Epilogue

Eliza

Two years later

I lay in Ian’s bed, wondering why on earth I still had an apartment. I was never there anymore. I generally just went there to get my things, but I was leaving more and more of my belongings behind at Ian’s house. I was going to have to talk to him about moving in. It seemed silly not to. I loved my apartment, but it was way smaller than Ian’s and his was more convenient for work for both of us. I looked at the time and grinned. It was almost ten in the morning, and I was still lying in bed. Ian had left early that morning for a breakfast date with his father, and I’d told myself that I was going to have a productive day. But so far, I’d just stayed in bed, dozing off or sometimes reading. It was nice.

Sometimes I couldn’t believe that I’d been with Ian for two years. We’d gone through so much in the beginning that we’d gotten close a lot quicker than a normal relationship. But I knew that I didn’t ever want to be with anyone else. He was the one. I just knew it. I’d taken him home to California about nine months prior. It was the first time that I’d gone home, and it felt strange to be back there. Ian had been worried that I would take one look at the place and want to move back. But that hadn’t happened. I knew it wouldn’t.

We’d stayed with my mother for a few days, and even though she objected to the relationship at the start, she was clearly enamored with Ian by the time we left. She’d told me that she had been in the wrong and that she had only been looking out for my best interests. Things hadn’t been good between my mother and I, but after going back home to see her, it had gotten better. She called at least twice a week now to catch up, and sometimes she spoke to Ian more than she spoke to me. She often asked if I would come back, and I always said no. I loved my mother, but Arizona as my home now. Ian was my home.

I heard the door open and close and then saw Ian’s face pop around the corner.

“You still in bed?”

I laughed. “Yeah. I’m in such a lazy mood.”

“Good, you deserve it. You’re the hardest working person I’ve ever met. I mean, I thought I was a workaholic. But you take the cake.”

“I love cake,” I said, and we both laughed.

He wasn’t lying about work, though. The company had gotten huge over the past two years and was now the leading party company in Arizona. John was now looking at expanding the business to more cities in the state, and was currently in the process of looking for staff members and venues. Mae and I were still the top party planners in the company, and we’d both hired an assistant to help us. On top of that, we’d hired an assistant for Paul, as well as a receptionist. The company was booming. The only thing that hadn’t changed was the outside of the building, which was still as derelict as before. I loved it.

“Have you eaten?” he asked me.

I pointed to the plate next to me, which now just had a few crumbs on it. “Yeah, I had peanut butter on toast. The breakfast of champions. How about you? How was breakfast with your dad? How’s he doing?”

I’d gotten close to Pop in the past two years. My own father had passed away when I was just a little girl, and my mother had never remarried. Ian’s father treated me just like the daughter he never had, and I loved him for it.

“He’s doing well. He’s almost fully recovered. It took a lot longer than he had hoped, but I suppose it’s because he’s a lot older now. But he’s doing well. He’s back to his old self again. And he’s asked me to take on the role as president of the club. Like permanently.”

“Really? I thought he’d want the job once he was better?”

“He said it was pointless. He reckons I’ve been doing a better job than him. He’s still going to be a part of the club, but he wants me to be in charge.”

“What did you say?”

He grinned. “I said yes. I was sort of hoping he’d let me do it anyway.”

“I knew you were.”

“And he’s asked me to officially take over at the shop. He’s still going to work there, but he wants me to be in charge. Who knew he would ever trust me enough for this?”

“So, you own the shop now? That’s amazing!”

“Yeah. Oh, and there’s something I want to show you there. I’ve been working on a little something. I want to show you before I show anyone else. Mind if we stop by there before going out for dinner tonight?”

“We’re going out for dinner?” I asked. That was news to me.

“We are. Wear your yellow dress.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Really? I haven’t worn that dress in ages.”

“I know. But I want to see you in it again.”

I smiled. That dress would always remind of that time in the clearing when we’d made love on the grass. There was still a small grass stain at the bottom of the dress that I’d never managed to get out.

“I like this. Dinner and my outfit all picked for me. I don’t actually see any reason to get out of bed until then.”

Ian laughed. “Oh yeah? Well, you might not see a reason to get out of bed, but I definitely see a reason to get into bed.”

I pulled back the covers. “Come on in.”

We spent the entire day in bed, getting up only for bathroom breaks and snacks. It was wonderful.

