“Yup. Looks that way.” I look in Keesh’s direction. “I can’t believe we picked the same school.”
“Me neither. I thought you’d be going to Berkeley, if you got in.”
“I did get in,” I share with them.
“I knew she wouldn’t go to Berkeley,” Steph says. “Meg wants to carve out her own path. When we got to San Jose, I could see it in your eyes that you were going to pick there. I could see it in both of you.”
“So what are you gonna do, big guy?” Travis asks Dom.
“Well, I already made some plans of my own.”
Steph sits up and turns to her guy. “What plans?” Keesh giggles and Steph turns to her. “You know something?”
“You already know what my plans are,” he tells her.
“Are you coming to San Jose with us?” I ask him.
“And he’s not the only one,” Keesh says in a sing-song tone.
“Jon’s coming home!” Josh shouts.
“Yeah. I’ve got myself a roommate,” Dom informs us.
By the time, the pizza arrives, our futures are starting to become a little more clear.
Travis is enlisted in the Marine Corps.
Andi and Josh are going to school close to home.
Stephanie is going to Berkeley.
And me, Jon, Dominic, and Keesh are going to San Jose.
Keesh and I want to dorm together.
Dom and Jon have been making plans for months. Apparently all kinds of contingency plans based on where their girlfriends could end up. Now that the verdict is in, Jon and Dom are getting an apartment together off campus. And I’m sure Dom will be making many trips to Berkeley, which sounds great to me because I might just bum a ride.
Chapter 32
We all gather at my house on graduation day for pictures and to watch a video of Ben.
I press play and then sit on Alex’s lap in my gown—which strangely feels like a camping tent.
He circles his arms around my waist. “In just a few months, I’m going to be able to do this whenever I want,” he whispers in my ear.
Since I made the announcement, Alex has been telling me about all the things we get to do together when I move up there—watch movies, eat dinner together, wake up in each other’s arms. I keep reminding him that he will still be forty-five minutes away but it doesn’t stop him.
“Hey everybody! I’m guessing you’ll get this right before graduation. But hopefully after your big awards night. If you’re getting this before then, hit pause and don’t watch this until after that night.” He pauses for several beats. “If you’re still here, I’m guessing the big night happened. So, congratulations to each of you. Travis, start doing some push-ups, bro. And start running your ass off. Alex, I bet you’re smiling from ear to ear. You finally got your girl. I’m so happy for each and every one of you. I really wish I could be there. I can’t wait to see pictures and videos from your graduation.” He smiles and I can feel his happiness. “Hey, I have some good news of my own. I finally got my security clearance so I should be traveling with the President soon. If you see me on TV record it, snap a picture. I’ll give you my autograph when I see you. All right, I gotta go. Congratulations again. I love you guys.”
“That was cool,” Keesh says. “A great way to start off our night.”
“Perfect graduation present. Let’s record throughout the ceremony and send it to him,” Keesh suggests.
“I hate to break up this party,” my dad says, “but you guys need to get to school.”
Keesh throws up her hands. “We’re graduating today, bitches!” Dad clears his throat. “Oops. Sorry!”
During final exams, Mrs. Fuller talked to me about graduation. She said to try and relax through the ceremony and soak it all in. She said it would go by in a flash and I wouldn’t remember a thing unless I tried to calm down.
Easier said than done.
We’re all lined up, our caps fixed to our heads with tons of bobby pins, and our tent material gowns draping over our bodies. Smiles are plastered to our faces and I’m sure my cheeks are going to be stuck in this position by the end of the night.
The processional starts to play and teachers start to call out directions. We stand in the same order we did for awards night.
Steph is first. And I can see the nerves rattling her body as she takes her first steps onto the track of our football stadium. Keesh follows about five paces behind her. And then, it’s my turn.
I trail behind trying to soak in the moment like Mrs. Fuller suggested. I look up into the bleachers and realize it’s useless trying to find our parents, or Alex and Dom. There is a sea of faces and they all look the same.
When we’re finally seated, the principal takes the podium and the longest speech known to man escapes from his mouth. If I didn’t have my cell phone with me, I’d fall asleep.
Having fun yet, Alex texts.
I’m dying of boredom. I wanna turn my tassel already.
Be patient
Haha
Our class president takes the mic and it doesn’t get any better. The typical, “When we were freshmen, we walked on campus afraid we’d get lost on the first day,” kinda speech booms through the speakers.
What seems like eons later, we stand row by row and line up to receive our diplomas.
Steph is a few feet away from graduating when I yell, “I love you, girls. Congratulations!”
Steph and Keesh turn around and say together, “I love you too.”
As Steph crosses the platform, her name is called and she shakes hands with several people before she gets her diploma.
Then comes Keesh. She holds her hands high and screams a big, “Woooo!”
My turn. My stomach does a back flip.
“Megan Miller.”
I take a step onto the platform and shake hands with the principal. Next is Mrs. Flores. She holds out her arms and I give her a big hug. “Thank you so much,” I tell her.
