Standing in the hallway, Jack is content to remain by my side until I finish setting my books into my locker so that we can go out together after school.

"I'm not saying that it's stupid," Jack murmurs, as we're mid-conversation, glancing down at his calculus homework in hand, puzzled expression pinching his features. "Actually, I'm pretty sure it's stupid."

A laugh escapes me as I turn to face Jack, raising an eyebrow as I study him from behind the door of my locker. "Didn't you just say that it wasn't stupid?"

"I don't know!" Jack exclaims, visibly flustered. Despite his mood, he remains smiling, somehow always managing to find the good in everything. "I'm confused! Calculus is stupid. There. I said it. But it's a good thing my girlfriend is such a smart-ass." Jack smirks at me as he speaks, as if trying to elicit a rise out of me.

I merely roll my eyes at his teasing, shoving his shoulder as I say, "Keep saying things like that to me and this smart-ass isn't going to help you with your homework anymore."

"You wouldn't do that to me," Jack mumbles in a husky tone, gaze flickering from my eyes to my lips.

I smirk at his attempt to be desirable, biting the corner of my lip as I lean forward as if I'm going to kiss him, skipping past Jack's lips once he leans toward me to instead whisper in his ear, "I would."

Jack rolls his homework up and playfully slaps my butt in revenge for my playing with him, pulling me forward and leaning in close as if to kiss me for real this time. My eyelids flutter closed as I anticipate Jack's lips finding mine, only the moment never comes. The sound of someone clearing their throat next to where Jack and I stand interrupts the two of us, Jack and I pulling away from each other to see who the bystander is.

I have to admit that I'm surprised to find that it's Lucas who has approached us, a slightly nervous expression plastered across his face. I notice the way his gaze continuously shifts, his hands fidgeting at his sides. To say that I'm happy to see him would be a lie. It was one thing to have Lacey cross me, as the two of us had never really gotten along at the time of what went down during the assembly, nor did we know each other very well. But to have Lucas—someone I considered a friend and had actually dated for some time—go behind my back in an attempt to purposefully hurt me . . . well, that hurt more than I had expected it to. I'd like to consider myself a forgiving person, but when it comes to forgiving Lucas for all he's done . . . the thought alone seems much too hard to go through with.

"I see you two are back together," Lucas mutters in greeting, his glare settling on Jack. His tone is rather aggressive, which makes it obvious that Lucas isn't here to apologize for his past actions. Even Lacey apologized for what she did, which says a lot. But I suppose that doesn't mean that Lucas regrets his actions. And if Lucas can't see that what he did to me and Jack was wrong, then I have nothing to say to him.

"Uh, yeah. We are," Jack says to Lucas nonchalantly, wrapping a protective arm around my waist. Though he keeps his tone neutral, I notice the way Jack practically seethes at the sight of his cousin. I suddenly recall the fight I witnessed between the two of them not too long ago, shortly after Jack and I had split. I'd kept my presence unknown, watching the two go at each other in the hallway before going about my business. I remember how angry Jack had sounded then when he'd spoken to Lucas, and I hope that nothing will get out of hand between the two now.

As if he's reading my thoughts, Jack murmurs in a cross tone, "Why don't you stay away from us right now, man? What you did was wrong. I don't think either of us want to speak to you."

"Jack—" I start to say, not wanting to see Lucas and Jack fight anymore, especially when I'm in the middle of their arguments. Before I'm able to get more than a word out, however, Lucas interrupts me.

"Oh, so you're speaking for Morgan now? What happened to that 'she's a person, not an object' shit you'd been spouting to me, huh?" Lucas questions Jack, tilting his head to the side as a dark fire ignites in his blue eyes, begging to be tested. I bite my lip, knowing that no good is bound to come from this encounter. I'm tired of all the fighting and drama in my life, especially after everything else I've been through. I'm at a point where I'm ready to move on from the past, to let myself find the happiness I deserve. I don't need anymore negativity in my life, and if that means cutting certain people out of it, then so be it.

"Did you want something?" I ask Lucas, trying to keep my tone as kind as I possibly can when it comes to speaking to him. I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance, and that includes people who have wronged me. I mean, if Lacey and I can move past what happened, then maybe Lucas and I can as well.

