It all started with a game

Epilogue

The moral of this story is that no matter how much we try, no matter how much we want it ... some stories just don't have a happy ending.
~Jodi Picoult

A/N
You guys are going to hate me for this...this is the final chapter. I know I said I would do two or three epilogues but the book just seemed to end well on the last chapter so it is the ending of the book but I did write this small epilogue for all of you since I said it would. I may be doing bonus chapter bc I have them planned out but I'm not sure yet.

Epilogue
Beatrice's POV
I rolled the delicate sand dollar, which Ryder had picked out for me, around my finger, tracing its edges. It was going to look perfect on my bookshelf.

We finally made it to the beach and Ryder had spent the entire morning showing me around the pier and walking me down the beach. He'd collected about a hundred seashells for me to decorate my bookshelves with. Then, once we'd sufficiently explored the place just the two of us, we met up with the rest of our friends.

I laughed as I watched Alexia's head get dunked over by a wave. Sonny and Maxon stood beside her, trying their best to ride said wave and failing miserably. I had tried to convince Klaus to come along but he refused and even attempted to convince me not to go. I had to promise that I wouldn't get bit by a shark, as if I could control that. I can't help it if a shark finds me tasty.

I brushed my fingers through Ryder's hair. He wrapped his arms around me tighter and I wondered how in the world he could be sleeping in that position, it did not look comfortable in the slightest. He was using my lap as a pillow, his arms looped around my torso. His neck was definitely going to hurt in the morning.

I continued playing with his hair, humming softly along to my music as I read my book. Ryder had been up all night yesterday, trying to study for his last final exam. He was exhausted. But today was his last day of high school, and our three month anniversary which is why he insisted on taking me to the beach. I tried to convince him to get some sleep but he wouldn't have it. So we went to the beach, where he passed out about twenty minutes after our friends got there.

It was crazy to think it had been three months since we officially started dating. We'd been doing really well lately, and therapy was helping me a lot. I was getting better at coping with my feelings and I'd even made a couple friends at school. Right now, my therapist was helping me learn how to deal with the fact that Ryder, Alexia, and Klaus were all leaving for college next year. Thankfully, Klaus and Alexia were going to college only a half hour away and Klaus was planning on staying at home to save money. Ryder, on the other hand, was going to college half way across the country. That was going to be hard but we could do it. We'd been talking about it a lot lately and we had a plan. Plus he wouldn't be alone, Mateo was going to school a few miles away from him so the two were planning to get an apartment together. It was going to be really hard to watch him leave but he got into his dream college and I couldn't be prouder, I just wish it wasn't so far away. Going from seeing him everyday to maybe once a month was going to be tough.

I smiled, enjoying what time I had left with him. One last summer before it all had to change and I planned not to waste a second of it. I kissed his head. "I love you."

He groaned softly, readjusting himself ever so slightly before mumbling, still half asleep. "I love you more."

My smile widened as his words registered in my head. 'I love you more'.

Ryder had been coping with his fathers death a little better lately. He'd been trying to talk to Alexia more and he's even been working on his relationship with his mother, but that one isn't going quite so well. His mother wants nothing to do with him, but Alexia was happy to open the door for him. Ryder also took me to go meet his dad. We sat at his grave for about an hour while Ryder told him all about me and I told his dad how great his son is. I like to think he heard all of it. I like to think his dad has heard and seen everything, that he's seen how great Ryder's turned out. He'd be proud of Ryder, that's for sure.