We heard footsteps nearing the kitchen so we all turned to face the entrance from the hallway. Grandma bustled in with a cute smile on her face. “John wants everyone to come into the living room for a toast.”
“Okay,” we all said simultaneously before following her into the living room.
Once everyone was gathered into the room, including Taylor and Cameron, who were sitting on the ground playing with toys, John began speaking. “I just wanted to thank everyone for coming to wish Christine a happy birthday. Having all of you here means a lot to both of us. The reason I asked you all to come in here is because I want to take some time to mention someone who means a lot to me.” John turned to my mom, who was standing next to him, and took her hand. “Christine, you make me the happiest man alive, and I’d be honored to call you my wife.” He dropped down to one knee as all the women in the room gasped. “Will you marry me?”
Lena squeezed my arm and jumped up and down in excitement. My mouth dropped open in shock.
My mom brought her hand up and covered her mouth. Her eyes were glistening as she looked to me, then Lena. Then she looked at the twins, and her parents, then back at John. “Yes,” she answered.
John stood up and she tossed her arms over his shoulders and kissed him. Everyone clapped and my grandma wiped her eyes with a napkin.
Next to me, Lena snaked her arm around my waist and leaned into my side. “Look at her,” she said, referring to Mom. “She’s so happy.”
I nodded, hugging Lena back tightly. She was right. Mom looked happier than she had in a while, and I was ecstatic for her.
Chapter 21
The car ride to the airport seemed a lot shorter than it normally did. It was as if all of the traffic on the roads cleared, and all of the lights were green for us. The world wanted us to have as little time with Lena before she left as possible. When we finally got to the airport, I was thankful to see that Lena’s plane was late. That gave us a little extra time with her as we all crowded around giving hugs and saying our goodbyes.
She looked so sad that she was leaving, but I knew she was happy to have seen all of us. She wouldn’t stop thanking John for letting her come. His response each time was that having her here was the best gift he could think to give Mom, and that she couldn’t miss the proposal.
Since the proposal, Mom hadn’t stopped smiling once. She showed her ring to anyone who was willing to look, and was already looking in wedding catalogues. All of those things would make any sane person think that she’d been engaged for quite some time now, but it was only a day. Not even a full twenty-four hours had passed yet. It was really sweet how excited she was, though. She’d already asked Lena and I to be her maids of honor. We graciously accepted.
After we all entered the airport, we headed toward security, where Lena would finally have to leave us. Carter was holding her hand and pulling her suitcase behind him. He looked like a lost puppy, with his head hung low and a dejected look on his face.
“Well, this is where we stop,” Grandpa said, frowning when we reached security.
Lena sighed. “Hopefully I’ll get into San Diego University and get to come back during summer, or over spring break to see the school.” She looked hopeful, despite the fact that she was the one who chose to stay in Virginia. I just hoped that if she moved back here, Dad would come too. Things weren’t the same without them around.
Carter set her bags down and stepped toward her. He gingerly tucked her hair behind her ear, rubbing his thumb across her freckly cheek. Lena looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. “You’ll get in. You’re one of the smartest people I know,” Carter reassured her, staring directly into her eyes.
I feigned a gag, sticking my tongue out and pointing at it.
Lena slapped my arm gently, making everyone laugh. She wasn’t even looking in my direction!
My mom opened her arms to Lena. “Give me a hug,” she said, beckoning Lena to her.
Lena gave Mom a tight bear hug. It lasted so long that even after Lena let go, Mom was still clinging onto her. Grandpa had to pull her away so everyone else could get a chance to hug Lena and say goodbye. She went around the circle, hugging our grandparents, then John, Mom, and the twins. She kissed them, and took turns holding both of them and saying bye even though they didn’t really know what was going on.
When she got to me, she hugged me so tight I couldn’t breathe. “Remember, call me whenever you can, keep me in the loop about what’s going on here, and use protection always,” she whispered in my ear. Before I could respond, she pulled back, cupped my face in her hands, and planted wet kisses all over my face. I had to stifle the urge to groan. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
I pulled backwards, trying to get out of her grasp, but she held firm. “I’m going to miss you too, but I’ll see you over spring break. Maybe sooner.”
She let go of me and went to say goodbye to Carter. She stood on her toes and threw her arms around his neck. Carter leaned down and wrapped his arms around her thin waist. He closed his eyes tightly, and I wondered if it was to keep from crying. When Lena pulled away, her eyes were glistening with fresh tears. She wiped them with the back of her fists and groaned. “I hate goodbyes.”
“Me too,” I responded.
Lena forced a laugh. “Why am I crying? This is ridiculous. I’ll see you all soon. I need to get a grip.”
“It’s only natural to cry, sweet pea,” Grandpa said, offering a smile.
“Yeah, but I still hate it,” she responded, wiping her eyes again. Then she went up on her toes and pecked Carter on the lips. He leaned down and kissed her once more before pulling away.
I frowned at them. “Seriously? You’re going to be away from each other for months. Kiss each other like you mean it!”
Carter looked at my grandparents with wide eyes, then at my mom and John.
Grandpa shrugged. “I’m giving you the green light,” he said. Then, wagging his finger, he added, “Just this once.”
Lena laughed, and Carter looked embarrassed. Nonetheless, she pulled him in and kissed him gently for a moment. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes and said, “I love you.”
Carter leaned down and kissed her softly again. “I love you more.”
Lena grabbed the handle to her suitcase. “See you later, guys,” she said, waving. “I love you all.”
“We love you too,” we said simultaneously.
When she made it through security, she turned back and waved once more before she turned the corner out of view.
