Time And I

Epilogue

Two Years Later

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" I asked Nate as he tied his shoes.

"No. You should finish unpacking. Once I'm back, I will need your help bringing groceries up."

"No problem. And don't forget to buy one of those party platter things. I do not want everyone eating our snacks," I commanded.

With a roll of his eyes, Nate saluted me before leaving.

I glanced around our new apartment, trying to figure out what to unpack next. Since we were the last of the band to move into the apartment, we were having our moving in party tonight. Petula and James lived down the hall, and Amanda and Lucy lived in the apartment directly below us.

It was a month ago that the band transferred to LA to work with Warner Bros Studios. After the tour with Stab Wound, our EP made it onto the Billboard Independent Chart at 67, and we were now rising in the glam rock scene. Though we didn't really need it, Jeanie did tweet out to check out our EP, which helped us tremendously. We were booking shows all throughout town when we came back, and we were even doing our own brief tour for a few months.

After that tour, I moved out of the house, and Jeanie moved into Rick's apartment. Since we no longer had people knowing where we lived, I finally came out as Jeanie's sister. A lot of people I used to go to high school with contacted me to clarify, and I ignored them all. High school was behind me, and I was looking on to the future of stardom.

Since Nate and I were the only ones in the band who were single, we got our place and split the rent. With Buddy away at college, Nate and I grew closer, and he was my best mate. People were always talking about how they were waiting for us to become a couple, but we never thought of each other like that. Nate wasn't my type, and I wasn't his. There wasn't anything wrong with that.

Buddy would come to town to visit with his girlfriend next week. I was excited, because they were going to let us play the Beta version of the new game they were designing. They met when they were paired to be lab partners in a game design class, and they kept expanding to where they were fully developing a game. And it didn't take that long after for them to admit they liked each other. I could already tell that marriage was in the air for them.

As for Petula, she transferred to LA's school of art to be closer to James, who she was now officially engaged to. The wedding would be sometime next year, and Nate and I were constantly joking about how we were going to wear matching suits. Each time we'd explain them to James, we'd get more elaborate and bizarre with how they'd look, like a bedazzled collar or a fan of peacock feathers. While we were obviously joking, James was a little worried that we were actually going to wear those suits. And part of me wanted to just to mess with him, but we'd never do anything to ruin their wedding.

Petula was still making art and selling it, but she was also working with a children's author and partnering up as her illustrator. Brody called each time she released something new, explaining how he bought it and was displaying it at the Clubhouse, which was still in full effect. He partnered up with the community center and expanded his practice to bring the arts back to college students and young adults. Everyone was doing great.

I jerked my head to the door as I heard someone knock furiously and nonstop. I expected it to be James, since he planned to come over to finish the last song we needed for our official first album, The Flow. He was earlier than I thought, but at least if he was here, he'd help carry up groceries once Nate returned.

I almost screamed when I opened the door. Devon stood in front of me with his backpack hunched over his shoulder and a bouquet of daffodils in his arms. "I hope you know I hate you," he smirked.

"God, what did I do?" I nervously giggled.

"You didn't tell me you were moving to LA! You're so fucking close now."

"It's a seven-hour drive."

"Yes, but it's only a ninety-minute flight." He handed me the bouquet. "I think it's well worth the trip either way to see you."

Devon and I wound up becoming good friends after the breakup. He was almost done with his bachelor's degree, and then he'd officially be going to the UCSF School of Medicine and not just a four-year college nearby. He came back every holiday like he promised, and he spent time with his family mostly, but we would hang out every so often as well. I mean, I kind of had to since Rena and I stayed close. I was always there when she needed me, so it forced me to get over Devon enough to become his friend.

Each time I saw him, my heart would skip a beat like it used to. I'd want to kiss him and give long distance a try, but with the way our lives were moving, it was for the best that we stopped seeing each other. At least he was always going to be my friend.

"I'm glad you're here. And I swear I was going to tell you, but I wanted to wait until I was officially moved in and actually settled at work. But since you're here, you are officially invited to mine and Nate's welcome party."

"Good thing I came to surprise you, then. You can't uninvite me now."

"I mean," I smirked, "I could. It would just be a huge dick move."

"And you are not a dick. Just a bitch."

"As long as you know it," I smirked.

I was happy Devon was there with me at my apartment. I was glad he was able to stop by for a visit, and I planned to visit him when I could. I'd make an entire weekend out of it so we could hang out like the old days.

But Devon being this close to me didn't mean anything. I mean, maybe we were destined to be this close to each other so we could try things again. He'd finish med school, and I'd continue to be a rock star. When he had to do his training, he'd come to a practice near me, and he'd move in. We'd start dating again, and we'd eventually get married and have our family. I'd retire one day to spend time with my family, and he'd continue to work until he couldn't anymore. We'd spend the rest of our lives together and die happily.

Or maybe we were destined to be close to keep our friendship strong. After all, before we started dating, he became one of my best friends. Now we had the chance to continue being best friends. He'd move on and date someone new, and I'd do the same. He'd have his family, and I'd have mine. We'd grow old as best friends who realized that being friends was better than being together.

No matter what, though, Devon was in my life. How he was in my life, well, that was between time and I.