“All right, then, sleepyhead,” Ian said early that evening. “It’s time to get ready. Dinner has been booked, and we can’t be late.”

“Yes, sir,” I said and got out of bed. I climbed into the shower and then changed into my bright-yellow dress.

“Should I wear heels with this? Seeing as though we’re going out for dinner.”

“What? No way. Since when has that stopped you before? Sneakers for sure.”

I grinned. “I’m so glad you said that. I don’t know what got into me there.”

I put on my white sneakers, curled my hair ever so slightly at the edges, and put on a bit of makeup. I walked out and twirled for Ian.

“Beautiful.”

“So, where are we going?” I asked when we got out. We climbed onto his bike, and I wondered why I had even bothered with my hair.

“You’ll see,” he said. “But first, we’re going to the shop.”

We made our way to the shop, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I loved going for rides on the motorcycle and would choose it over a car ride any day. It was night time, and the shop was closed, so Ian fished out his key and opened up. We walked past his dad’s office, and then Ian flicked the switch in the garage.

I gasped when the light came on. The entire shop had been decorated, and in the middle stood a table and two chairs. On the table was a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“Ian, what’s going on? How did you do all this?”

He smiled. “Well, I happen to know some very good party planners in town.”

“Mae did this?”

“Yeah, she worked all day on it. She did a good job,” he said and looked around.

“So, this is where we are having dinner?”

“Oh yeah. Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding me? I love it. This is amazing. Wow, it’s beautiful.”

It was one of the most romantic settings I’d ever seen, which was quite something considering it was in the middle of a garage. The motorcycles and tools somehow just added to the appeal. It was a mixture of romantic and eclectic at once, and I loved it. I looked back at Ian and saw that he was holding three presents in his hands.

“What’s this?”

“Gifts. Sit down.”

I took a seat and squealed.

“I thought you were going to tell me that I shouldn’t have gotten you anything.”

“No way,” I said. “I love presents.”

He chuckled. “And that’s what I love about you. Okay, which present do you want first?”

I pointed to the small one, but he shook his head. “No, you can have this one first,” he said and handed me a much bigger box.

I laughed and opened up the box, careful not to tear the paper.

“You can rip right into it, you know.”

“I know. But I don’t want to.”

I pulled out a box and opened it up. Inside was a pair of white shoes, with yellow laces. I laughed with delight.

“These are the coolest shoes I’ve ever seen. Wait, I’m putting them on now.”

I bent over and put the new shoes on and twirled around the room for Ian to see.

“Do you like them?” he asked.

“They’re perfect. I never thought of changing the color of my laces. I’m going to do that all the time now. These are so cool. Thank you! Wait, why am I even getting gifts? It’s not my birthday.”

“Does there need to be a reason?”

“I guess not.”

“Then you can have gift number two.”

Inside was my very own helmet. It was black with a bright-yellow flower on the side.

“I sense a theme here,” I said when I saw the yellow. “This is amazing. You sure you won’t mind riding with me wearing this thing? It’s very girly.”

“Well, you’re a girl,” he said. “And I thought you’d like it. It’s about time you had your own helmet.”

“It’s perfect.”

“And now, for the final gift. After that, we can start the eating and drinking part of the night.”

He handed me a small box. I opened this one even more slowly than before. I didn’t want the fun to end. I figured it would be something else yellow. But I didn’t expect to see a beautiful silver ring with a tiny yellow stone in it. I looked at Ian with surprise and saw that he was down on his knee.

“Eliza, you’re the most beautiful girl that I’ve ever known. You’re my sunlight. And nothing in the world would make me happier than having you as my wife. Will you marry me?”

I felt the tears fall down my face. “Yes! Yes, of course, I will marry you. Can I wear these sneakers to the wedding?” I said, and he laughed.

“You’d better wear them to the wedding.”

I laughed and wiped away my tears.

“I love you, Lashes.”

“I love you too, Gunner.”

“Did you just call me ‘Gunner’?” he teased.

I bit my lip. “Anyone coming in here tonight?”

“No, it’s just us. Come on, let me put this ring on your finger. Keep it on. Hell, keep the shoes on, too.”

I chuckled. “Do you just want to have sex with me so that I will enjoy whatever food you give me?”

“Maybe. You can’t blame me, though. I learned from the best!”

