Miss Perfect and The Bad Boy

epilouge: miss not-so-perfect and the not-so-bad boy

6 Years Later
New York City, New York

"Alex, hurry up!" Nikki called into the small apartment. "We're going to be late and Kelani is going to kill the both of us!"

"We have an hour. Relax, Nik." Alex appeared at the doorway to their bedroom with a tie in each hand, one dark green with silver stripes, the other plain. "Which one?"

"Plain," Nikki said immediately. "The stripes make you look like you're dressing up as a Slytherin."

"Stripes, it is," he said. He held the tie out to her with the boyish grin she loved so much.

Nikki rolled her eyes, but she grabbed it out of his hand and looped it around his neck. "I can't believe you're twenty-four and you don't know how to tie a tie."

"I'm having deja vu."

She remembered the first time they had to learn how to tie one, when they were eighteen, having freshly moved to New Jersey. Princeton was having an event where they had to dress up and bring dates, and neither of them knew how to tie a tie, so they spent a good hour looking up YouTube videos and WikiHows. After countless failed attempts, they decided to ditch the dance all together and went to a hole in the wall Italian restaurant in Nikki's gown and Alex's half done suit. It was one of their favorite memories together.

"I remember," Nicole recalled in a dreamy voice. "The best food I've ever had."

"The only thing Jersey has on New York is the Italian food," Alex agreed, his hands slipping around her waist.

Greenwood was their hometown and New Jersey was where they lived for four years after leaving home, Alex in a shared apartment with four other guys while he look community college classes and Nicole in a worn out dorm room, but New York City held a special place in both of their hearts. They moved to New York City after Nikki graduated from Princeton and rented a small apartment in Manhattan right above Central Park with their own money they earned from odd jobs over the last four years. It was small with one bedroom and the tiniest kitchen known to man and it wasn't much, but it was theirs.

Now, Nikki was in at medical school to become a psychiatrist, just like her mom, and Alex worked with teenagers in foster programs.

"Alex," she giggled, as he leaned down and placed kisses on her neck.

"Nikki," he said back, drawing her closer to him. He smiled down at her. "I can't believe Kelani and Aiden are engaged."

Nikki dropped her hands from his tie and wrapped them around his neck. "I know, right? It feels like she was on the phone complaining to me about how she hated Mr. Johnson for making them sit together just yesterday."

"We all owe Mr. Johnson the biggest apology and thank you in the world," Alex said.

"You owe him an apology," I corrected. "The rest of us did nothing."

"I also made his life so much more interesting, so I think he should thank me," Alex argued.

His lips dropped to Nikki's and she immediately melted into him. Six years and millions of kisses later, and she still would never get tired of him.

"Alex, we're going to be late to their engagement party," she said half-heartedly.

"They can wait," he responded, kissing her again. His lips moved softly against her's, his tongue sliding against her lips. "Marry me," he mumbled against her.

Nicole froze. She pulled away. "What?"

He looked back at her, slightly startled, but then his expression turned into something sure. "Marry me," he repeated.

Nicole laughed incredulously. "Alex-"

"I'm serious," he said. "Oh wait. I have to do it properly-"

Alex got down on one knee, his hair falling into his face in the process. He cleared his throat and dramatically declared, "Nicole Kingston, love of my life, best thing to ever grace this planet, will do me the honor of marrying me? I'm sorry I didn't think far enough to get a thousand roses and candles and a helicopter."

She knew he was joking about the dramatics, but he was serious about the proposal itself. "Alex," she whispered.

"Nikki," he responded. He grabbed her hand, still on his knees. "I love you and you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know I don't deserve you and I know I've done horrible things to try and push you away, but you've never left, and I'm so grateful because I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here. I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you when we were six, and I'll love you past my last breath. So, really, will you marry me?"

She couldn't speak. Her throat felt like it was closed off, so she just nodded. "Of course," she finally choked out.

Alex stood up, his smile brighter than ever, and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. They both laughed as they broke apart, and her eyes were shining with tears.

"You ruined my makeup," she said, wiping at her eyes, her grin never fading.

He kissed the top of her head. "You still look beautiful. You always do."

Nikki grabbed his hand. "We'll tell everyone after Aiden and Kelani's party."

He grinned. "That's fine with me. It's just our little secret for now."

"Our little secret," she agreed.

She couldn't be happier. They were alive, happy, and together. There was nothing more either of them could ask for.

This was their happiness.

This was true love.

thank you so much for reading <3