Epilogue
•••
{music for the chapter:// Never Come Back Again by Austin Plaine}
•••
When you end up with the right person, there is nothing to hide. No secrets, no habits you wish you lost a long time ago, no awkwardness. Instead of the rush that dies quickly, you feel calm and content in their arms, like you never want to leave. They're a warm blanket, pulling you closer and closer until all you want to do is stay forever. Hunter is that feeling for me. He is home. Whenever I see him, my heart settles and my mind calms. He is my peace.
We didn't know where we'd end up, but I knew as long as I was with him, it wouldn't matter. We traveled across the country, changing together and individually as we drove. Sometimes I am still haunted by the invasive thoughts at night, but then Hunter will pull me into his chest and suddenly nothing feels scary anymore. I feel invincible when I'm with him.
We ended up in Mexico, living beside the beach in a little hut. As cliche as it gets. We have no connection to the outside world. No cellphone, no internet; just him and I and the soft, warm sand. And for once in my life, I feel like I belong. I belong in Hunter's arms, sitting in the sand at dusk, watching the sun dip below the horizon as the waves lap at the shore. It's where I belong now, and will always belong. He is the reason I don't need to cope anymore; I have everything I could possibly want.