Unpredictable • cth

epilogue two

*4 years later

Ella

"Ryder!" I shouted, my words echoing through his empty ass apartment, hastily trying to rush my heels on as he insisted on me meeting him at his place rather than him picking me up at my own apartment room.

"I'm coming baby!" He shouted back followed by a string of curses as he slammed around in his closet upstairs, making me unsure of his words now.

He had moved in here about a year ago, deciding he saved enough money to buy an apartment of his own and truthfully he was getting very frustrated living with Caleb, both for his own sanity and our relationship, seeing as I stayed at his most nights.

Living with Caleb was having like a constant third wheel, which of course I love Caleb but when his wall is right next to Ryder's and his is currently in the honeymoon phase of his new relationship, let's just say sleeping was extremely hard.

I mean at least Ryder and I waited until Caleb was actually out of the house, not in the living room.

Caleb actually agreed fully with Ryder's decision, as did our parents, thinking it was time the boys lived on their own. Where as Mia and I were practically inseparable, seeing as she graduated earlier, we ended up getting an apartment near UCLA also seeing as she ended up getting a job with a new up and coming artist named Olivia Rodrigo during her album and social media creative art and presentation which was based near the school.

We've lived there for about two years now and surprisingly not a single fight has erupted between us, besides the bickering of who's turn it is to wash the dishes.

It made Aunt Crystal happy to see us still living together even though I stay at Ryder's most nights and Mia's boyfriend Alex spends most his nights at ours. But at the end of the day we do everything together, cook, clean, and just about everything else.

Sometimes we actually ban the boys from our apartments just so we can have us time because every know and then we miss each other just a little bit more.

"Ryder!" I huffed, throwing my body down on his overly comfortable black couch sat in the living room, kicking my legs up just to dangle my feet over the edge, not even caring that my dress had rode up to just the top of my thighs.

My eyes scanned the living room, looking over to the pictures scattered across the coffee table and media console, all Aunt S's and my own touches on his very modern home. But to be honest he lets me do whatever I please with his apartment, I could paint it pink and he wouldn't care solely because it makes me happy and that's all he ever wants for me.

My eyes land on a very familiar picture, one from our high school graduation, which reminds me we have our college one coming up soon.

The picture was of the four of us with all my aunts and uncles, everyone smiling and laughing as we stared aimlessly at the sea of cameras ahead of us.

That day was one of my happiest days, everything falling into place as I started my life as I started growing up and living the life that my mom wished for me.

Speaking of my father, him and my uncles are currently in Joshua Tree trying to write 5SOS5, but every time they make headway they end up getting high off their mind snd forget the medley they had prior.

This also leads them to scold us about never doing drugs and if we do we will die but not at the hand of the drugs but at their own. This is when they are high and can't fully remember the conversation the next day so I don't even know why we listen anymore.

My dad calls me every morning, which again I'm normally spending in Ryder's apartment. No matter how long Ryder and I are together my father will always give me a hard time for sleeping here, constantly teasing that I should just move in and then it'll be more 'acceptable' which of course is all a joke but I know deep down he feels like his baby girl is slipping away as I grow up.