 

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BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER

BOX SET

 

By Alycia Taylor

 

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

 

Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

 

 

BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER #1

 

Chapter One

Alexa

 

You know those moments in life when you think: I’m always going to remember where I was and what I was doing when this happened? Today was going to be that day for me. It started out normally. The alarm on my phone was screaming at me at seven a.m. and I spent at least a full minute banging on it before I found the button to silence it. I would have done better, had I opened my eyes, but I knew that the room would be filled with light. I could feel it already pressing down against my eyelids. I’d forgotten to close the blinds last night. Not a big deal at night, really. My dorm room is on the third floor and it doesn’t face anything but some old basketball courts that no one uses any longer. But in the morning, it’s a different story. I hate mornings and until about ten a.m., I curse the appearance of the sun. While I laid there and tried to think of a logical excuse for not getting out of bed, my alarm started screeching again.

I slapped it and opened my eyes. I squinted in the bright sun as I sat up and decided then and there that closing the blind would have to be part of my nightly routine no matter how I was feeling. I opened the nightstand drawer next to the bed and pulled out a black kami and matching panties. It wasn’t like anyone was going to see them, but I always worried that I’d be involved in some kind of accident and when they took my body to the hospital the first thing the nurses and doctors would say was: Her underwear doesn’t match. Stupid, I know…but it makes me feel better.

I stood under the warm spray of the shower for too long. I hadn’t been feeling very well and the steam helped open everything up so I could breathe. By the time I got out of the shower, I had to hurry and my long, red hair was going to have to go into a ponytail or a braid because there was no way I had time to dry and straighten it. I decided on a braid and then I put on a tiny bit of foundation and some mascara so my light red eyelashes weren’t completely invisible. I slipped on my jeans and then my pink Fox t-shirt last. My shoes and book bag were by the door and as I slipped them on I grabbed a cereal bar off the desk. I wasn’t going to have time for breakfast and I didn’t want my stomach growling in the auditorium where it would echo across the room. Finally ready to go, I dashed out the door.

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out into the hallway was that it was too quiet. This dorm houses over a hundred and fifty college-aged women. It was never quiet. I would have asked someone what was going on, but there didn’t even seem to be anyone around. Hopefully I didn’t sleep through the zombie apocalypse. I was sleeping pretty hard last night. I felt like crap and on top of that I have a test today that I studied for until the wee hours of the morning. I better pass because I gave up two things that I love for it…sleep and a night out with my best friend.

I finally saw signs of life when I hit the ground floor. No zombies, but a lot of gloomy looking people. I saw a girl I know named Maddie and said, “Hey! What’s going on? Why does everyone look like their dog just died?”

Maddie said, “I’m not sure what happened exactly but there was a report on the news this morning that a girl was killed in a car accident. They didn’t have any details yet, but they found a student ID in the car and they think she may have been a student here.”

“They didn’t give her name?” I don’t know why, but a sudden surge of panic forced itself into my chest.

“No they wouldn’t say yet. The news said the name of the victim was withheld until they notified the family. It’s just so sad. Someone our age…just gone like that.”

“Yeah, that is sad.” I looked at my phone. It was ten minutes until I needed to be on the other side of campus. “I have to get to class. I have a big Soc test today. Let me know if you hear any more.”

“I will,” Maddie said.

I jogged more than walked to my class. Dr. Freitas, my sociology professor didn’t tolerate tardiness. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t let me take the test if I got there five minutes late. I made it with two minutes to spare and found my usual spot. Dropping my bag down next to me, I dug out my pencil and my scan tron. I was really glad I made it on time when I saw Dr. Freitas go over and lock the door at eight o’clock on the dot. He went over the rules for the midterm and the he passed it out. My phone was in my lap, but the ringer was off and he couldn’t see it under the little desk in front of me. If he saw it…he would make me leave. He was old school like that.

The test was two pages long and as I went from one question to the next, I realized that I’d over-stressed about it. I probably could have gone out with Emma last night and still passed it. She was going out to hang out with a friend of ours at her house who was having some people over. It sounded like fun…but on top of needing to study, I hadn’t felt well so I’d flaked on her. I was on the last page of the test when I felt my phone vibrate in my lap. I glanced down in Dr. Freitas’ direction. He was walking back and forth, watching. I left it alone and finished the test before I picked up it and my bag. He told us we were excused when we finished and I didn’t want to have to go back up and disturb everyone while I got my bag. I took the test up front and handed it and the scan tron to him.