"I wanted to come over and apologize," Lucas admits through gritted teeth, his gaze refusing to avert from Jack, expression steely. "But I'm thinking better of that now. You know what? I'm not sorry. I think you both got exactly what you deserved."

I can't contain the gasp that escapes my lips, not having expected Lucas to say anything alone those lines whatsoever. Jack takes a step toward Lucas in frustration, looking as angry as I'm starting to feel. I don't understand what I did to Lucas that was so bad I deserved to be publicly humiliated. And what could Jack possibly have done to him that led him to deserve the accusations Lucas and Lacey pinned against him in front of the whole school? It's a terrible thing for Lucas to have said, his words leaving red-hot anger bubbling in my veins.

"Don't talk to Morgan like that," Jack says coldly, voice low. "You have a problem with me? Fine. But take it out on me. You don't have to drag Morgan into this."

"You brought Morgan into things the night of that party and you know it," Lucas hisses in response, shoving an accusing finger into Jack's chest. "I should have known then. I can never be happy without you ruining it, can I?" Lucas shoves Jack again, though Jack does nothing in retaliation, which makes me proud. I can see the ways Jack has matured with time, how he understands that there is always a time to pick and choose your fights, that it's better to hold your tongue when it's your words that can make a bad situation worse. Instead of feeding into Lucas's anger, Jack merely glares at his cousin, standing by my side in silence.

"I'm done here. I hope you two have a nice life together. You both deserve each other." With that statement, Lucas storms off, turning down the corner of the hallway and disappearing from sight. I shift to face Jack, shaking my head, flustered by the interaction with Lucas we just had.

"What even happened between the two of you, anyway?" I ask, closing my locker before leaning back against it, slinging my book-bag over my shoulder. "I don't see why he hates you so much. I mean, you're family." Maybe the school's hallway isn't the ideal place to have such a private conversation, but I'm tired of not understanding why Lucas and Jack seem to despise each other so much. As I said, they're family. That could mean nothing to them, or—thinking about it—it could mean everything as to why they can't stand each other.

Sighing, Jack runs a hand through his hair, messing up the dark, golden-colored strands. "When we were in junior high, Lucas and I went to separate schools, because his family used to live in a different county. We went to the same church, though, and we both met this girl, Shay, through a program there. She and I dated for a little while, but then I found out that she'd already been seeing Lucas. Basically, from the time we got together, she was cheating on my cousin. I had no idea, because Lucas and I didn't go to school together, and we never saw each other, except for Sundays at church. She two-timed us." Jack laughs at that, as if he's never heard anything more ridiculous in his lifetime.

Inhaling a deep breath, Jack continues, "When I found out, I was shocked. I guess one Crawford wasn't enough for her. Anyway, Lucas found out around the same time I did, but I was the one to confront her. I did what I felt was right, ending things between the two of us to give Lucas and Shay the chance to work things out. After all, he'd started dating her first. Lucas couldn't get over the fact that he hadn't been enough for her, however, and instead of taking his anger out on Shay, he took it out on me. He told me he'd hate me for eternity because, apparently, I 'made his girlfriend cheat on him'. So I guess the whole thing with you breaking up with him only to start dating me hit a little too close to home for him, which I do feel kinda guilty about. But I couldn't give you up if someone forced me, Scott."

I start walking toward the parking lot with Jack in tow, glancing over at him with my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Let me get this straight: Lucas hates you because of some girl that played you both in middle school?"

"Pretty much sums things up," Jack agrees with a nod, chuckling to himself. "I still can't believe it happened, honestly. It's funny to think back on."

"It's no wonder he was so upset that I dated you after the two of us broke up," I find myself thinking aloud, frowning thoughtfully. "Now I feel really bad about it all."

"I'm not going to let you stress over this, Morgan," Jack says gently, taking my hand in his and squeezing comfortingly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I know how you tend to take blame for things that have nothing to do with you, but I'm not going to let you this time. Besides, he's going to find someone one day. Someone fit to handle all of his craziness."

I can't help laughing at Jack's little dig at his cousin, shaking my head as I peer up at him through my dark eyelashes. "How is it that you always know what to say to make me laugh?" I question, bumping my shoulder against his.

