He left me beside his bed and rummaged through the top drawer of his dresser. I admired the back of him and grinned. “You have a juicy booty.”
He peeped at me over his shoulder and laughed. “Give me ten and yours will be too,” he mumbled, returning to his search. He made me weak.
“Turn around,” he ordered. His hand remained inside of the drawer, but it seemed as though he had found what he was looking for.
When I’d turned around so that I was facing the door, I heard the sound of his feet against the soft carpet and within a few moments, an object came down in front of my face, a cold chain settling around my neck.
I looked down and picked up the key that hung from the chain. There was no doubting my confusion while I stared at the item in the palm of my hand. I started to turn around, still staring at the foreign object. “What’s the key fo—”
Drayton was holding his phone up when I turned around and on the screen was a picture of a stunning black motorcycle. It had purple detailing around the trim and handlebars. It wasn’t an overwhelming purple. It was deep and rich, but tasteful and appealing.
“This is being kept in a warehouse in California.” He looked eager and excited, and sported an enormous grin. “It’s yours.”
“You bought me a fucking motorcycle!” I squealed, snatching the phone out of his hand so that I could get a closer look. I was in utter disbelief. I knew that he was insane, but this was on an entirely different level.
“Yep!” He slid his hands into his swim-short pockets. They hung low on his hips. “Thought you could use some transport, and I know that you love to ride my bike. When you’re not riding me, of course.” He winked and I didn’t even have the wit to respond. I was too far floored at the outrageous gesture.
“This is too much!” I cried and threw the phone onto the bed. “I didn’t even get you anything. That must have cost a lot of money. You can’t jus—”
I was silenced by his mouth on mine. His arms encircled my waist, pulling me in close and tight, then he kissed me for a long time, his tongue exploring mine and his hands traveling the small of my back and waist. When we finally broke apart, I was breathless. I was a panting, wound-up mess. He didn’t release his hold, just gave me that seductive grin that caused my insides to turn to over.
“I love you, Cheer. And the fact that you love me, too, is enough. I don’t need anything more than that. I’ve got the money to buy whatever I want.” He leaned forward and gave me a chaste kiss. “What I need is you. As long as I have that, I’m good.”
“Well—me too,” I pouted. “You didn’t have to get me a motorcycle.”
“I wanted to.” He bopped me on the nose. “And I could. And I did. So shut up and tell me that you love me.”
I playfully rolled my eyes. “I love you.”
“Wow.” Nathan stared at the phone screen as I swiped through the photos of the motorcycle with him. “That was generous.”
“Tell me about it.” I nodded. The graduation party had lasted long into the night. But Nathan and I were due some time together, so we had plans to get lunch and throw some ball down at the field.
“You’ll have to get a license, I suppose?” He handed the phone back across the restaurant table and I lifted my bum so that I could slip it into my back pocket.
“And I’ll have to learn how to ride one. I can get proper lessons or something. He said that he’s going to cover them.”
“You seem embarrassed?”
“He does too much for me.” I shrugged a shoulder, pinching the soda straw between my fingers as I sipped on the iced beverage. “I need a job when I get to California.”
Nathan pushed his fork around the plate, shifting beans and salad. “One thing at a time. Get settled in first—you don’t know what the homework will be like.”
“I need a job,” I said. “It doesn’t matter what the homework is like. I’m not going to survive without one.”
He tilted his head from side to side. “I guess. I don’t like the thought of you burning yourself out.”
“I’ll be fine.” I smiled at his concern. “I might put in a few applications next week when I go and sort out the dorm room though. A job before I get there would be even better.”
“No one can accuse you of being lazy.”
“I just need to be prepared. I don’t want to fail.”
“You’ve got this. Don’t even stress.”
Drayton and I were headed to California for a little summer vacation. It was also so that I could organize a few final things at the college, but we figured that we’d make the most of it and hang around for the week.
I was a little bit nervous about spreading out time so that I made the most of it with everyone. Gabby and Josh and Nathan. Melissa made me swear that we’d go and see a movie or take a pole class together. That sounded sort of fun.
I knew that despite the fact that I was living the dream that I’d had for as long as I could remember, I was still going to miss the people I loved. It’d be hard when it was time to leave, and I had a feeling that I wouldn’t feel the full effect of it until I was gone.
“All right.” Nathan put his hand behind him and reached into his back pocket. “I can’t compete with a motorcycle, it’s just not going to happen. I should have given you my gift first. But whatever. Happy graduation.”
He slid a velvet box across the wooden tabletop. It was small, the size of a ring box. I picked it up and gave him a curious smile as I lifted the lid.
I almost burst into tears. “Nathan!”
It was an heirloom locket that had belonged to our mother. It had been in our family for generations. It used to hang beside Mom’s vanity. I had begged her to let me wear it, over and over again, but I wasn’t allowed. Its value was too great, and Mom didn’t want it to be at risk. She did promise me that it would be mine someday, though.
After she died, I looked for it, but it was gone. I assumed that Nan had it and didn’t want us to know. But now, upon opening it and finding new photos, I knew that it was Nathan who’d had it.