She releases me and I make my way through a receiving line of teachers, all lined up to shake our hands and tell us congratulations. As I get toward the end of the line, I tear up. The Fullers and the Gelsons are all smiles as Steph and Keesh stop at each one of them.
When it’s my turn, I shake Mr. Gelson’s hand. I give Mrs. Gelson a quick hug, then Mr. Fuller. When I see Mrs. Fuller, tears start to flow. “I’m gonna miss you so much,” I tell her.
“I’ll always be here, Meggie,” she says. “Always. I’m so proud of you.” She wipes the tears from my eyes before hugging me again. “Congratulations, kiddo. Good luck.”
I give her one last smile and move on.
Andi is right behind me.
“Dude, I can’t stop crying.”
I turn to face her. “Neither can I.”
The two of us walk back to our row, arm in arm, sobbing like blubbering fools.
I remind myself to calm down and take it all in.
While we wait for the rest of our class to receive their diplomas, we all take turns hugging each other and crying in each other’s arms.
Some of the best years of our lives have been spent together. And now, our lives are taking on new paths. But something tells me we’ll always be close. Nothing can break up our crew. Not a damn thing.
“Are you ready?” Josh yells over the roar of the crowd.
“It’s time seniors!” our senior class president shouts into the microphone. “Congratulations graduates! Please join me in turning your tassels from the right to the left.”
Fireworks start to go off as “Celebration” blares through the speakers.
We did it. We graduated.
There’s ultimate chaos as the graduates scramble to congratulate each other.
Travis lifts me from the ground for a giant hug. Josh cries on my shoulder. And the rest of us just stare at each other in awe.
“Okay, we’ll meet at the buses in a bit. Let’s go find our families,” Steph says.
With that, we split up in a hunt for our people.
I’
m searching the crowd for my mom, dad, and Alex when I hear my name. I turn around to see Eric.
“Meggie, I can’t say goodbye like this. I need you to know how sorry I am.”
“Dude, save it,” I say. “I’m not the one you need to apologize too. You’re a sorry excuse for a man and I don’t ever plan on talking to you again. It’s my graduation day and I don’t want to waste any more of it talking to you.”
He opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off, “Best of luck to you.” And then, I turn in the other direction.
After feeling like Nemo swimming in circles, I finally see my dad.
He swallows me in his big arms. “Congratulations, honey.” Tears stream down his face. “I’m so proud of you.”
The waterworks start again when I embrace my mother. “Thank you so much, Mom. For everything. You’ve been here for me every step of the way. I’m so lucky to have you.”
I hear a hitch in her breath as she says, “I love you, Meggie. Congratulations.”
She releases me and I get a good look at her as she stares at me, a smile spread across her face.
Then, I get to hug my guy, who looks gorgeous in his dark jeans and black leather jacket. “Congratulations,” he says, hauling me into his arms. I press my face into his chest, feeling the beat of his heart under my cheek.
I could stay like this forever, with Alex’s strong arms around me, and his chin resting on the top of my head.
“You need to get to the buses, babe,” he reminds me.
“How about I just go home with you?” I joke. “Who cares about grad night?”
“You do. You need to go with the crew. We’ll have plenty of time together after tonight. In fact, I hear it’s someone’s birthday in a few days.”
I gaze into his sexy eyes, and sigh.
“Mom. Dad. I gotta go already.”
“We’ll see you in the morning,” Dad says. “Have fun and be careful.”
“I will.”
“Alex, you’ll walk her to meet the others?”
He nods. And with that, my parents’ backs are to us and they’re heading home.
Alex and I walk, hand in hand, to where the buses are already lined up. Students are boarding and I try to pick my friends from the crowd.
“This is kinda familiar,” Alex says.
We shared our first kiss on Alex’s graduation day, just as he was about to board the bus to grad night.
“I don’t quite remember,” I tease him. “Can you show me?”
“Gladly.”
He curves his hand around my neck and angles my face toward him, and then presses his lips to mine. Soft, gentle, and warm. His tongue flirts with the edge of my lips before I open to him completely. Our tongues brush against each other with such an intensity I have to remind myself to breathe.
He backs away from me, breathless. “Have fun with everyone tonight. For your birthday, you’re all mine.”
Just then, Keesh and Steph walk up. “There you are. Sorry to break it to you, Alex,” Steph says, “but we’re stealing her.”
“Have fun, ladies.” He presses one last kiss to my temple before I leave with my friends.
Chapter 33
My birthday surprise begins at the post office. Alex and I pack Ben’s care package along with a stack of Flat Ben pictures that have piled up since our last shipment. He’s going to crack up when he sees his mug at prom, senior awards night, at graduation walking across the stage with Josh. His next video should be plenty entertaining with his reaction to Andi’s idea to include him in all our end of the year activities.
Now, we’re at the drive-in. We watch a movie from the backseat of Alex’s car. We chow down on popcorn, KitKats, and Coca-Cola Slurpees.
When the movie ends, Alex asks, “You wanna stay for the second feature or do you want to go back to my house for cake?”
“Do you have to ask?”
“I’m guessing, cake?”
I smile. “You’re guessing right.”
When we get to his house, it’s dark inside and out.