“Did you put your name on it?” he asked, without looking up.

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay. The door will open from the inside. Make sure and close it on your way out.”

“Okay, thanks.” He was finished with me. He still hadn’t looked up. I let myself out and pulled the door closed behind me before finally looking at my phone. It was a text from Sabrina, another friend of mine. The text simply said, “Did you hear about Emma?”

I text back as I walked down the hall towards the outer door. “Did I hear what about Emma?”

I had just hit the outer door and walked out into the fresh air when she text back, “Call me.”

My mind suddenly went back to what Maddie said about the car wreck…then the cryptic text…Did you hear about Emma? My stomach all at once felt like someone had tied my insides into knots and I got a chill that ran down my spine and across both of my arms. I didn’t want to call her back. I didn’t want to know what had happened to my best friend. I stood there, staring at the phone for several minutes before finally getting enough air into my lungs to convince myself that I was just being silly. I pressed the call button and Sabrina picked up right away.

“Alexa, I wish that I wasn’t the one who had to tell you this…”

“Then don’t,” I said. “Don’t tell me!”

“You do know.”

“I heard there was an accident last night. I heard the girl was dead. I know Emma was out last night and I was supposed to be with her but I flaked at the last second. Please tell me I’m wrong, Sabrina. Please tell me that girl wasn’t Emma.”

“I’m sorry, Alexa,” the other girl said. I could hear the strangled tone of her voice and I knew she’d been crying.

“She’s….Oh shit! She’s…dead?”

“Yes, I’m so sorry.” I hung up. It wasn’t Sabrina’s fault and I wasn’t usually one to shoot the messenger but I couldn’t listen to it for one more second. There was no way that Emma was dead. She was young and beautiful and funny and smart…I pulled up her number and pressed call. It went straight to voicemail. That didn’t mean anything, I told myself. She turns her phone off sometimes when she’s in class. I’m just being paranoid…stupid…Sabrina was a big gossip! She didn’t know what she was talking about and when I found Emma I was going straight over there and punching Sabrina in the face for upsetting me like this. I started walking to the dorm. I felt like I was in a fog…or a bad dream. The world was happening around me, but it didn’t seem real. As I crossed the campus courtyard I realized that people were staring at me. Why are they staring at me? I reached up and touched my face. It was saturated with tears that I hadn’t even realized I was crying. Why am I crying? This isn’t real! Emma is not dead!

I passed the people who were staring at me and even a few who were trying to talk to me. I ignored them all. I just wanted to be alone, so I could process this and figure out why people would even consider the possibility that Emma was dead. That was ridiculous…wasn’t it? I made it to my room and locked myself inside. I sat down on the bed and looked at my phone. The last text I had from Emma was after I’d text her, telling her I really didn’t feel well, and I needed to study and wouldn’t be able to go out. She had text me back and said, “Okay, but all work and no play makes Alexa a dull girl. Love ya!”

I hadn’t even text back that I loved her too. Why? It would have taken me two seconds…or less. Oh God! What if she was dead? What if I had that one last chance to be with her, or to tell her I loved her too and I had let it pass? The tears were running down the side of my neck now. I had to find some tissue…or just lie down on the bed and let them soak into the pillow…which was what I did. I lay there for a while, crying and shaking, rolled into a fetal position and I imagined what her family must be going through. Shit! Her family! I grabbed the phone and called my dad.

He picked it up on the first ring and said, “Alexa honey, I was just going to call you…” Dad’s voice was husky, like he was trying not to cry.

“It’s true?”

“Yeah baby. I’m so sorry.”

I let myself sob out loud then and my dad just sat quietly and let me. When I could speak again I said, “Do her parents know?”

“Yeah, I’m headed over there now,” he said.

“Oh God, Daddy! Oh God!”

“I know baby. Do you want me to come and get you?”

“I need to be home.”

“I know honey. I have to go see Emma’s parents and see if there is anything I can do. Then I’ll be there, okay?”

I’m not sure if what I said sounded like okay to him or not. To my ears it was just another strangled cry. I dropped back down onto the bed and sobbed. My poor Emma. I couldn’t understand why. She was so young…It’s just not fair!