Inside of the locket was a photo of Nathan and me taken back in February. We’d gone out for a simple dinner for my birthday. I wasn’t interested in something over the top. But we did take a selfie beside a window and it had been developed down to the perfect locket size. On the other side of the locket was a photo of Mom and Dad just a few months before their deaths. It was summer. Mom was holding her hat down, Dad was holding Mom.
Their love was undeniable.
“They would have been so proud, kid.” Nathan smiled when I looked up at him through blurred vision. “You’ve come so far. Achieved so much. I can just imagine how much that would have meant to them.”
I tapped at the corners of my eyes, wiping at the tears that would ruin my mascara in a minute. “Why did you do this to me in public?” I chuckled and sniffed.
“I’ve been holding on to that for ages.” He leaned forward and put his elbows on the tabletop. “Thought it’d make a good graduation gift.”
The gold had been polished. It shone as I turned it over and opened and closed it. “I was looking for it for so long. You must have had a good laugh, watching me search the entire damn house.”
“You were nine.” His stare was blank. “You looked for a few days. And not that well. But it was sort of entertaining.”
I fastened the locket around my neck. Nathan tilted his head, watching and appearing as though he wanted to get up and help when I struggled for a moment. But the clip clicked and the cold piece of jewelry sat on my chest.
“Very nice.”
“Thank you, Nathan.”
“’Course, kid.”
I refused to keep sobbing in public. This was the sweetest gift that I’d ever received, even if Drayton had lost his mind and bought me motorcycle. Nothing could compare to something so sentimental.
A waiter passed our table, plates of hot food in his hand stirring up a new appetite, and I decided to peep at the dessert menu. I couldn’t
read the words Molten Lava Chocolate Cake and not order it, so we had dessert and then we drove to the park near home. Nathan snatched his football from the backseat then we wandered out into the grass. The sun was warm. I felt that familiar content that came with summer settle over me while I waited for Nathan to send me the ball. “What’s the plan this summer? Aside from California. Should we do some camping?”
I caught his pass and gave him a puzzled smile. We had to raise our voices a bit but he wasn’t too far from me. “You want to go camping with me?”
“I love camping.”
“Yeah.” I threw the ball back and he raised an arm, catching it with one hand. “But you usually go with your friends.”
“We should go together.” He wrapped both of his hands around the ball and shrugged before he sent it back. “You can invite Drayton if you want. Gabby. Whoever.”
“Gabs will just complain that she’s too pregnant to go camping,” I sighed with amusement.
“How is all that going? We talked a bit at graduation but I didn’t want to bring it up in public.”
“She would have appreciated that.” I nodded. “She’s fine, I suppose. Just taking it one step at a time.”
“Not going to lie, I’m glad that wasn’t you. Damn.”
“It won’t be for a long time,” I laughed.
“So.” He caught the ball. “Make the most of this summer. Live it up. Be good to your best friend but do not hibernate with her because she doesn’t want to leave the house. Don’t spend the entire three months crying over the fact that you’re going to a different state than your boyfriend for college.”
“Nathan,” I sighed.
Of course, it was a bit of a bummer that Drayton and I would be apart. I was going to miss him, more than I could comprehend.
I’d miss late-night cuddles in bed while we watched Netflix docuseries about sports or cute romantic movies that Drayton teased me for appreciating. I’d miss how he played with my hair. How he tucked me in when he thought that I’d fallen asleep. I’d miss him picking me up for spontaneous dates—bowling, food, the movies. I’d miss going to the gym with him, even if I did watch more than I lifted. I’d even miss the embarrassment—the moments that we’d be strolling in the mall and he’d hear a song that he loved so he’d pull me in and spin me around and I’d have no choice but to dance. Or his R-rated commentary in stores in front of whoever was listening. He had no filter and I loved every single thing about him.
All right, I might sob a little bit when I left. But we’d survive. I knew that we would. We’d make the most of the summer that we had left and figure the rest out later.
And that’s what we did.
This is the final boarding call for flight KO3348 from Colorado Springs to Los Angeles. Final call for KO3348 from Colorado Springs to Los Angeles.
“Dal.” Gabby gave me an apologetic smile. “You have to go. You’ll miss the flight.”
“But he’s not here.” I stared at the door and then I turned around and looked at the air hostess who knew that I was her last passenger to board. I needed to leave but he wasn’t here. “He said that he would be here.”
“Yeah bu—”
My phone vibrated in my hand and I read the screen so fast that I had to go over the words once more in order for them to make sense.
Cheer, baby. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. Traffic. Fuck. I love you. I’ll see you soon though okay. This wasn’t going to be good-bye so think nothing of it. Have a safe flight.
“He’s not coming.” I swallowed; there was a burn behind my eyes. My nose stung. But I gave Gabby and Nathan a wide smile. “I better go. But I’ll be back again so … this isn’t good-bye.”
“Don’t be a cheese.” Nathan jabbed me in the shoulder but I could see a distinct shade of red rimming his eyes. I didn’t want to make it worse for him.
