Disclaimer: No.
Epilogue
Terror throws me to the floor, a wicked grin on his face. "Hey there, pretty girl."
"Get off of me," I hiss, biting at his hand as he tries to touch my face.
Pinning me down, he sneers, "Don't be dsiobeyin' me now. I can do whatever I want to you, and no one's gon' be saving you." He leaned down to kiss my neck. "See? Where's your hero, hero?"
"Leave me alone," I growled, struggling under his weight.
Clicking his tongue, his hand trailed up and down the exposed flesh of my stomach. "You are such a pretty girl," he muses, tugging on the lower half of my uniform. "Bet you're even prettier when we get this off of you."
"Don't! Stop it! Stop it!"
"Artemis!"
I sat up in bed, my heart pounding loudly, my breathing erratic. My boyfriend was next to me, concern in his eyes.
"You were having a nightmare," he softly explained.
"You heard me from your room?" I so did not need the Team running in to check on me.
"No. I…I just came by. To make sure you were okay."
"But I haven't had a nightmare in months."
"I know, but today…today's the one-year anniversary of…you know. I shouldn't call it an anniversary, should I? I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's okay," I assured him, drawing my knees to my chest. Quietly, I mused, "A year. A whole year."
"Doesn't feel like it?" he asked, sitting down beside me.
"Don't know. It's weird—sometimes, it feels like it was a lifetime ago, but other times, it feels like it just happened. I could just be doing whatever I'm doing and all of a sudden something triggers a memory and I'm stuck in that warehouse, waiting." Involuntarily, I shivered, and he tenderly wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Leaning my head against his chest, I replied, "It doesn't happen that often now, but when it does…I just want to forget it, you know?"
"I know." He pulled me into a hug, and it was familiar and comforting and safe.
"Thank you, Cam," I whispered, snuggling against him.
"You're welcome, Artemis," he returned, kissing my forehead.
A lot can change in a year. You slowly realize that the boy you think you love isn't the true love of your life. Sure, he's still your friend and you have each other's backs and he'll always have a special place in your heart, but he's not the one you're meant to be with. That person is, as cliché as it sounds, your best friend. Because he's known you your whole life and he's always been there, through the best and worst times. He's the one who turned his world upside down in an instant just to make sure you were okay. He's the one who took care of you, putting you first above everything else. He is your Wonderland: he's the only one who can take you there, and the only one who can lead you home.
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So, yes, this is complete. For those expecting/ wanting more, I'm sorry, but I liked where it stopped with Chapter 37. I don't want to prolong this, trying to add more just because, and with school coming up in a week, I don't know how regular my updates would be and that didn't seem fair to you guys.
Thank you all for your continual support.