So, well, I decided to upload the last chapter since I just wanted to label this story finished. Well, how about some reviews? Actually, I was hoping for Noelle to end up with Ian instead. Pardon me. 20 reviews for Ian's Story? :3

Here's the last chapter. Enjoy. :)

Chapter 9

I laughed and faced him. "Are you serious, Jesse? I mean, how can it possibly me, right? Just like you said."

NOELLE'S POV

Curse this stupid skirt. It's not helping me with the whole cat-mouse chase thing! God, it's so hard to run in these! They keep on going up. Curse this shortage of cloth. I bet I know what most of you are thinking. You guys are probably thinking "you're a girl, get used to the fluttery skirt!" Yeah, you know what I say to that? I say "BULLSHIT." So I'm a girl, does that mean I have to wear a skirt? Show some skin? No, I don't think so.

Going back to the whole cat-being-Jesse-mouse-being-me-chase thing. I know some of you must be imagining us running after each other on the beach with a sunset for a background looking like complete idiots and thinking it's romantic. I just have one thing to tell you: EW. Seriously, why would you think that? Want a clearer picture? Remember that pathway we walked on when Jesse said all those stupid words? Imagine that, me running away but failing since the dress prevented me to use my track and field skills, and Jesse running behind me. Oh, yeah, and we're not giggling and laughing at each other and saying "Catch me! Catch me!" No, wanna know why? 'Cause people stopped doing that in the late 50s. This is the 2000s, people, not 1652 B.C.

Okay, this is getting us nowhere. Tired of running in this annoying skirt I stopped running. But I didn't turn around to face him and punch him but instead, I just walked calmly. Farther away from him, farther away from everything. I'm seriously too young for all of this drama. For God's sake, I'm only 16! Jesse's like, what, 20 or something? Oh, who cares?

I do.

Shut up, brain.

I walked and in no time Jesse had caught up to me in a few strides. Curse his long legs. Curse his dashing good looks. I blinked several times. I didn't just say that. I did not just say that. Okay, let's pretend I'm not going crazy.

"Noelle," he called. I ignored him. I could hear him sigh in frustration, he grabbed my arm. "Will you just listen?"

I snorted. "No, I won't listen. You should know I'm resisting the very urge to punch you in the face," I said, my back still to him. "What are you even doing here? Came here to brag about being united to my perfect sister?" I resisted the urge to whack my head on the wall for almost bursting to tears. I wasn't going to let him win this one.

"I didn't marry your sister," Jesse said. "Know why?"

"I don't care," I said straight out. I could see he was resisting the urge to hit his head on the wall too. I guess we both have wall-hitting issues. I wonder if he'd let me hit his head on the wall next time. Wait, let's clear something up. Okay, Noelle, why do you hate the guy? First of all, no, I don't hate him. Well, yeah, I do but that's only 'cause I really love him. The more you hate the more you love, right? Whoever invented that quote's a genius.

"Because she wasn't the one who loved me when I was blind," he finished.

I made my eyes round and big. "You don't say," I said in mock surprise.

Ignoring my last comment, he cupped a hand under my chin and made me look his way. I looked at him. Funny, I was actually able to look like my heart felt like it wouldn't explode any second now. If I was much of a poet, I probably could've made all of these more dramatic even when it's just in my brain. But, you know, I'm not a poet. I'm more of a Johnny Depp than an Edgar Allan Poe. Nothing much changed in him, though. He was still that gullible kid that gave me butterflies in my stomach.

"It was really you," he said. He placed a hand on my cheek, trying to make me look at him. I shook him off and stepped away from him. Hell yeah, I've been through so much and I'm not letting him get through me so easily. Except he already did. It's a good thing I can lie really well.

I laughed and faced him. "Are you serious, Jesse? I mean, how can it possibly me, right? Just like you said." I fought back the tears that so dangerously threatened to fall. That day had been the most painful one I've experienced. And I'm not kidding. It was worse than when Mom and Dad didn't love each other anymore. What was going to happen to my life now?

For a reason, the whole piss-off attitude did the opposite effect. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah, but I love you, just like you said."

My jaw dropped open and I was beet red. "Wha-what? I-I—I—WHAT—I didn't say that," I stammered like a complete idiot. Kill me. Just kill me now.

"Yes you did," he said. Oh My God. He was actually smirking at me!

"No, I—okay, fine, I did. But you said it first! It was just acting!" Where'd my acting skills go? I repeat, kill me, like, now.

"Uh-huh, sure," he said, taking a step forward. He was close. Like, way close. I looked up at him. Since when was he this tall? Just a few years ago I was able to kick his sorry butt in a one-on-one match it practically anything. Now I was losing to him in love? Irony just sucks.

"Why are you even here?" I asked, trying to not make it sound so desperate that I wanted to change the topic.

"'Cause you're here, duh," he said. I blushed. I freaking blushed. Okay, folks, it's officially the end of the world when you know I'm blushing like a girl. Yes, I'm a girl. Do I act like one? Definitely not.

"I'm not Mina," I said. I guess it's true. It really is much, much more painful admitting the truth out loud. I'm not Mina. I'm Noelle. After that revelation, it occurred to me how stupid I was to actually pretend to be my sister. Sure, she was perfect, but that wasn't me. Maybe it was. It was me when I played the guitar; it was me when I told him I loved him. Was I really acting Mina out? I'm pretty sure I reacted to everything that time as me, as Noelle.

"I know. I called you Noelle, didn't I?" He really did. He called me that just a few minutes ago when he had caught up with me. "Noelle," he called me again. Is it possible to turn even redder when you're already of the deepest shade of red? Well, if it was, then that's what happened to me. I just noticed he was actually hugging me. Then I noticed I wasn't breathing.