“You better be back.” Gabby had a cute little bump now. She suited it. “As soon as I go into labor you have to get on a flight and come home. I need you there, holding my hand.”
“That’s Josh’s job.”
“You would handle the hand holding better.” She nodded, her dark curls bouncing. “Trust me. You’ll come right?”
I swept her into a tight hug. “Of course I will. My hand is yours to break.”
“Good.”
“As long as I can send over my assignments for you to do.”
“Deal.”
Both of our bums were sticking out a bit due to the fact that there was a lump between us. I loved it, though. I leaned down, gave my future niece a quick kiss through the thin tank top and then moved over to Nathan.
“Go.” He gave me a big hug. “You’ll miss the flight and I’ll be stuck with you. Can’t wait to have the house to myself.”
“Mhmm, sure.”
I savored one more squeeze from him and then I picked up the backpack that I’d brought as carry-on and ran over to the gate. The flight attendant looked frustrated, but she smiled regardless and scanned the boarding pass. Once more, I turned around and waved. Gabby and Nathan stood beside each other, waving—one with more enthusiasm than the other.
The seats were full when I emerged from the tunnel and onto the plane. I was in row D. Seat two. The numbers were on the overhead compartment doors so I stared up at them as I moved through the aisle. When I stopped beside my seat, I shrugged off the backpack and put it beside another in the overhead compartment. I contemplated getting a hoodie out of it. I was in a romper because it was hot as hell outside, but the flight could get cold.
I decided against it and looked down at the seat to find a familiar set of green eyes watching me, his smile as devious as ever.
“Wh—Dra—what the fuck?”
He was here. On the flight. He was in the seat beside mine, with his cap on backward. His powder-blue T-shirt hugged his shoulders.
“You should sit down, Cheer.” He gestured at the seat. “The flight attendant looks kind of irritated.”
I fell into the seat beside him, still watching his face because I couldn’t believe that he was here. “What’s going on?”
“Thought we should catch the same flight? We can share an Uber. I mean, we’ll have to split off once you’ve settled into your dorm because I have to settle into mine at UCLA, but it’s not that far.”
“UCLA?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, smiling as if I should understand this in clear context without so much as an explanation. “The college that I’ll be attending. UCLA. In Califor—”
“You’re going to UCLA?”
His smile softened as his gaze moved, traveling across my face. “I am, Cheer.”
“What the hell?” I punched him in the arm and he recoiled.
“Damn, can we save that shit for the bedroom?” He rubbed his bare skin. “Or the dorm room?”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I mean, how is this possible? I thought that you didn’t write a letter of intent?”
“I did. To UCLA. Months ago. It was risky but I pulled it off. Dad changed his tune after the whole prom night bullshit. He agreed to let me do a walk-on wherever I wanted, but I’d done the letter of intent.”
“You did it months ago?”
“Mhmm.” He picked up the hem of my romper and absentmindedly toyed with the fabric between his fingers. “Dad gave me the green light to choose which school I went to, but he flipped one last time when I told him that I’d already sorted UCLA. We’re fine now, though.”
“How come you didn’t tell me? All of that … tension over it. You could have said something.”
“I didn’t want to get your hopes up just in case it didn’t happen or I couldn’t change Dad’s mind.”
“You’re going to be so close,” I mumbled as his hand spread out on my knee and slid under the romper hem.
“So close.” He didn’t bother waiting for the flight attendant to pass as she finished closing the overhead compartments. His hand held my face and he kissed me.
We would have been fine in separ
ate states. I believed that. But the fact that we didn’t have to be in separate states, the fact that he’d be half an hour from where I was and we could see each other whenever we wanted, it was the hope that I never wanted to have, fulfilled and more.
Being in love with him, sharing a future, and succeeding together was more powerful than I could have imagined it would be. And realizing that I didn’t have to choose one over the other, that I could have the dream school and the goals while being in love at the same time might be the most valued lesson of all.
I couldn’t wait to see where the road took us.
Epilogue
DRAYTON-TWO YEARS LATER
There she was. The woman I loved. Her hair, soft like silk, draped around her shoulders. She clutched a stack of books close to her chest as she bounded down the dorm building stairs. She wasn’t alone. There were dozens of girls heading in the same direction—classes started in fifteen minutes—but she was all that I saw. I leaned against my motorcycle parked beside the curb and watched her smile breathe vibrance into the world. Nothing could be as bright as her.
As she saw me, her smile became wider, and it floored me. No matter what, her happiness gave me peace. She ran forward, her thin sundress whipping in the warm breeze and clinging to her gorgeous curves.
“What are you doing here?” She fell into my embrace and I kissed her head. “I have class. Where are you supposed to be?”
“Right here.” My hands slipped down her spine as I stared down at her. She grinned and went on her tiptoes. I still had to lean down to reach her lips. “But in an hour and a half, we have to be somewhere.”
She shifted from one foot to the other and frowned with confusion. “Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She was getting used to surprises. Because I surprised her all the time. But she still dropped her bottom lip and frowned. “Go on.” I gave her a tap on the bum and gestured. “Class. I’ll be waiting in your room. I love you.”
The QB Bad Boy and Me Page 33
