How I Saved Harley Matthews

Epilogue: A Grand Reunion

Five years later.

The November breeze nipped at my skin though my flannel. The night was beautiful in this part of the county. Seattle, Washington. The moon was full and starts were so bright, the city lights could never wash them away.

"I wanted to thank you all," A voice begun. "for joining us, Ella and I, on our new chapter in our lives. We feel so blessed that all of you have decided to except our offer and join us in our wedding this December." Frazer said, gleaming with joy.

"I wanted to give a special thanks to two very important people whom without, Frazer an I would have never met." Ella smiled helplessly in love. "Thank you Audin and thank you Harley for all that you did to bring us together. We owe you big time."

A grin turned up on my face as I took a sip of my champaign. I glanced around the patio taking in the changes of my best friends.

Ella and Frazer were now getting married of course. They owned this fixer upper in Washington, but don't ask me how she managed to drag him all the way out here where the sun didn't shine.

Then there was Stella and Max still going strong. They were still back in Alabama and had made a special trip like the rest of us for this amazing announcement. You could faintly see her growing baby bump if you looked hard enough, or maybe it was just me because she had called me when she first got the news.

Now Emma was a wild child that's for sure. Chase couldn't exactly tie her down, but this new boyfriend of three years managed too. She had met Luke in a bar one night at his gig. The man was straight up country from his hat to his boots, and as if that wasn't enough to win her heart, he sang and for Em, that was brownie points.

And there's one person left, and I hadn't heard from him in ages. Harley Matthews. Frazer tells me I pursued a career in law enforcement which I find hysterical considering his past. I heard he moved to Pennsylvania some where when he finally got tired of Alabama. And that's about all I really know about him.

"Shall we go inside?" Frazer asked.

"We shall." Ella answered, and everyone began to pool in except for me.

I stood up and leaned against their patio railing. Taking in the wonderful air, maybe I myself would come to the Pacific Northwest. It seemed like a beautiful place. Perhaps Oregon would be good for me.

As for me I'm still up in New York and still dancing, but I do take classes at school to become a nurse now because even I know dancing doesn't last forever. Maybe in a year or two, relocation would be good.

"Do you stand out in the cold still because you dream of catching the sniffles?" Someone teased as the leaned on the railing next to me.

"No, I'm just taking in the fresh air that's all." I said.

"It's a lot different than Alabama that's for sure." He said.

"Indeed." I muttered.

And the air between us fell short of talking.

"Audin," He said after awhile.

"Harley?" I responded as I looked over to him.

"I'm still upset that I couldn't remember you. I asked around when you left about us. People told me some questionable stories, but I found it hard to believe someone could forget all of that."

I smiled and looked back up at the stars.

"So when I went to see my grandmother last week before coming up here, she gave me this." He said as he handed me a piece of paper.

The paper itself was glossy and cut into a four by six. It was a picture. And in this picture I stood there dressed in white with Harley pressed against me in his dark suit. We clung to each other, dancing like our lives depend upon it.

"Winter Formal." I breathed as I flipped the picture over.

A few words were scrawled onto the back.

December 17, 2012 Winter Formal

Audin Bellarose & Harley Matthews

I wish I could do better by you,
'cause that's what you deserve
You sacrifice so much of your life
In order for this to work.

While I'm off chasing my own dreams
Sailing around the world
Please know that I'm yours to keep
My beautiful girl

"Those are the lyrics," He pointed to the last two paragraphs. "to the song we danced to. I had never heard them, so I looked them up. When I was in prison doing time for the arson charge I use to hum a toon to get me through my worst nights. These lyrics follow that same toon I used to hum."

I was still staring at the back of the photo and I'm not sure what he wanted me to say about everything he was telling me.

"The most common thing everyone told me when I asked about us was one, we always argued." I laughed now as I nodded.

"Yes we did, over everything." I agreed, and he smiled at me.

"And the second most common thing they said was I was in love." He was staring deeply into my eyes searching for God knows what, but I believed he found whatever he was looking for just like he use to.

"I know this is much to ask of you, and I'm half a decade behind, but Audin Bellarose would you do me the honor of letting me get to know you, again?" Harley proposed.

There I saw it. The familiar devilish look in his eyes that I loved. His brilliant smirk that always made me smile. And his beautiful propositions which I could never resist.

"Of course." I whispered.

And that my beautiful friends, is the story about How I Saved Harley Matthews.

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A/N:

"Books ought to have good endings."
-Bilbo Baggins