The Short and The Furious ✔

Epilogue

Listen, normally I like books like this to be around 20-40 chapters long, if I'm being honest, but this is my sad book.

I write it when I feel sad, like really bad, but that's just constantly now I guess -pandemic among other reasons, so I lost a lot of the minimal motivation I have for it. It's been so long since I started this, I just feel so disconnected.

Started: June 6th 2019
Finished: January 15th 2021

I'm not gonna leave all you amazing people on cliff hangers though, of course not!

So, here will will have what I hope is a rather fulfilling last chapter for all you babes.

I hope you all understand and enjoy :)

I'm walking with Ares down the street in the middle of the night and every time I ask him where we're going, he hushes me.

His dad eventually stopped annoying him, even Santiago doesn't get in our way anymore.

Conner and Anton started dating a week ago and the Reed is happier than I have ever seen him -this time, none of it is fake.

When we don't have to lie about our feelings, our pasts or our pain, me and Ares do really well together.

"Mars," I whine, trying to dig my heels in but he continues to drag me with a sigh. "Can you at least tell my why it's in the middle of the night."

"Because everything is prettier at night." He grumbles in reply, hazel eyes shooting me a sharp look.

Ignoring it, I roll my eyes at him. 

I'm getting a lot better at eye contact.

We stop in front of the corner of a street, his motorcycle parked at the end making me frown up at him. Why is this here -why are we here?

"Every police car and unit is dealing with a robbery thirty miles away, an arson case and the last unit remaining is a buddy of mine." Ares explains, handing me a helmet. "As you don't hit anything, kill anyone or commit more arson nothing bad will happen."

"This doesn't make any sense." I tell him, tilting my head to look back at the motorcycle. "What are we doing that's illegal."

Ares gives me a steady look. "Street racing."

"Dio!" Gasping, I slap his chest. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, you said it wasn't only cars you used to race and you have Anton's race track but this is the real world." He hands me the keys. "Let's break some laws."

Squealing, I grab the keys from him and run over to the bike, hearing his stomping footsteps following after me.

"Ev, your helmet!"

"I thought you said we're breaking laws?"

"Not laws that can end with you dead."

"Oh, excuse me, I didn't know you suddenly got morals, Mister Furious."

"Okay, Miss Shortie," The giant wiggles the helmet at me. "There's no reason to get morals involved."

I scoff, "Right, because you have morals to get involved with."

Without warning, Ares grabs my chin, lifting me up to kiss him. "I love you, Everly Peyton. If you get hurt, or die it will ruin me. So put on the fucking helmet."

Still about to protest, I raise my hand but end up sputtering as my boyfriend shoves the helmet onto my head -completely messing up my hair in the process.

"Hmm," Tilting my head up, I poke his chest. "Just for that, I'm gonna scare you."

He just laughs.

But minutes later when we're speeding down the street going over seventy miles an hour and I take a sharp turn, hearing his deep voice shout something as his arms squeeze me nearly painfully tight I know he regrets not taking me seriously.

"Slow down, slow down." I finally catch what he's saying and do what he says for just a second. "Thank -fuck!"

Before he can finish I rev the engine up, lean on one side to make us spin to a start before shooting back down the very same street.

Hooking a left corner sharply, I wobble for a second to avoid the curb on the annoyingly narrow street and feel his helmet crash into mine.

If anything, it just makes me smile.

Was he this nervous when driving a race car?

After I break a few more laws, skid over a puddle just to fuck with Ares I decide to park in front of one of the streets I know best around here, the one the Reed's apartment is on.

Ares tumbles off the back of the bike so fast that it nearly makes the damn thing fall over, with me on it.

Following suit, albeit less voluntary, I stabilize myself and tug my helmet off just to huff at him. "Come on, Mars, it isn't that bad."

He scowls at me, "How are you still used to that?"

"I dunno, I just am. But it's kinda cute to see you like this," I shrug, glancing over his flushed frame as he runs a hand through his hair, haze eyes narrowed at me. "Cute but lame you can't handle a little speed."

"Wait until later, I'll show you how good a little speed can feel."

Shaking my head at him, despite my flush, I manage to reply, "Careful Mars, being too fast can be a bad thing."

Ares grabs my hips, pulling me smack into him as he smirks. "You should know by now Ev, that time isn't a problem for me."

Pushing him away from me, I shake a finger at him. "Save that for home, we have time for flirting later."

My boyfriend sighs, crossing his arms.

"When's the wedding?" The giddy voice of Conner shouts down from his window, grinning widely.

I giggle at him, remember the last time a Reed twin said that to me and feeling like it was a life time ago.

Before I could respond, the giant's deep voice sounds out behind me. "Hopefully soon."

Startled, I snap my head over to him to find my boyfriend down on one knee. My eyes widen, mind frantically spiraling into a mess.

"Mars," I breathe. "If this is a-a joke-" 

"It's not." Ares says, holding up a velvet box. "I want you to be my wife. We...we deserve a happy ending, Ev."

Nodding, I take his face in hands and press a kiss against his lips. It doesn't last long as I start giggling, happy tears wielding in my eyes. "Let's get married pleased."

As I'm bouncing in joy, Conner and Logan whistle overhead while Ares slips the ring on my finger.

Just like those many months ago, the man I fell for grabs me around the waist, dips me down but this time?

This time he actually kisses me.

A happy ending doesn't seem so impossible now.