"I still don't get why you're here," I told him honestly. He rolled his eyes.

"Noelle," he said, looking down on me. He said my name again. I decided I kind of liked it. I looked back at him, trying not to show any sort of weakness under his steady gaze. Oh, wow. His eyes were still those hypnotizing brown hues. Breathe, Noelle, breathe. "It's because I found out that you, my first love, was actually the one who helped me live when I was blind."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, say what? First love?"

"Yes, you never found out, did you? Before Mina, you were the one I always thought about, you were the one who made my heart skip a beat." And now you're the one making my heart skip a beat.

"No way, when was that?" I asked despite being still angry at him. I mean, come on, I've got a bigger curiosity than a grudge.

"Remember when I was 10 and you were only 8 and you beat up that bully for me?"

I smirked. "Yeah, you were such a loser back then."

"Well, I started liking you at that time. And I guess I stopped liking you when you hanged out with that Ian guy." I could tell he didn't like Ian much because of the way his face grimaced when he said his name, as if it was mud.

"What's wrong with Ian?"

"I thought you liked him."

"He's like a brother to me; you were the one I liked, stupid." I regretted my words the moment they came out. I just admitted I liked him when I was playing hard to get. Can we say epic fail, please?

He grinned. "I know." You know what else he did? He kissed me. Let's just forget about playing hard to get 'cause this is just awesome. I don't know how long we kissed but when we broke apart he was grinning ear to ear. "About time you gave in."

I grinned. We walked hand in hand. For a while we stayed quiet. "I'm sorry," he said.

I looked sceptically at him. "For what?"

"For everything. For hurting you, for loving you then stopping, for loving you again."

"For all the things you could've been sorry for, that's what you're apologizing for? Geez and I thought I was the stupid one here," I rolled my eyes at his sentimental statement. "Jesse, I'm the one who's sorry. Who loved you even when you were already taken? Me. Who lied to you? Me. Who pretended to be my sister? Me. If anyone's supposed to be sorry, it should be me."

"No, me," he argued.

"No, me," I argued back.

He grinned and ran his fingers through his hair, a gesture he did every time he felt happy. That made me blush. I just realized how much I really loved him. I've always been watching him. I knew everything about him: how he'd always turn red whenever he was angry, how he'd shake whenever he was scared, how he'd play with his hair whenever he felt happy, how he squeezed my sister's hand as a sign of love. He squeezed mine. Again, this made me blush.

"Okay, okay, you win. And you should know I'm only letting you win 'cause you love me so much," he said smugly. He was grinning ear to ear.

"Yeah, right. You're the one who chased after me, leaving your freaking bride alone on the altar."

"She's not my bride," he hugged me again. "Not really," he whispered into my ear. It sent shivers down my spine. But I didn't hate it. Not at all. I highly recommend it, actually. He bumped his forehead with mine and slipped something onto my finger. "Marry me, Noelle."

"But you just dumped my sister," I said, suddenly feeling guilty.

"I didn't dump her; we both let each other go."

"Oh," I said, not knowing what else to say. Mina let him go? Jesse let her go? I resisted the urge to jump up and down in pure ecstasy. Oh, c'mon, how awesome was that? Jesse left Mina for me. For the very first time, someone chose me over my sister. I felt like dancing. Somebody pinch me.

"I love you, Mina." I pushed him away. Did he just say what I think he just said?

"What did you say?"

"I was just kidding."

"No you weren't. Oh my God, you're still in love with her," I said. "God, just spare me this crap, Jesse! Do you even love me?" I couldn't help it anymore. Tears fell and my voice broke. My heart broke. He broke it. This was probably the billionth time he broke it. Dear God, hasn't he done that enough already?

"Noelle, I'm sorry, okay? I still love her, maybe. But I love you more, I love you more than anything else, more than my own life," he said. "Noelle, please," he begged. What made me believe him? I was broken. He loved me. The person I wanted to love me more than anything finally did love me. Did I finally catch a break?

"Noelle," he carried on. "Noelle, you probably won't believe. And up to now I don't understand how you could've sacrificed so much for me. I'm stupid, I'm not perfect, I'm an idiot, and yes, I was a freaking loser. But, Noelle, I'm your stupid loser. I'm your imperfect guy. And I'm your idiot."

I'd give anything to be with you. Don't forgive me, okay. Don't love me back, sure. I just want to be by your side this time. Just like you said, forever, I'll stay by your side. I love you, Noelle. My god, I really do."

I looked at him, searched his face. For years I've watched him. For sure, I'd know when he was lying. When I was sure he wasn't lying, I smiled. "Okay, yes, you are imperfect, yes, you are an idiot, and yes, you are a stupid loser. And yes, I love you too," I said.

"Awesome," he grinned. Yeah, I guess it was. "You still haven't said yes, yet." He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"To what?" I asked him.

"Marry me."

I thought about it. Should I say yes? Should I say no? Hell, why am I even hesitating? "Okay," I said coolly.

"Okay?" he asked, amused.

"Okay, I'll marry you."

"There's the punch line I was looking for," he smiled and kissed me again.

Well, whataya know, I do get my own happy ending. Thank you, God.

So, do I get reviews? Please? You know you want tooo~ And, hey, my friend insisted that I write a story, only in Ian's POV and this time, it's all about him. So, how about it? 20 reviews in exchange for some spine-tingling Ian action, fair enough?

Thanks for reading this and sticking with it till the end! Noelle's story ends here. Too bad though, I'll miss her sentimental and witty breakdowns. And I'll miss Jesse and his slight gayness. And Mina and her...something. And Ian and his surprising gentle side. Oh, God. Please give me 20 reviews that'll motivate me on writing an Ian Story? Please?