Chemistry

43: Epilogue

4 Years Later

Ezra's view

I walk into the bedroom and glance over at Avery; she's staring at the mirror trying to put on a minimal amount of makeup. I walk over to her and gently Place my hands around her waist and lean my head on her back.

"Hey, babe. You know you should start changing or we might be late," she says.

I lean my head back and start kissing her neck, "Or we could skip the whole thing and have fun instead. You look absolutely breathtaking."

Avery chuckles and puts down her makeup and turns to look at me. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer, "Not happening, Ezra. I am not going to skip my college graduation because someone's a bit horny."

"Not a bit. Very," I tease before stealing a kiss.

Avery smiles into the kiss and I pull back to look at her. She looks so beautiful! My heart can't take it! Over four years with this girl and I still feel like I'm the luckiest person in existence to call her mine.

Avery grabs the top of my shirt and pulls me forward and sexily says, "Don't worry, Ezra. We will have a lot of fun later." She winks and pulls me in for a kiss.

"No, go change so we can leave," she adds pushing me towards the closet.

I listen to her and look around for a dress, but stop when I see an old shirt on a hanger. It looks vaguely familiar and I grab it and realize that it's the shirt I took from Avery all those years ago when we were getting to know each other.

Wow, this must be a sign! It has to be. I just know it.

As stupid and corny as it sounds, the universe wants us to be together.

And I can't argue with the universe, which is why I have a small box in my backpack that I need to get and hide for later today.

Today is the day. I will propose to my girl.

God why am I getting all flustered all of a sudden? I should be calm and collected, but I'm extremely nervous.

"Ezra, we need to leave soon," Avery yells from the bathroom.

I immediately put the shirt back and grab a dress and put it on. Then I go in the bathroom to do my hair and makeup and I follow Avery to the car. We leave our apartment that we have been living in for the last two years. Before that we lived in two other apartments. When college came around, neither of us could bear to be apart and since we were so used to living together already it seemed like a no brainer to do.

We make it to the stadium where the graduation ceremony is supposed to be, and Avery and I part ways as we both try to find our assigned seats. As happy as I am to finally graduate, it doesn't even compare to the feeling of thinking about Avery becoming my fiancé.

The announcer brings me out of my thoughts as the ceremony begins and soon after the dean is calling up people one by one to get their degree. Honestly, everything goes by in a blur and soon enough I hear Avery's name get called and I cheer out as loud as possible for my love. She's probably all red from embarrassment, but I had to show her how immensely proud I am of her.

After a while they finally get to me and I get up to walk across the stage and receive my reward, as I'm walking back I see Avery in the crowd of seated students and I shoot her one of my dashing smiles and she chuckles.

I sit back down in my seat and impatiently wait for the ceremony to end and as soon as it does I race over to the area where Avery and our families said to meet. I get there and my love is already there with her parents and with my mother.

I walk over to them and my mom squeezes me in a hug, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, mom," I reply hugging her back. We are doing a lot better now. Sure my mom had to go back to rehab multiple times those two first years, but after a while she finally got a hang of the whole sobriety concept. She's now about a year and a half sober and I couldn't be more proud of her. She has definitely changed a lot and has become a much more loving person who I can count on now.

Now I walk over to Avery and her parents who are congratulating her. They congratulate me too and walk away to talk to my mom. "I'm so proud of us," Avery says while placing her hand around my waist.

"I know. We finally did it. We finished," I reply before pulling her in for a kiss. "I love you so much."

"Not as much as I love you," she announces making me roll my eyes.

"Not possible, love," I reply while grabbing her chin to kiss her again.

Avery and I break away to follow our parents to the parking lot we head to the restaurant that I made a reservation for a couple of days ago. It's such a cute restaurant, its right next to a lake and they have a beautiful pathway that allows you to walk around the small lake with lights illuminating the way. Avery and I went there a while ago, and she loved it, so of course that's where I want to propose.

We get there a little early and we all decide to walk around the lake. My plan is working perfectly. The sun's going down and the sky looks so beautiful with vivid colors.

Our parents let us walk ahead since they know what I am going to do in a few minutes. They probably already have out all their phones ready to record the moment.

I stop and Avery looks back at me in confusion. I pull her closer to me and give her a kiss before I become a nervous wreck. She kisses me back sweetly and caresses my cheek.

We break away from the kiss and I begin, "Avery, I love you so much. You came into my life at the time where I needed someone the most and you showed me what love was. I will always be grateful for you coming into my life and making me the happiest I have ever been. You are the love of my life and I can't imagine a life without you. That's why I wanted to ask, will you marry me?"

I show her the little box and open it to reveal the ring. Avery looks at me in shock, but then immediately pulls me in for a kiss.

"Yes! Of course I will marry you! I love you so much!" she replies.

Our parents cheer in joy behind us and Avery and I can't help but laugh. Then I look at Avery and pull the ring out and slide it on her finger. She looks at her finger in awe and looks back up at me with the cutest smile. I can't help but smile back at her and she pulls me in for a hug.

Our parents come over and hug us and congratulate us again.

Today has been a dream.

I graduated and I got the girl of my dreams.

Despite how lost I felt just a couple of years ago, now I know it was worth it.

"Forget hydrogen, you're my number one element," Avery says taking me out of my thoughts. I look over at her and I can't help but laugh.

"Oh god, maybe you should leave the chemistry jokes to me, love," I tease.

"You're probably right," Avery replies laughing.

I grab her and add, "You must be calcium bicarbonate, because if you let me get you wet, then the reaction will be explosive."

Avery laughs again and says, "Damn, you're good. And tonight sure will be explosive." Avery winks at me and kisses me. We intertwine our fingers together and enjoy this moment.

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author note: That's it, guys. We have made it to the very end. Thank you for coming along this ride with my story and I. I love you all.

Also, there will not be a second book.

Jk. I'm rewriting this book. It will be a 3 part book series. Will finish it by the end of this year to the beginning of next year.