Bury a Friend | Hemlock Grove |

Epilogue | For Emma, Forever Ago |

"What do we do now?" Emma asks flopping back on the couch. Roman sits down on the other side. Graduation had been obnoxiously long, especially for two disinterested teenagers. It was so much talking and reminiscing on times they were never interested in to begin with. It was exhausting.

Following that, was a lunch with Emma's mom that was quiet. Kay seemed sad but mostly excited for her daughter's future- whatever that would entail. She drops them back off at home before heading out for work.

"Well, I'm officially the CEO of my own company," Roman shrugs.

"You still have papers to sign," she reminds him, pulling him down from his pedestal.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolls his eyes. "I think I'm going to buy a house."

"A whole house?" Her eyebrows raise.

"Yeah, I mean I have to live somewhere. I don't really want to go back to the mansion..."

"It's going to be quiet around here- without you talking all the goddamn time," she tries to sound annoyed.

"You'll be in your dorm before you know it."

"I'm staying here."

"Here?" He asks and points down to the floor. "Here?"

"Yeah, I'm staying home for a year."

"Why?" Roman is stunned.

"I didn't get in where I wanted to go, and I think a year at home would be nice. Y'know, go to community college. I can transfer somewhere later, and Mom's still paying off the house, so it just makes sense."

"You didn't get in anywhere you wanted to go?" He asks, concerned.

"I got into a few places, but nowhere really worth packing up and paying for," Emma explains. "We just left school, can we like not talk about it for one day?"

One Week Later

Emma sits on the sofa staring down at a single sheet of paper in her hand. Her knees bounce up and down a bit. Folding the paper, she puts it into her purse and bites her lip. "Hey, Mom," she calls to the kitchen. "Can you drop me off at Roman's on your way to work?"

The mansion looks the same from the outside as it always did. She had knocked, but no one came to answer it so she lets herself in. Inside, most of the furniture has been covered in drop cloths and the smaller things are packed into boxes. There's only the subtle sound of glasses clanking  down the hallway that alerts her of movement.

"Oh, hey!" He says from behind the small bar. Roman's hard at work making a drink and despite the heat is wearing a long sleeve shirt. He finishes making his old fashioned then walks around to meet her. "What's up?"

"I got a letter from the University of Pennsylvania," she says, pulling it out of her purse. "They've reconsidered my application and I'm accepted."

"Good!" Roman hugs her and scruffs her hair. She doesn't react. "I knew you had it in you."

"Yeah, they also sent me a pamphlet to show off their new lab building, the Godfrey Lab for Innovations in Biomedicine."

"What a coincidence! I love owning a company that invests in the future of bright young minds."

"You bribed them."

"Not bribed, made a suggestion," he corrects her. Emma looks at him with disappointment. "I could have made a suggestion without giving any money but I played nice."

"It's not funny, Roman. I already decided to go to stay home and I'm not comfortable with this. I can't have you buy my way into things."

"Emma, if it weren't for the Godfrey family you would have gotten in. If things had been different ..." He leans back on the bar. "Consider it a "thank you for putting up with my bullshit" gift."

"I don't like this," she stays seriously. "I don't want this."

"Then don't go," he shrugs and takes a long drink. "But, I know that you do want to go. If you didn't want to you would have already said no."

A/N: EEEEEK it's over. Wowowowow that's insane.

The second book is already published and ready to be followed if you're interested! I'm taking a small break, not for long, to rest and work on some things for my real job lol. I'm feeling a little burnt out on writing. I guess writing 100,000+ words in a matter of months can do that to you. But I will be back and better than ever very soon.

!!!! Love you all !!!!