Hollywood Nights//Jake Kiszka

Epilogue

1 Year Later

•Jake's POV•

  "Thanks," I say to the person who hands me my coffee at this fancy Los Angeles coffee shop. I don't like places like this, but I don't really like anywhere in this city anymore, not with everything that happened last year. I wish i didn't have to come back. I don't need the reminder, I've gotten it every day for the past year when I think of her.

    I make my way out of the shop as quickly as I can, not really watching where I'm going, and of course I bump into someone. "Sorry," I mutter without looking up at who I walked into.

   "It's okay," the person says and my head snaps up when I hear her voice. I don't believe it for a second.
It can't be her. I don't know if I should say something or just walk away and pretend we never knew each other, like we didn't change each other's lives last year. I stare for probably way too long before I risk saying something to her.

   "Hi, Y/N," I force out, smiling slightly.

   "Jake, oh my God," her eyes widen as she recognizes me. "Hi," she brushes her hair aside and faces me completely.

  "Uh, how are you?" I ask tentatively. What else do you say to someone you have that many memories with?

  "Good, how are you?" She answers, smiling a little at me.

   "Good," I say with a nod, trying my best not to make this any more awkward.

  "How's the band?" She asks.

"Good, we're working on an album. That's why I'm here in L.A., actually."

"That's great!" She smiles, looking at me. I forgot what her eyes looked like. I miss them.

"Yeah," I nod, looking at the ground.

"I should go," she says, motioning towards the coffee shop. I know I need to tell her I'm sorry. That I miss her every morning when I wake up. That I still think about her when I pick up my guitar or sing. That life has felt pointless with out her.

"Let me buy you a drink," I say quickly, desperate to talk to her a little longer.

"No, it's okay. I'm sure you need to be somewhere," she smiles. Her tone is still polite, likely concealing what she's really feeling.

"Are you sure?" I don't know how else I can do.
She nods her head.

"Okay, I hope I see you around town then." I give her a tight smile and start to turn away.

"I hope I see you too, and good luck on the album," she says, cheerily. I wave and turn away. I didn't even get to ask her what she's doing now. If she's doing well. I hope she's doing well.

"Oh, Jake, wait!" My heart races a little when I hear her calling me.

"Yeah?" I turn around to see her in front of me.

"I'm playing a show tonight. It's at this little place on Sunset," she pauses and looks at me. "I was hoping you would come."

  I can't help grinning. "Of course I'll come."

She grins back at me. "Great. It starts at 8."

    "I'll see you there."

***
  The bar I'm in reminds me of a bar I was in a year ago, before my life changed more than I ever expected. Now I'm in the same situation again, watching the same girl onstage, hoping I won't make the same mistakes I made last time.

  The crowd explodes with applause as she finishes her last song. She thanks the audience and walks off the stage, smiling her beautiful smile. I miss when I was the one putting that on her face.

   Someone taps me on my shoulder. I turn around and it's one of Y/N's bandmates. "She wants you to go backstage," he tells me. I nod and follow him to the backstage area. I don't know what she wants to say to me so I'm nervous.

  I walk into the room and she looks up and smiles when she sees me. "Hey!" She calls.

  "Hey," I respond. "That was a great show."

"Thank you," she grins and tucks her hair behind her ear. "Means a lot coming from you."

"Really?" I smirk a little.

"Yeah, you're really talented, you know."

I smile. "Thanks."

"Do you want to get out of here?"

"Sure."

She grabs my hand and leads me to the back door. "Where are we going?" I ask her.

"You'll see," she grins.

***
"I've missed you. A lot," she looks away from me as she sits across from me at the 24-hour diner she took me to.

"Really?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Yeah, why are you surprised?" She laughs a little.

"It's not like I was boyfriend of the year or anything."

"That's fair," she smiles. "But it was still a lot of fun."

"Do you regret it?"

She sighs. "I mean, I miss my friends. They were my everything for so long, and leaving them hurt a lot," she pauses and swallows, I can see the sadness in her eyes as she remembers them. "But maybe I needed to leave them to figure out who I was. What I really wanted. Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah, totally," I nod. "I feel the same way."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I felt kind of stuck before I met you. You made me love my life again. Gave me what I was looking for when I came here back then."

"Seems like we were what we needed for each other at the time."

"Yeah," I nod.

"Do you think we would've lasted if, you know, everything hadn't happened the way it did?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Really?" She narrows her eyebrows at me.
"Yeah, I would have stayed with you," I smile at her. "I still think about you."

"And I still think about you."

We don't say anything after that. Just sit and steal glances at each other every once in a while.

"It's getting late, we should go," She breaks the silence after a while.

"Okay," I stand up and we walk outside the restaurant.

"It was great seeing you again."

"You too, Y/N."

She smiles and heads towards her car.
"Y/N, wait," I call out. I can't let her go just yet.

"Yeah?" She turns around.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened, you know that, right?"

She nods and smiles. "I know, Jake, but it wasn't all your fault."

"But I'm the reason why it happened," I move closer to her.

"Shut up, we both fucked up, you know that," she says quietly.

I say nothing. I just stare into her eyes. I forgot how beautiful they were. It's been so long since I got lost in them.

I'm not sure who closes the gap between us first but soon enough her lips are on mine. She feels so familiar and right. I never want to let go.

She pulls away first. "Wow, I forgot what that was like," she whispers.

"I didn't," I keep staring in her eyes.

"Do you want to come back to my place?" She asks.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm so sure."

"Guess we're right back we're we started, Y/N."

"Yeah," she smiles at me. "I guess we are."