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I want Mabel back in my life. Not as friends like before, I don't think I can revert back to that, and from the look she's giving me I think she feels the same way. A million different scenarios begin flashing through my head.

What if she doesn't want me in her life at all? What if she does? Does she want to be friends? Does she want to be more? I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment while I wait for her response, willing my mind to quiet down.

When I open them again she's chewing her lower lip between her teeth.

God dammit if I could just...

"Do you want to be together?" Mabel finally asks.

I clear my throat quietly and reach for her hand, running my thumb over her scraped fingers. "Yeah, I do."

"Me too," she replies quietly.

I release a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, feeling as though a weight has lifted from my shoulders. This girl—no, this woman—has no idea the hold she has on me. No idea how much she means to me. I never thought that I would fall in love, not at such a young age anyway, but now I can't imagine a life without her in it. I went down that road before, and I don't want to go back. It was too lonesome and dark without Mabel there to light the way. A life filled with meaningless sex and flirting isn't one that I want to live anymore.

I want the cheesy shit. The good, the bad...with her I want it all. As morbid as it sounds, I'm just happy that she's still here with me and not laying in a box six feet under. I need her in my life. I've never met someone who so easily changed me for the better. And I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, she might need me too.

"I love you so fucking much," I tell her earnestly. The words flow from my mouth so easily now, but they don't seem like enough. They don't feel like they're enough. Those three little words only offer an inkling of the amount of genuine affection I feel towards Mabel. "I promise that I'll do everything in my power to make sure that this time it's just us. No more crazy interference, just you and me, the way it should've been from the get-go."

Her breath catches in her throat. "I love you too, Alex."

Careful not to jostle her too much, I lean forward and press my lips to hers.

Home.

It feels like home.

It's like I've been wandering around for so long, searching for some place to rest, and now that I've finally found it I don't ever want to leave.

✖️✖️✖️

"Hey Woodsie," Coach greets me from his desk. He must catch onto something from my expression because he suddenly leans back in his seat and laces his fingers together in front of himself. "This isn't going to be a short talk, is it?"

I shake my head and enter the office, letting my gym bag slide down to the floor by my feet. I sit across from him and run a hand over the back of my head, fighting the urge to tug on my hair.

"I can't accept your offer about next semester," I say slowly. I can't bring myself to look at him, to see the disappointment I know is there. Coach Wilson has come to be an important figure in my life, as most coaches tend to be, and I hate that my withdrawal from the team for next season might upset him.

He clears his throat quietly, silently urging me to look up at him. So I do, but what I find in his eyes isn't disappointment. He looks at me with a sense of understanding. "I had a feeling this was coming."

I crack my knuckles anxiously. "It's just going to be really busy for me next semester and—"

He holds up a hand to cut me off and shakes his head with a small smile. "You don't have to tell me, Woods. I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I understand. You're gonna make a great teacher, kid. I think you'd make a great coach someday too if you end up having the time."

My chest swells at his words, my heart threatening to burst. "Thank you, sir."

Coach rolls his eyes at me and scoffs. "No need to go calling me 'sir' now. I'll admit, I'll be sad to see ya go, but you've gotta prioritize your time at this age. You don't want so much going on in your life that you get overwhelmed. That's when things really start to go to shit."

I can't help but laugh, and the tension I felt about coming in to have this "talk" with Coach begins to melt away.

"You still planning to finish this season at least? I might have to bench you this next game, but..." he shrugs nonchalantly with a "what-can-you-do" look.

"Absolutely," I answer quickly. "I want to help take this team to The Frozen Four."

"Attaboy, Woodsie."

"One last hurrah," I add with a smirk.

He gives me two thumbs up and laughs wholeheartedly. "Ah, this is kinda bittersweet, don't you think? I expect you to come by sometime during practice next season and give me hell about our new recruits."

My smile widens. "Of course. It's pretty much a tradition now, isn't it?"

He nods and gets to his feet, leaning forward to hold his hand out to me. I stand as well and take it, giving it a firm shake.

"No more skipping practice," he says gruffly. "I want your all for the rest of the season."

"Sounds good," I agree.

He releases my hand and crosses his arms over his chest. "Oh, and Woodsie?"

I turn to look at him after snatching my gym bag from the floor. "Yeah?"

"Don't let yourself get fat."

A blunt laugh bubbles up from my chest. "I'll see ya at practice tomorrow, Coach."

Later that night I make it up to Mabel's floor at the hospital and am just about to head for her room when I find Hazel standing outside the door. She turns to face me, her blonde hair whipping over her shoulder with the abruptness of her movements.

"Hey," she says quietly.

I pause a few feet away, suddenly becoming unsure of myself. The last time I saw Hazel she was pretty much out for blood and had chosen me as her victim. The girl has a temper, that's for sure, and I definitely don't want to be on the receiving end when she finally decides to throw a punch.

