dakota's pov +

when i woke up this morning, i had to slyly pinch myself to make sure that i wasn't dreaming.

that i didn't dream about jack telling me that he loves me and that he wants to be with me, and me finally having my first time with the boy that i'm crazy about.

jack was still fast asleep beside me - i observed his hands adorably tucked underneath his head, his lips slightly parted and just how peaceful he looked.

i didn't want to disturb him, but i was in desperate need of a glass of water downstairs.

i threw on jack's hoodie that sat oversized on my body and a pair of small, pyjama shorts.

"where are you going?" jack's sleeply voice muttered, causing me to turn my head.

"just to get some water".

he sat up and dropped his legs off the side of the bed, "i'll get you some, i'm thirsty too".

"no, it's fine" i walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "i'll get it".

jack rested his muscular arms on my waist and slowly formed his lips into a smile, looking at me standing over him.

"last night was amazing" he said, playing with the fabric of his jumper.

i suppressed the grin that i could easily give him right now as i fast forwarded every detail of what happened in my head.

"i know. it really was" i nodded, leaning down to kiss him. jack locked his arms that still sat on my waist, hugging me closer to his body.

i instantly heard him moan against our lips. he brushed my bare thighs, signalling for me to straddle his lap. i cupped his cheeks, taking control and gradually began grinding against him.

i pulled away from the kiss with a smirk. jack looked at me with confusion until i glanced down at the tent growing on his crotch, and back up at his eyes.

"that's just morning wood" he tried to say, but i furrowed his brows at his poor explanation. "okay but what do you expect? you're sexy as hell, dakota".

i hid my blushing cheeks by rolling my eyes and climbing off him, "i still need water".

"i have to get going any ways - my mom's probably freaking out about where i am" jack stood and began to gather his scattered clothes.

"did you not tell her where you were?".

he scoffed with a laugh, "yeah, i just dropped her a text saying sorry got caught up last night having unbelievable sex with my girlfriend".

i paused from tying my hair up in the mirror, smiling greatly at his choice of words.

"girlfriend, huh?".

"yes" jack buttoned his jeans and sauntered over, looking at me through the mirror. "you, dakota sahar richards, are my girlfriend".

i wrapped my hairband around my bun one last time and turned to him, "wow, my full name. are you sure you're not proposing, jack?".

"please, you'll know that i'm proposing when it happens" jack threw on his shirt as i laughed, and followed me out of the bedroom.

we stayed in conversation all the way downstairs, with me trying to keep jack quiet with every dirty compliment he gave me.

we suddenly paused outside the kitchen as my mom and nate were sat in the kitchen, eating some breakfast.

i had completely forgot to check the time before coming down, but it was 12pm on a weekend so they were bound to be awake.

there was an awkward silence as all four of us exchanged looks.

"good morning, mrs richards" jack greeted as she replied with a small smile.

"i'll, uh, text you" i told jack to relieve this awkward tension as quick as possible.

he agreed, promptly kissing my cheek before leaving the house.

"...is he your boyfriend?" mom looked up at me as she stirred her coffee.

"yeah" i bluntly replied, fancying some orange juice instead of water from the fridge.

"did he stay the night?" she added. "i hope you were safe, dakota".

i frowned, "what, so now you're worried about me and not looking at me as if i was the reason that dad left and not his drug addiction?".

my response drew a silence in the room until i glanced over at the front door and couldn't see my father's worn out shoes thrown carelessly by it.

"speaking of him, where is he?" i sipped my drink. "doing a line of coke in the bathroom?".

mom and nate stared at one another before she gave in and spoke up.

"i kicked him out, dakota".

i scoffed, "good".

"i found drugs in his bag and..." mom paused her sentence and gently closed her eyes. she seemed like she could barely continue whilst nate gave her sympathetic sigh.

"he came home high and got angry at your mom" nate placed his cereal bowl in the sink. "he slapped her, dakota".

my eyes widened, leaving me to immediately feel bad for my attitude towards her.

