When Reality Comes Knocking | Book One ✔

Epilogue

It had been a hard past three months.

Alissa was surprised she was able to make it. She could thank her best friends, Katie and Catherine, for putting up with her and her hectic, screwed up relationship.

Fortunately, she was still with Marc.

She still loved him, and he told her every day that he loved her, too.

They had not spoken about her disloyalty since Valentine's Day. However, it had been really difficult for her to forgive and forget.

From what she could tell, Marc had forgiven her, but he still remembered. No matter how much he didn't want to, he still remembered. She assumed he pushed the memory further and further to the back of his mind every day. She tried to.

Marc and Alissa were in his truck on their way to a joined family BBQ at her house. It was a combination of a graduation and engagement party celebration. Not one person from either of their families knew about her cheating. Not even her mother, who she grew up telling almost everything to.

"So, how does it feel to finally be college graduates?" Marc asked her, smiling.

"Amazing! I can't believe we did it!" She grinned.

"Any regrets?" Marc asked.

She frowned.

"Yes," she mumbled and looked out the window as the lush, green trees passed them by in a blur.

"Baby," he pleaded.

"Well, what do you expect me to say, Marc? Obviously, I regret Diego."

"Great. I didn't want to know his name, Alissa. Can't you just forget about it already?" He sighed. "I did."

"Well, obviously you haven't forgotten. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked." Alissa crossed her arms over her chest.

"I meant with stupid college parties and pointless group projects. I mean, I regret taking that stupid sociology in the environment course. It was a bullshit class."

She doubted it. She knew Marc couldn't forget about it, no matter how hard he tried. He'd never forget it. She wondered if he really fully forgave her, too. He just wanted her to admit it, didn't he? Fine, she thought.

"Well..." She sighed, "Maybe we aren't meant for each other."

"Don't say that. Of course, we're meant for each other. How could you say that? We love each other and we're getting married, Alissa!"

Her heartbeat sped up and her breathing became irregular. She couldn't believe he just said that. As if he knows how she feels.

"Well... maybe I've been bored with our relationship, Marc. I still care for you. I just..." She paused, "I don't think getting married is the best idea."

"This can't be happening. Alissa, please. I love you! I want to marry you and spend the rest of our lives together." Marc's breathing hitched and started heaving sporadically as he pulled off of the highway towards her hometown, Mayfield.

Alissa opened the window to give herself some warm, May fresh air. She tried to focus on steadying her breathing, but it was difficult with Marc practically hyperventilating next to her and behind the wheel of his truck.

"Marc, please calm down. I know this is difficult to handle, but I just can't marry you," she said starting to cry.

Marc pulled up to her driveway and sat there speechless, taking in deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, Marc." She wiped her tears and opened the door.

"Tell everyone I said hello, but I'm going back to my parents' house. I can't stay," Marc said, not looking at her.

"But your family is here too," she pleaded. "I know we just broke up, but can't you at least stay for the BBQ?"

"Why should I? It's not even a real engagement party, anymore," Marc said through gritted teeth. "I'm going home," he said to his steering wheel, gripping it tight until his knuckles turned white.

Alissa got out of the truck, grabbed her luggage, and slammed the passenger door. Marc turned the truck around and sped away as she slowly walked down the driveway of her childhood home toward the front porch. She knew everyone would be in the kitchen or sunroom, so she avoided the worn-in side entrance.

She quickly wiped her tears and took in a deep breath. She opened the red front door and heard her parents greet her and Marc from the kitchen.

"Alissa!" Her mother looked at her with concern, her brown eyes staring at her as she walked passed the staircase from the kitchen to her.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Her father's green eyes reminded her of Marc's.

"Marc isn't coming. He's staying at home," she said in a somber tone.

"Why?" Mrs. Archer, Marc's mother, asked, her head popping around the corner of the staircase that separated the kitchen from the foyer.

"I don't know," she replied as she walked passed them all and headed upstairs straight toward her childhood bedroom.

Alissa closed the door behind her, dropped her luggage on the black carpet, and plopped face down onto her twin purple comforter. The tears finally came at full speed.

It had been at least two hours. No one came up and bothered her.

Alissa wiped her eyes. Mascara stains had soaked into her lilac pillowcase. She laid on her back and looked at the ceiling.

Marc used to be her everything. He used to be what made her life continue moving. But now, she knew she had to move forward on her own. They were better off without each other. She couldn't stay with someone who tangled this daunting mistake over her head.

She wondered if Marc had made it home safely.

The sun started to set and she heard cars leaving, one by one. Once the moon started to rise, someone knocked on her door.

"It's open," she said.

It was her brother, Zack, with a plate of BBQ chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I don't know," she mumbled and looked at the freshly vacuumed black carpet.

Zack closed the door. He put her plate on the nightstand and sat on the foot of her bed.

She took a deep breath, "I broke off the engagement."

"What? Why?" Zack's dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I just can't marry him, Zack. It was getting too routine, and I was bored with him. I want to graduate from college and get my first job and be excited about it. I miss flirting with other guys and just being single. Marc was a part of my college period, and now that it's over, I want to move on."

Marc was supposed to make her life move on after college. Without Marc, she could never get married or start a family. She could never grow old without him.

But did she really need Marc to do all of that?

There were always other guys out there for her. Maybe Marc wasn't the best for her? He was just what she needed while she was in college. And now that college was over, it was time for her to move on.

Saying yes to his proposal last Christmas was one of her biggest regrets. Maybe cheating on Marc was at the top with that, but meeting Diego definitely wasn't one of them. Diego opened her eyes to the world outside of college and Marc. There were men other than Marc that could make her happy.

How was Marc even ready to get married?

She sure wasn't. She was only twenty-one. She still had her whole life ahead of her to get married and start a family.

But before she could grow old with someone, she needed to move on and start anew.

Even though she didn't have a job waiting for her yet, she was going to find one and begin her career. She was sure of it.