"Something going on in there?" I ask, nodding my head at Mabel's room.

She shrugs, leaning back against the wall. "They're just redressing her wound I think. They said something about wanting to make sure there's no infection starting."

I nod, shoving my hands deep into the pockets of my sweats as I rock back on my heels. "Good, good."

"If you tell anyone what I'm about to say I'll deny it and chop your balls off," she begins, her blue eyes flickering to my face. She narrows them at me and lifts one perfectly sculpted brow at me. "I'm sorry I shoved you and said that everything was your fault."

"Did Mabes tell you to apologize?" I ask half jokingly.

A ghost of a smile tugs at her lips. "Maybe, but it's true. I'm just too stubborn to admit it on my own. I'm pretty sure that prick was paid to find her, so it would've happened eventually." She pauses briefly and then her gaze softens the slightest bit. "I'm glad you found her, and I'm also glad you beat the fucker half to death."

We stand in an awkward silence for close to a minute. I'm debating whether or not she's looking for a response, whether she needs me to accept her apology.

"Thanks for, uh, you know," I mumble. "Are we good then?"

She sighs quietly. "Yeah, we're good. Just don't go fucking around behind her back, and no more useless drama if you can help it. Okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," I answer honestly.

"She's all set," a nurse says as she leaves the room. She breezes past Hazel and I with a smile and continues down the hall with her rounds.

"You can go in first," I tell Hazel quietly. "I can wait out here."

She shakes her head. "I was already inside before they came to check her out. Mabel insisted that I wait for you to show up so I could apologize."

"She's got us both wrapped around her finger," I reply with a chuckle.

She flips me the bird but joins in, laughing softly. "Don't break my best friend's heart, douchebag."

"The same could be said for you," I shoot back playfully.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she says, repeating my words from earlier. Hazel gives me a nod as she pushes away from the wall and heads for the elevator.

I push open the door to Mabel's hospital room, finding her sitting up in bed and typing away on her laptop. Her hair is piled up on top of her head in a messy bun leaving her bangs free so they early hang in her eyes. She looks up when I enter the room, her fingers pausing on the keyboard, and smiles warmly.

"Hey," she greets me as she closes her laptop.

"Don't stop on my account."

She shakes her head with a yawn. "I was just emailing my professors to see if I could get my assignments."

"They're still planning on keeping you here awhile then, hey?"

Mabel nods, eyeing me carefully. "At least for a few more days."

I rub her leg through the blanket and give it a reassuring pat. "You'll be out of here in no time."

She rolls her eyes but they're still twinkling in amusement. "Don't go giving me false hope."

"I'm not. You just have to listen to the doctors."

"Yeah, yeah." She slides over to the far side of the bed and pats the surface beside her.

I eye the space skeptically. Mabel is tiny compared to the bed, but I'm not and I'm not so sure the both of us can squeeze comfortably between the bed rails. But who am I to deny her? I squeeze myself in beside her, laying on my side to face Mabel.

She rolls to face me as well, careful not to disturb the IV line in her hand. "The cop who visited the other day said that they have my dad in custody..." she trails off, reaching out to fiddle with the strings of my hoodie. "I keep thinking this is all some dream. That he's not really going to be locked up."

I stretch forward to plant my lips on her forehead. "It's not a dream, Mabes. He can't hurt you anymore."

She doesn't look convinced, but she nods anyway. "I'm glad you're here, Alex. Thank you for not giving up on me."

The sincerity of her words tugs at my heart strings. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be with you every step of the way."

She sniffles softly and then leans into me, burying her face in my chest. Her warmth is such a comfort, and even battered and bruised she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. She's had such a tragic past, filled with so much pain and suffering, but I'm hoping that I can help that. If she'll let me, I'm hoping that I can give her a much brighter and safer future.

I tuck my hand under her chin, tilting back her head. When her pale green eyes meet mine, they're filled with so much emotion it's nearly baffling.

"I love you," Mabel murmurs.

"And I love you."

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This chapter was bittersweet for me while writing it. It's the last of Mabel and Alex's story (besides the epilogue) and I hope you guys enjoyed the ride.
I'm a sucker for a happy ending if you didn't notice 😏😉

Make sure to keep this in one of your reading lists though because there's still "one shots" to come after the epilogue. Like for instance...maybe a part or two from Kelsey's POV
Don't forget to hit that little star button at the bottom of your screen if you enjoyed the chapter! Your votes and comments seriously make my day!

Thank you all so much for your support, and I hope you'll stick with me in the journeys to come ❤️😭
*curls up and cries all the happy tears*
Love,
Kat ❤️

P.S.
The first chapter of Beautiful Obsession has been posted! So while you're waiting for the epilogue here, go on and check out Hazel and Tyler's story 😏

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