A/N: This is probably a shock to anyone still getting update emails from subscriptions. I started Paladin when I was 16 and had come out to my mother, who didn't take it very well (she was nothing like Cindy, don't worry, but it still ruined our relationship). I'm now nearing 22, perfectly content in my label as bisexual, best friends with my mom, and have recently read over Paladin. Wow, this story was horribly written. Blame my 16 year old self for that one. I'm actually pretty embarrassed. Not about the story itself, but how I presented it to the world. After a year of somewhat-steady updates, I promised everyone I would finish the story. Clearly, that never happened during my teenaged years. But here we are, over 4 years after the last update, and I'm finally sitting down to write an epilogue. Originally, I had planned one more chapter before finishing the epilogue. Honestly, I have no idea what was going to be in the last chapter. But after all this time, I feel responsible for finally finishing this story I put out into the world so long ago. Everything aside, this story meant the world to me when I was creating it, and Trey and Logan became such an important part of my life. There's so many things I wish I could go back and change, but I think it's time to finally shut the book for good. To anyone still around, thank you for all the love you've given Paladin over the years. Thank you to those who stuck around from the beginning, and thank you to those who (somehow) found this story over the last few years and decided to read and favorite it. I have no clue how you did it, but thank you.

Epilogue

Senior year. A year ago, I wasn't sure if this day would come. If you had told me back then that in a year I would have a boyfriend, be living with him, and be completely free of my mother, I would've called you crazy. Yet, here we are.

After the decision was made that I was to remain living with the Richards', I officially became emancipated from the state, and deemed a legal adult. Had it not been a rule from Logan's parents, I probably would've gotten my GED instead of finishing out the school year.

I mended my relationship with my dad, who was planning to move here after my first semester of the year was done. Whether or not I would live with him was still up in the air. I was free to decide on my own, which was an exhilarating feeling in itself.

Unfortunately, Cindy hadn't been put behind bars, but her parental rights got revoked, and I filed a restraining order against her so I'd never have to see her again. Logan filed one as well, just in case. I wasn't taking any chances when it came to her.

Cadence and Adner were still together and stronger than ever. They already got accepted into the same college, due to their good grades and extracurriculars they built up over the course of high school. Cadence didn't know, but as soon as they graduated, Adner was proposing. He already started saving up for a ring.

As for Logan and me, we were better than ever. We balanced our relationship and living together, making sure we weren't crowding each other, or hanging out with the wrong people. I switched classes to avoid Nathan, even though he agreed to stop fighting for me, as well as blocked his number. Better safe than sorry. I wasn't risking anything this time. Nothing would disturb my relationship with Logan.

Everything was finally right in the world, and I was ready to take on senior year.

Logan's hand squeezed mine atop the center console as we pulled into our parking space.

"Ready for our last school year?" He asked, his smile bright as always.

After everything we've been through over the last year, we could take on anything, so long as it was together.

"Absolutely."