Blurred Lines [BxB] COMPLETED

Epilogue

Epilogue Saturday 12:14 p.m.

Maverick Bale

Of course it has to be 95℉ the day I graduate. I can feel a bead of sweat roll down my back. If only my immediate family was at home, I'd take my whole fucking suit off. Unfortunately, my mom decided to have a joint family post-graduation luncheon with the Wyers─and when I say family, I mean our entire families.

I feel like every person over the age of 35 is judging me and Rhys. I just want to take Rhys up to my room and either vape or fuck, I can't decide right now.

"I wish our moms would've had a pool party or something," Rhys mutters next to me, taking a sip of iced lemonade and cringing. "No sugar. Yuck."

He hands me the glass and I take a sip. "Remind me to tell my mom to never make homemade lemonade again."

Rhys nods seriously. He turns, looking around, something he's been doing all day.

"Rhys!"

For a second, that girly shriek reminds me of Beverly, and I flinch, but then I turn around and see some of the prettiest girls I've ever seen.

"Hey Layla," Rhys says, hugging the girl who had yelled out his name first. She has gorgeous, long brown hair, a shade lighter than Rhys's, and the same light sprinkle of freckles on her nose and the same olive skin. "Mav, this is my cousin Layla. Layla, this is my boyfriend Mav."

Layla hugs me tightly, not batting an eyelash at the word boyfriend. "Maverick, right? I think I've met you before, when we were all way younger. You probably don't remember."

"I don't remember. But it's nice to meet you again," I say.

Right behind Layla comes two girls, hand in hand. The slightly taller and lankier one looks a lot like Layla, except with shorter hair and tanner skin, as well as red-framed glasses. Beside her must be a freaking model, with inky black hair falling just past her shoulders, and these round, almost turquoise eyes framed by thick black eyelashes.

"Hi, I'm Vera," the one who looks like Layla says, "Layla's older sister. And this is my girlfriend Aspen." I hug each of them, in disbelief that these are Rhys's cousins and I never knew they existed. Maybe he kept them a secret for a reason...

"Do you guys live around here?" I ask.

"Maybe half an hour away," Vera says.

"So you are the kids of Rhys's uncle on his dad's side?"

"Yep," Layla says, putting an affectionate arm around Rhys. "Rhys and Kevin are the youngest of the cousins. I'm a year below Vera and I graduated from Hilltop five years ago. So before you started."

"Wait, how old are you?" I ask.

"I'm twenty-two," Layla says, "Aspen too. And Vera is twenty-three."

"And how did you two meet?" I point to Vera and Aspen. Layla laughs and Aspen rolls her eyes with a smile, while Vera blushes.

"I've actually been best friends with Aspen since high school. Then during junior year Vera stole Aspen from me. And it's really annoying because they are just so cute together."

"So you guys are all out of college then?"

"Well, I never went to college," Aspen says, "I started at a model agency in L.A. right after high school."

"She actually followed me when I went to UCLA," Vera fake-whispered, earning her a gentle shove from Aspen. "But I can't complain because I get to live in her apartment."

"And you eat all my food," Aspen complains.

"Anyway..." Layla interjects, "I went to college in New York City. I just graduated last year. Now I'm working up the ranks of an elite cosmetics company that works on television and movie sets. It's awesome."