of danger and drugs, but in the end everything turned out for the better.
"I love you too." I said giving him a small smile as we turned our attention towards the crowd and Aiden slipped his hand into my own.
Because in the end all that matters is that we made it together, here and now. In the end it was worth it. In the end it was worth loving this bad boy.
~~~
Well lovelies,
That was the end of LTBB! <\3
I just want to thank you guys so much for being with me from the beginning to the end. For always supporting and encouraging me. Because writing for you all was worth it <3
I hope you all stick with me through my other stories especially the spin off for this story! Which is up by the way, it's called 'Figuring Out The Bad Boy' so go check it out!
So that's all for now <3
Don't forget to..
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UNTIL NEXT TIME, WITH LOVE <3
-lisa-