Shrugging, Jack retorts, "Call it one of my many talents." Once we reach my car, Jack cups my face in his hands, pulling me closer to him and planting a light kiss on my lips. Leaning back, I can feel my cheeks turning pink as I blush. I guess I hadn't expected such a sweet gesture in the moment, though Jack Crawford always knows how to turn me into a blushing mess.

"What was that for?" I ask softly, my gaze locking with Jack's.

"Because I love you," he says simply, thumb tracing along the line of my cheekbone. I can't help grinning up at Jack, shaking my head as I do so. I still don't know how I managed to find a guy like him, and I'll be thanking my lucky stars for it every single day.

"I love you, too," I say in response, knowing that truer words have never passed my lips.

• • •

For the first time in what feels like forever, my life seems to be heading down the right track. Lana is the best friend I could possibly ask for, and we've grown so close that I consider her as more of a sister than merely a friend. Now that she's in a happy relationship with Kyler (finally), Jack and I go out on double dates with the two often.

Speaking of Jack, he and I couldn't be any better if we tried, and I'm so grateful that I was able to work things out with him after all of the drama that went down. I've even made amends with Lacey—something I didn't know either of us were capable of—and she and I sit together at lunch sometimes. Once you're able to get beneath her surface, she's not so bad. In fact, she's not that bad at all. I haven't seen much of Lucas these days, which is saddening, though out of my control. Of course, I wish we could have worked things out and remained friends at the very least, but I like to believe that everything happens for a reason, even if I can't understand those reasons.

"How do I look, kiddo?" My dad asks, which pulls me from my thoughts and back to reality. I glance up and over to where my father is standing by the bottom of the stairwell, offering him a proud smile. His dark hair has been combed back, and he's dressed in a suit—something I never thought I would never see in my lifetime. There's this photography exhibit taking place at a museum in the next town over, which my father is going to with Elena—some of her photos are going to be debuted for the first time in the show. What's more surprising to me than seeing my dad all dressed up is that he admitted to me this would be the first official date he is going on with Elena, and I couldn't possibly be happier for my father. He'd been worried that I would freak when he broke the news to me that he's finally decided to date again—because I did give him a hard time about it a while back—but I've since come to terms with the fact that my father deserves to find love, just as anyone else, and I don't much like the thought of him being alone in the future. I'm even happier that the girl my father is trying again with happens to be Elena, because I already know her well and love her, especially considering she's perfect for my dad.

"You still with me, Morgan?" Dad questions, now standing before me, waving a hand in front of my face. I blink, realizing that I seem to have spaced once again. A lot has been on my mind, and I tend to get swept into my thoughts when I'm overthinking something.

"Yeah," I assure him, taking my father's hand in mine and squeezing gently. "You look great, Dad. And I'm sure Elena will think so, too." Before I can think better of it, I add, "I'm really happy for you, Dad. You deserve this, you know."

Dad's eyes gleam with pride as he gazes down at me, his blue irises reflecting with what looks like tears. This whole "moving on" thing has him a little emotional lately, which I completely understand. I know that he's more than happy to be with Elena, but I also see that it's hard for him to accept the fact that my mother is really gone. I know in my heart that my mother would have wanted Dad to start over with someone else—for him to find love again and not be alone for the remainder of his life—and I'm certain that my father knows this as well. However, I don't think that makes things any easier on him.

"Thanks, kiddo," Dad manages to croak, ruffling my hair before leaning down and planting a kiss on my forehead. "That means a lot to hear you say."

I leap up off of the couch and pull my dad into a rib-crushing hug before pulling back and saying, "Now, get out of here! You have a date to pick up, remember? Have fun!" As my dad wanders into the kitchen to grab his keys before leaving, I point a firm finger in his direction as I say sternly, "But not too much fun."

"I'll have an appropriate amount of fun," Dad jokes back in response to my teasing, now perched in front of the door. He points a finger back at me in return as he murmurs, "But never too much, kiddo." With a wink, Dad offers me one last departing smile before stepping out of the front door, going off to enjoy his first real date with Elena. The thought has me smiling to myself as I can't help thinking, You found a good one, Mom. As an image of Jack infiltrates my mind, my smile widens. I think I have, too.

• • •

a/n: it's both exciting and saddening for me to say that this story is coming to an end, with one chapter left in conclusion. i'll save the sappy author's note for the next part, but i wanted to take a moment to thank those of you reading this. you all mean the world to me. ♡