Epilogue

Lilly's POV

   "If you don't hold your head still I am going to burn your ass." Jo said as she aggressively grabbed a section of my hair and wrapped it around her curling wand.

   "Seriously, could you be anymore fidgety?" Nadine also asks, putting on yet another layer of mascara. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to blink after this.

   "Oh I'm sorry, let me just sit here all still and quiet while you two play 'dress up Barbie' with me!" I yell in frustration at them both. "What the hell are you guys doing this for anyway? We're just going to a football game!"

   "Don't ask questions. Just sit here and shut up, would ya." Jo says, with a smile on her pristine face.

   I grumbled something under my breath, but gave up arguing and sat as still as I could, hoping maybe it would help this go by a little faster.

   Nadine and Jo had showed up to my apartment this morning 2 hours before we were set to leave for the game and said they wanted to do my hair and make up for me today.

   I have no idea why it was so important, we went to these games literally every Saturday and I always wore jeans and one of Sutter's jerseys with his number stamped proudly on my cheek.

   Either way, despite my arguing, the girls were relentless and practically tied my ass to a chair and got to work on me. They had covered my body in lotion and sprays, painted my hands and toes, we're doing my hair and make up now, and then they told me they had some kind of dress for me to wear when they were done.

   I was so confused and so aggravated by what all of this fuss was about, but I knew better than to keep arguing with them both. That was a losing battle I wasn't even in the mood to fight over.

   And I'll never admit this, but it was nice to have them fussing over me and pampering me, even if it was for no reason and slightly annoying.

   Finals were coming up and I had been doing nothing but drinking coffee in excess amounts and burying my head in my books and studying my ass off in the student library. Everyone told me I worked too hard and needed to enjoy college more. I guess this was their way of making that happen.

But this was my senior year, and it was my last year here to really prove myself. To myself and everyone around me. I had come such a long way since moving here and making a life for myself. A life with Sutter that I had always dreamed of.

   Finally, 30 minutes later, they deemed me worthy of leaving and heading to the game. That we were now running late for.

   "And I can't even run there because you two have me in these boots!" I point the tall white boots they shoved onto my feet.

   Granted, they were to die for. As was the pink ribbed dress that had slid me into as well. But it wasn't football attire, and I already knew I was going to be getting some weird looks when I walked into the stadium dressed like this.

   "Whatever, let's just go before we're even later!" I said and headed out the door.

   Jo and Nadine shared some kind of secretive grin, like they knew something was coming that I didn't. Oh well, I'd have to analyze it later. Right now, I needed to get to Sutter and watch him play his game.

•••

Thankfully Sutters parents had decided to come to this game and we're sitting in great seats near the field. We usually sat in the student section unless they were here, then we'd sit with me. Nadine had still gone to the student section though, she enjoyed watching the games with Bobby and Cross and everyone who always crowded around there.

Cross. Yes. That Cross.

He came to state too, and we saw each other often. We could now be in the same room and enjoy a casual conversation with each other and it not feel strained, but it hadn't always been that way.

This school was massive, but it sometimes wasn't big enough to help me escape from my past.

Sutter never made a big deal about it though, and he always spoke with his cousin anytime he saw him too.

Cross hadn't done very well for a while, not taking the finality of our relationship in stride like I had. I guess that's how you know how different it was for me.

I missed him, like I'd miss my arm if it was to fall off. But Sutter was my heart, something I couldn't live without, and that's why there was never any question for me.

Our lines got crossed for a little while, blurred. But now they were right agin. Cross was dating a girl named Danny and she was sweet as she could be.

He loved her in the way I had always loved Sutter. During Christmas this past month he came up to me and told me so.

"Remember all those years ago you told me I would know what you meant you found someone and it was just...different?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said, confused and not knowing where he was going with this.

"You were right." He smiled so big, so genuinely. "Danny is..everything."

"She's the best, Cross. You did so good."

"I'm going to marry her someday." He said, and I wondered if that was just the champagne talking from dinner, but either way I was so happy for him.

And he was truly happy for us too. We would never be Sutter, Lilly, and Corss again like we had been growing up, but things were calmer now. And I felt like that was all we could truly ask for after everything we had been through.

The announcer came over the speakers and introduced to the two teams playing and the whole stadium rose to their feet to watch kick off.

Sutter was on fire today, and I don't think I sat down the whole time for yelling and cheering for him. My voice was hoarse by the end of the game. But I was so incredibly proud of him.

It was his last game at home, and we knew he wasn't going to the NFL, despite his dads many dreams. Sutter loved football, but not enough to make a career out of it.

When the game was over and I thought it was time to exit the stands, the announcer came back on over the speaker, causing everyone to pause.

"Can Lilly Matthews please make her way down to the field?" He said, and I was frozen in shock.

I was even more shocked when two security guards came out of nowhere and escorted me down to the field, with everyone watching in curiosity.

I looked behind me to find Sutters family but they were already out of my line of sight.

What is going on? Is Sutter okay? Am I in trouble?

Millions of scenarios are running through my head, and by the time I make it down to the field, I'm convinced I'm being arrested for something.

It makes no sense but neither does anything else my mind has conjured up.

The security guards get me onto the field and then I see Sutter running over to me with his head all sweaty from the game and a big smile on his face.

"Hey guys, thanks for getting her down here." He says and he shakes hands with the two guards beside me.

"No problem, Mayfield. And great season kid. We're gonna miss you around here."

The exchange a couple more pleasantries before walking away and leaving Sutter and I alone on the field.

"What is going on?" I ask him, still completely lost but no longer worried.

"Hey Lil." He says, and cups my face gently.

"Hi Sut."

"Do you remember the first day we met?"

"Of course. How could I forget?"

"Well, I just wanted you to know, ever since that first time I saw you, you've always been mine. In some way. You were my best friend, my crush, then my girlfriend, the mother of our baby.." My breath hitches at that, still a pain in my chest this day that seems like it'll never go away, but is getting easier to talk about. "But there's one thing that you haven't been yet."

"What?" I ask, having no idea what he's talking about.

"My wife." He says, and pulls a velvet box out of his pocket.

My eyes instantly prickle with tears when I realize what is going on and can see us on the Jumbotron screen with everyone in the stands watching this too.

Sutter drops to one knee in front of me.

"Lilly, I think I've loved you since the first second I saw you riding your bike behind our moving truck and said we could be friends. And I know I've loved you everyday since, and I know I will love you until I take my last breath. You are the most important person to me now, the most important always. I would love it if it you would let me spend the rest of my life making all our dreams come true."

My breath is caught at his words and I can feel my heart racing in my chest. It nearly stops when he gets down on one knee and the whole stadium erupts in hoots and hollers for us.

"Lillian Matthews, will you please marry me?" He asks.

I don't even have to think about what my answer will be.

"Yes. Yes I'll marry you!" And then I run to him and he stands up just in time to pick me up and swing me around.

His raises his fist in the air as he kisses me and the stadium is louder than I've ever heard them. The crowd in the stands start signing "marry me" by train, and this moment is so magical I can't even believe it's real life.

That I got to experience such a love like this with the man of my dreams. Who ive loved since he was a little boy.

And just like that, everything we ever thought was lost or that we couldn't get back, we found in each other and the life we now planned to build together.

And it was fucking epic.

A/N : I'm only 23K reads over due, lol. Don't hate me. My life has been insanity lately but I promised this would happen and so I wanted to knock it out today when I had the chance.

Lilly and Sutter were the first characters I wrote about on this app and it humbles me to see so many people love them as much as me. Thank you all so much for all your votes and comments. They mean the world to me!

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Love you all so so much!

Bay 💓