"oh my god, mom" i came and held her hand. "are you okay?".

"don't worry about me, sweetie" she smoothed down my hair. "i'm sorry for taking everything out on you, you were only doing what you thought was best and it was".

"yeah, i'm sorry too" nate added on. "we don't need that monster in our lives".

i smiled lightly at them both - i woke up this morning ecstatic about jack and i, but dreading the thought of my dad being back in my family's lives.

but now that he's officially gone, i can finally breathe and feel like i have nothing else to worry about now.

"now come on," mom patted the island chair beside her. "tell me about the gilinskys' son".

"tell you what?" i sat down and laughed with embarrassment.

"last time i checked you told me that you two decided to stay friends" she raised her brows.

"things changed".

"you mean you forgave him after he slept with his ex-girlfriend again" nate revealed, keeping his eyes glued to his phone.

"nate, shut up!" i exclaimed. i looked at my mom and caught the worried expression on her face.

"dakota, i don't want this boy hurting you" she said. "are you sure you know what you're doing?".

"yes, mom. i really like him, i promise" i smiled, feeling butterflies circle my stomach just at the thought of jack in my head.

+

later that day, jack texted me to say that there was a small football win pool party at connor's tonight. i didn't even manage to ask hum how the game went last night because we were a little too preoccupied.

kelsey picked me up so we could head down there together. i knocked on the front door until jonah opened it for us.

"hey bitches, you took your time" he exclaimed.

"yeah and you didn't waste any - where have you been all day?" i asked as we walked inside. "i've been trying to reach you".

"connor was pretty excited about winning the game last night, so we've been celebrating all day" he explained, significantly licking his lips at the same time.

"well you've missed a lot jonah, just like our little dakota growing up and loosing her virginity last night" kelsey whispered to us both.

"no. fucking. way!" jonah stopped in his tracks and gasped. "jack left straight after the game, it all makes sense now!".

"wait, how do you know i lost it to jack?" i questioned.

"well you clearly didn't loose it to liam, so it has to be one of the two" jonah explained. "so come on, tell us more".

i looked around to see if anyone would be listening but the ten to fifteen people here were pretty much outside by the pool or in the kitchen, so we were good in the front hallway.

"it was amazing, guys" i shyly smiled. "i can't even explain it, but we're together now and i can barely breathe knowing that i'm about to see him".

"aw! my best friend is in love!" jonah gushed. "this just leaves—".

"for the last time, there will never be a me and sam!" kelsey groaned, leaving jonah and i to laugh as she stormed off to get to the backyard.

once we reached outside, there was music playing loudly over the many conversations and pool games going on.

i spotted jack sat on one of the sunchairs talking with a few of his friends. i smiled at the sight of him before he did a double take in my direction and kept his eyes on me.

i watched him phase out of his conversation and rise from his seat. jonah and kelsey teased me whilst i tried to stop them before he got here.

"hey beautiful" jack spoke with a grin across his face, causing my friends to leave my side.

"i can't believe you didn't tell me that you won last night's game" i lightly hit his shoulder.

"well, to be honest i had better things on my mind".

he raised his eyebrows, causing me to chuckle underneath my reddening cheeks and reach up to kiss him.

"like i said last time, i'm glad that this finally happened again" sam approached us, patting our backs. "jack's pretty whipped on you, dakota".

i glanced at my boyfriend with a childish smirk as he awkwardly scratched his neck.

"hey. isn't that true, johnson?" sam pulled him over from nearby to join us.

"oh yeah, he's always like dakota's so smart, dakota's so pretty, i miss dakota, i think that i'm in love with her blah-blah-blah" johnson teased.

jack opened his arms in confusion, "yo guys, do you have to do this all the time?".

i laughed and folded my arms with interest, "no please, continue".

"no, they won't. that's enough, can't i just have some alone time with my girlfriend?" jack begged, hugging his arms around my shoulders from behind.

