All Along | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Two

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"After all this time? Always."

- J. K. Rowling

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Luna's POV

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Two Months Later

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"I'm already missing my tacos." Alana pouts, flopping down on the couch in the middle of our new apartment.

I laugh and join her on the couch, my head falling onto her shoulder, "There are Mexican restaurants in Cali, you know. We both lived here for eighteen years before we moved away. Tacos don't only exist in Boston."

"Nothing will ever compare to that place," She disagrees, "I'll miss it so much."

I sigh softly, "I know, but we'll find a new go-to restaurant now that we're home again."

She turns to look at me and is quiet for a moment before she asks, "Have you been to see him yet?"

I remain silent for a second or two, hesitant. It isn't lost on me that the minute I mention my home, her mind jumps to my best friend. "No. I'll see him at dinner tonight though."

"Aren't you excited that you're both living in the same town again? Permanently?" Her brows furrow as she looks at me.

I give a half-hearted shrug. "Of course I am, but it's different now, Laney. We're different. I don't know how to do this anymore." I confess quietly. Being with Oli was always easy. I worry that things will never be how they used to be.

"You'll figure it out," she assures me, "You always do, Luney."

Last month I graduated from Harvard Law at the same time that Alana finished her post-graduate engineering degree. We both decided that after we finished school, we would come home together. We both lived in Cali before, when we met at high school, so both our families live here. While studying, we shared an apartment in Boston, so we decided to rent an apartment together again once we moved home.

We finally got settled into our new place an hour or so ago, but there is still a lot of unpacking to do. Both her parents and mine helped us with our things, welcoming us home. They only just left a few minutes ago, leaving Alana and I alone in our new apartment for the first time.

It's only a small two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a small kitchen and living space. Alana and I have both been working throughout our studies, picking up extra shifts whenever possible and working full time during breaks. With a little help from our parents at the start, we've managed to get to this point, being able to afford a decent apartment. It's nothing fancy and its on the cheaper side of town, but it's well kept and the landlord is lovely, so I'd call it a success.

I'm not sure whether fate loves or hates me at this point. Because my best friend of 18 years has moved home at the same time that I have. And I have no idea what to do about that.

After his injury a couple months ago, Oli retired from his professional basketball career at the end of the season. After playing for the Lakers for nine seasons, he has become one of the most well-known athletes in the world. But he's always tried to keep his personal life out of the media - for the most part at least. His relationship with model, Georgia Carlisle was all over the media, and I know that was her doing. But after they broke up, Oli made sure to keep his private life exactly that - private. The media wasn't so keen on that, but his team's management really helped. His basketball skills spoke for themselves and brought in enough money with all his wins, that the media coverage wasn't necessary. Eventually the world accepted his wish to stay the private person he always has been.