“Your parents gone for the evening?” I ask.
He laughs. “More like, gone for the weekend.”
“Where did they go?”
He chuckles. “They went to Berkeley. They thought they’d surprise me but the surprise was on them. They didn’t realize I’d made arrangements to take one of my finals early so I could come to your graduation.”
“So why didn’t they just stay home?”
“They like to say they travel up there to visit me, but they really just like San Francisco. So you ready for cake?”
“Of course.”
Alex opens his refrigerator and takes out a small pink box.
“I can’t believe you remembered all this stuff. It was so long ago.” On our first kinda date, he took me to the drive-in. He also surprised me with a cupcake.
“Happy eighteenth birthday, Megan,” he says, as he opens up the box and lights the candle.
“Thank you, Alex. Tonight has been perfect,” I tell him. “But there’s only one more thing that can make this night complete.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s go up to your room and find out.”
He takes a deep breath. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” I say, nodding. “I am. But let’s just see what happens. You never know. I could change my mind.”
He reaches out and grasps my hands. “And you know that would be okay with me?”
“I know.”
He doesn’t seem to be moving, so I make the first move. Backing up, I start to lead him down the hall.
His room is clean as always when he flicks on the lights and we walk in. He closes the door and locks it.
“Give me a minute while I do a few things in here.” I watch as he transforms his room into a candle lit bedroom, with soft love songs playing in the background.
“You’ve put some thought into this,” I say.
He steps in front of me, reaching out and smoothing my hair with his hands. “I want tonight to be perfect for you. For us.”
“As long as we’re together, it’ll be perfect.”
He dips his head and his lips touch mine. Slowly and gently his mouth caresses mine, his lips soft and plump with desire. I tilt my head to deepen the kiss and our tongues dance, brushing against each other in a steady rhythm.
My hands curve around his waist and trail up the back of his shirt. The heat of his smooth skin on my fingertips sends fireworks throughout my body. His mouth feasts on the tender skin under my ear and I moan with extreme pleasure. I lift his shirt to reveal that sexy chest in Andi’s picture. My palms flatten against his collarbone and then drag down toward his V. I trace the outline of his muscles with my fingertips, soaking in the view.
I feel Alex’s grip on the bare skin of my hips first, and I relax into his touch. Then his hands travel to my back and my shirt begins to rise over my head.
Little by little, we take turns peeling clothes off of each other until we’re standing stomach to stomach with nothing but our underwear on.
I turn toward his bed and pull back the covers. He starts to put a knee on his mattress, but I stop him.
“Not yet. I wanna be naked with you first. I want you to see me and I want to see you.”
Suddenly, his mouth is on mine and he’s feasting on my lips, my tongue, my neck, and my chest. “You are amazing, babe.” He reaches behind my back and unhooks my bra. Slowly, he slides the straps off my shoulders, following them with gentle kisses before he pays tribute to my breasts.
With my heart beating faster than ever before, I hook my thumbs inside his boxers and slide them down his hips. I take in the sight of him and I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life. This is going to happen. I love Alex, and I’m completely, absolutely ready for what’s about to come.
Alex drops slowly to his knees and places a gentle peck to my belly. He kisses each of my hips and then slowly peels down my panties, past my hips, past m
y thighs, and then they drop to the floor.
As he rises to his feet again, Alex trails kisses all the way up my body sending flashes of heat all along the way.
“You have protection, right?” I ask.
He nods, and then reaches to his desk drawer and pulls out a foil packet. I take it from him and climb into his bed. He follows, settling himself on top of me as I get comfortable on my back.
His eyes gaze into mine before he sprinkles soft pecks on my lips, cheeks, and chin. With one last peck to my forehead, Alex looks deeply into my eyes. “I love you. No more holding out on me, babe. You’re my girlfriend now, right?”
“Yes, I’m your girlfriend,” I say with a slight chuckle. “And I love you too, more than anything. You’re my best friend and you’re the love of my life. Now, will you make love to me?”
We’re both still for several beats, our eyes closed, our lips gently connected, the love pouring through each of us. Then, his eyes flutter open and lock to mine. He leans back on his knees, takes the foil packet from my hand, and tears it open. I watch as he slides the condom on. His warm hands touch my thighs, and my legs fall freely apart, completely ready for what we’re about to share. Alex never takes his eyes off mine while he settles himself above me.
“I love you, Megan,” he says, barely grazing my mouth with his.
“I love you too, Alex. This is it. This is our someday.”
His gaze is filled with emotion. “No, Megan.” His soft lips brush against mine. “This … is our forever.”
Epilogue
“What are you doing up?”
My cereal sloshes around in my bowl, almost spilling over the top. My mom whose never been known for her grace just scared the bejeezus out of me. “Couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d get an early start and have some breakfast before the crazy begins.”
It’s the first day of school and the whole entire crew is coming over today. It’s been a tradition since me and the girls hit kindergarten. I can’t remember back that far, but I have the pictures to prove it.
I glance over at my mom, who’s chuckling and shaking her head slowly back and forth.
Double Threats Forever (Double Threat Series) Page 23