"hey g" johnson nudged jack to look behind me. "look who's here".

i curiously looked behind me too, seeing crystal harris step outside in her one piece bikini and tiny shorts. last time i saw her, i punched her around the face and i'm surprised that she managed to keep the bruise so covered.

jack held onto the bridge of his noise, "connor told me that he didn't invite her".

sammy guility clenched his teeth together as all three of us rolled our eyes at him.

"ah shit, i might have let it slip that i was going. we're neighbours so we happened to talk when i took out the trash this morning" he explained.

i tensed up as i took a deep breath to calm myself down. jack instantly noticed my posture change in his hold.

he kissed my temple and rubbed my shoulder, "hey, it's okay"

without letting me explain that i would be able to handle her, she quickly managed to worm her way over.

"so this is a thing then?" she folded her arms and elevated her eyes at me.

"yeah, have you got a problem with that?" jack inquired. "because i'm tired of you making dakota miserable all the time, crystal".

"jack, it's okay" i held him back.

"no it's not, i don't stick up for you enough" he told. "you need to get over yourself, crystal and stop taking out your jealousy and bitterness on dakota. we have the same friends so you think there's no way that i can avoid you but i can. you can easily just become a distant memory to me".

crystal eyes remained stunned at jack's words as she moved uncomfortably in her spot.

"you're joking, right?" she tried to brush off like it was no big deal, giving me a queue to step in and assure her.

"does he look like he's joking?".

"jack, we were good together! since the eighth fucking grade" she reminded him. "you're the one who said that you were glad that you can always talk to me and—".

"and now he has me" i shot her a smile. "bitch".

crystal scolded me and also the guys who were shocked at my responses. she straightened up her stance and still tried to find, and hold her ground.

"you know what? i don't even care. you two can have each other" she grimaced. "but don't come crawling back to me when she doesn't give you what i can".

"i'm sure he'll be fine" i replied.

i started to remember every spiteful thing she has ever said and done to me, making me scold her with every cell in my body.

"now move" i ordered.

crystal angrily stormed away from her spot in front of jack, allowing me to confidently replace her.

johnson smirked and looked at me up and down as if he was impressed.

"damn, dakota's pretty savage isn't she?".

jack noticed the boys awkwardly licking their lips at me before shielding their eyes. "what the fuck? back off guys!".

jack shoved both of his friends away, finally leaving me and him to be alone.

"...i'm proud of you" his lips formed into a smile.

"for what?".

"putting her in her place".

"i've done it plenty of times before, you were just never there to see".

he took a step closer and lowered his eyes at me, "well, i wish i was because i think it's pretty hot".

i chuckled and flung my arms around his neck just as kelsey joined us with a loud sigh.

"hey. have you guys seen sam, because i'm trying to avoid—".

"kelsey, baby!" sam exclaimed from behind her, causing her to shut her eyes in frustration. "the rhinos won! so with this date, i'll pick you up at 8 tomorrow?".

kelsey turned to him as jack and i laughed at the scene before us, "first of all, there's going to be a few rules".

"aw, come on. at least loosen them up for me and i'll loosen something else for you" he smirked.

"oh my god" she threw her head back in response and walked away.

i lightly applauded sam and laughed as he tried to catch up with her, "good job, sam!".

jack circled to stand in front of me and gestured towards the backdoor, "hey, do you wanna get out of here?".

"but i just got here" i harmlessly frowned. "and don't you wanna celebrate with the team?".

"trust me, they'll be another one - summer's only getting started".

i was confused as to why he just wanted to leave but to be honest, i'd rather be alone with jack than at a pool party where most people don't actually swim.

"okay" i agreed with a smile and he took my small hand in his to leave connor's place.

-

I MISSED YOU GUYS!

but jakota is official, so life is all good 🙂

three more parts left of the epilogue. just wanna wrap up this story already even though it's my favourite one but it's gotta be done 😭

i love you if you're still reading btw 🌹

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