Eve's ballet performance was this weekend, so Holly's Dad was out, and to his delight, he'd taken Mrs. Reed with him. The play got cancelled because we'd lost our two leads, and the two understudies, Thea and I, had no motivation to go through with it.
Ava was gone for good, and Ted was still a mess. I was excited for her, though. She could start over, far from here. A new life.
Shay and Ted had gotten closer over the past few days, no doubt bonding over their loss. I knew that it would take a long time for Ted to truly move on, but he was going off to college with a football scholarship in a few months anyway. He'd find someone.
Thea and I were both starting at the local university a couple of blocks away. We knew we could do better, but with all the drama that had unfolded over the course of senior year, all we wanted was to stay close to home.
Emma had left to stay with her father, and no one had heard from her since. Alora's death had been too painful for her. It was ironic how we'd started our journey to make people happy and save the alters, and in the end we were left with half of who we'd started with.
Project Mirror, Mirror was over. I'd like to consider Elody a victory, even though I never made a move on her. At least she was alive and happy. That's all that truly matters.
We lost Daisy, who seemed fragile, but was a warrior. She battled through the notes, which we'd finally discovered were written by Brynn. How could we not know? Self sabotage was written all over her face. In the end, Daisy left to join her true love: Grandad. We lost her too early, but she was home now.
Brynn was gone too, and that was entirely our fault. Mirror, Mirror had sprung out of control, and we'd formed groups within ourselves. In the name of helping out, we'd lost an alter. If we hadn't put up such a divided front, maybe she'd still be alive now. We would never know.
I'd never fallen in love with Alora, but I knew why Emma did. She was hilarious, sarcastic and full of life, despite her dreary clothing choices. She cared about everyone and she let me down gently to spare my feelings. That night in the park all that time ago had been magical, although nothing had come out of it.
I didn't regret not telling Elody how I felt. I feared I'd made too much of a mess already by mixing all the girls and all the worlds. I should've been content with Holly, and Holly alone. She was all I cared about from the start, and I let my feelings for her cloud my judgement.
Riley was going to take a gap year to focus on her music. I'd heard through the grapevine that she'd finally given Andrew a chance, and that the two had just gone on their first date. At least we knew romance wasn't dead.
As for Cassandra and Veronica, they'd finally left their differences aside and had become friends again. Surprising as it was, Cassandra the anti-romance dictator had a long-distance Indian boyfriend. He was coming to visit in the summer, and she was beyond no means thrilled.
Draven got into Julliard; his dream school. His parents must have been so proud. Finally, his efforts had been paid off, and finally, something was looking up for him.
I think that just about covers everyone. So that brings us to where we are now, in Holly's bedroom. She's wearing Alora's glasses and Daisy's pendant. She's holding a pack of gum in one hand and Brynn's letters to daisy in the other. The floor is covered with the pictures in the photo album. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach.
It's the album that had initially been a gift from her to me for our anniversary. Once we'd started Mirror, Mirror, I'd put in pictures of all her alters, as well as little things that reminded me of them to collect the memories. The receipt from the date when Brynn had stood me up. Gum wrappers from English class with Elody.
When Holly and I had broken up, I'd slipped the photo album into her locker in a moment of haste. I'd forgotten about it ever since. She was bound to find it sitting at the bottom of her locker sometime.
Now, gazing at her tear-stained face, my heart plummets to the ground. She knew. She knew everything, and there was no telling whether it was the end or just the beginning.
"Thank you," she whispers, through her tears.
"For what?" I ask. The tears are dripping furiously down mine too, and I don't bother to wipe them away.
"All of this," she says, her voice laced with emotion.
"I hurt you," I say, trembling from head to toe. I want to scream, to hit something. It's all my fault. I started this mess and I ended it even messier.
"You did all of this out of love," she says, taking a step closer to me. "You went through all of this to be with me."
"I did it all wrong," I mutter, wanting to collapse into myself. I close my eyes, praying this is all a nightmare I'll wake up from tomorrow morning.
"You couldn't have stopped it. You were merely quickening the inevitable," she says, grazing my arm. My eyes flutter open at her touch. It isn't a dream.
"I tried, Bell," I sob, and she pulls me toward her.
"I know," she whispers, holding me tight in her arms. "I know."
The memories of the past sixty days come flashing back to me all over again. From the day Ava and I sat and drafted out the plan, to the day Daisy and I first kissed on the bus. I rewind to the moment when Ted and Ava finally told me they were together, and the day Granddad died. So many memories, and they never would've happened if not for Project Mirror, Mirror.
"I don't know if I'll remember you tomorrow morning, but I want you to know that I'll always love you," she says, pulling away from me.
"If I could go back and do it all over again, I would," I declare.
She kisses me softly. "Sometime, somewhere, I'll meet a brown-haired idiot and think 'I loved someone like him before.'"
"And I'll meet a blonde and be reminded of you," I smile.
She gives me a wistful look. "Oh, but you already have," she says, and I instantly know who she's referring to. I shake my head. She knows.
"It's you, Holly. It's always been you and it always will be."
"I don't want that. I want you to be happy," she says softly. I feel the tears coming all over again.
"But I am happy. Right now, in this moment, you're all that matters," I say.
"Promise me, Will. Promise me that you'll move on. She's perfect for you. She's always been your second soulmate. You know it, I know it, everyone does," she says, quickly so that I don't interrupt her.
I know she's right, but I don't want to think about Thea right now. I have to give Holly a proper farewell before I start all over.
"I promise," I say, kissing her with a passion only departing lovers can have.
"You were there from Once Upon a Time, and you stayed till Happily Ever After."
. . .
A/N Thank you for sticking by this story with all its ups and downs, beginnings and ends. It has truly been a magical journey, being in the minds of Will and Ava and all their friends. I know my updating schedule was erratic, with me going offline for several months at a time, but you stuck by me nonetheless. I'm sorry I'm not a happily ever after type of person, but at least now you can imagine the ending you want for Holly and Will. Does she remember him? Does she not? Up to you!
Which character do you think had the most tragic ending? Who was your favourite? Everyone had their part to play for the project to go wrong, but who do you think contributed the most? I'm excited to hear your answers!
I hope you enjoyed the book and will continue reading my other work!
Love,
Via <3