I missed her already, but I knew that it wouldn’t be long until I got to see her again. My fist wrapped around the end of the necklace she gave me for Christmas, and I knew she was just a phone call away. She would never truly be far in spirit, and I hoped that next year she wouldn’t be far physically either.
Maybe next year, my family would all be back in San Diego, and I would be able to see my parents, my grandparents, and my siblings whenever I wanted. That was definitely something to look forward to. I even had an amazing boyfriend who made me feel special, and allowed me to be who I was. It was a refreshing change from my past relationships, whether intimate or not, where I always felt the need to be someone else. I finally felt comfortable with who I was, and I was ready for what the rest of the year would bring.
Mom and John would be getting married, Lena and my dad may be moving back, and my relationship with Shane was steadily progressing.
Everything was changing, and I loved it.
Epilogue
“I feel spoiled,” Carter said, staring at Lena, who was sitting next to him, digging her toes into the sand.
“Why?” Lena asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
Carter smirked. “Because I get to see you for the rest of the summer, and the rest of the year, and years to come.”
Lena laughed and snuggled into his side, while Shane and I groaned.
“Are you guys going to do this every time we hang out?” Shane asked, tightening his arms arou
nd me. Lena had been back for over a month now, yet her presence still had yet to wear off on Carter. He still acted like she was going to be leaving any day.
Earlier today, Lena said she wanted to go to the beach, so we decided to make it a double date. Our plan was to spend the day sitting on blankets and talking. Unlike Carter, I was used to having Lena back. The last few months before summer began weren’t as hard as the first few months after last summer ended. A month after she came to visit for my mom’s birthday, I went to Virginia for a week to visit her and my dad for my spring break. It was great seeing them, and while I was there, I spent a lot of time doing father-daughter activities. A few weeks after I got back to California, Lena came here for a week for her spring break. Then less than two months passed before she came here again. It was nice getting to see her throughout the year.
During her visit for spring break, Lena told me that she was accepted into San Diego University for the fall semester, and would be moving back to go to school there. Since she was coming back, Dad decided to come back to the area too to be near his girls. He put in for a transfer at work, and was accepted to work at a location that wasn’t too far from here. After his transfer, he found a nice three-bedroom apartment that he moved into after summer began. I was grateful to have all of my family back in one city again.
Lena leaned over and kissed Carter lightly on the lips. “Only if it makes you uncomfortable, Shane.”
I laughed, leaning back against Shane. My head rested on his hard chest as I looked up at his face. The sunlight made his hair shine a brilliant gold, and his green eyes much paler than usual. “We can make them uncomfortable too. It’s a two-way street,” I suggested.
Shane smirked before leaning his head down and pressing his lips to mine. He kissed me gently for a moment. When he pulled away, he kissed the tip of my nose.
“You two think we’re gross? You guys are way worse,” Lena said, scrunching up her nose.
“Yeah, right,” I scoffed. “Carter can’t go two seconds without kissing you!”
Carter furrowed his eyebrows. “That’s not true.”
Shane and I nodded our heads fervently. “Oh yes it is.”
Carter scowled. “She was gone for months. I missed her,” he explained, frowning at us.
Shane nodded and laughed. “I know, trust me, I know. I was the one who had to listen to you moan about how much you missed her all year long.”
“Aw,” Lena cooed, pressing her side against Carter’s. “You told Shane about how much you missed me?”
Carter continued to frown, but he nodded in response to her question anyway.
“You’re so cute,” she said, pinching his cheek.
Shane loosened his arms from around me and slid back until he was able to stand. Once he was up, he reached his hand down to me and helped me to my feet. “Well, it’s been fun, guys,” he said, dusting the sand off of his cargo shorts, “but we’ll catch up with you later. There’s something I want to show Ella.”
“Show me something?” I asked, confused at the turn of events. The plan was to sit on the beach all day. Nothing in that plan included him showing me something. Now my interest was piqued. I glanced at Lena, who had a giddy expression on her face for a moment before she smoothed her expression into an emotionless mask.
“Yeah, come on,” he said.
I waved bye to Lena and Carter, and held Shane’s hand tightly in mine as we walked down the beach.
“Where are we going?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.
Shane glanced down at me and smirked. Surprisingly, he answered my question with more than the, “You’ll see” answer that I was expecting. “The pier,” he said, squeezing my hand in his.
We exited the beach onto the boardwalk, and then walked down the pier until we were at the end. Once we were there, Shane and I took a seat on the end, dangling our legs over the water through the wooden bars that were erected around the edges.
My gaze scanned the calm water below our feet, watching as the waves lapped against the wooden poles that held the pier up. The foam was frothy and white, and the water was a pretty dark blue.
Is this what he wanted to show me?
As if he read my mind, Shane reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small jewelry box. “This is the reason I brought you here,” he said, opening the box and showing me what was inside.
Connected around a little fabric pillow was a silver charm bracelet. It was simple, and beautiful, and had one charm on it. Hanging off of the bracelet was a little, silver strawberry with little black jewels for seeds. It was adorable, but I didn’t understand why he was giving it to me.
Shane took the bracelet out carefully, and I held my arm out for him as he hooked it on my wrist. “Do you like it?” he asked once it was on.
I nodded, still staring at the delicate charm bracelet. “I love it.”
He smiled hard. “I’m so happy you do. I knew what I wanted to get you, and it took me forever to find it. I even showed Lena to make sure she thought you would like it.”
I fingered the little strawberry, and watched as the silver glistened in the light. It truly was beautiful. I just wished I knew what it was for.
I leaned into him, hugging him sideways. “Thank you.” Then, pulling away, I looked into his eyes as I awkwardly asked what it was for.
To my surprise, he only chuckled. “Exactly one year ago today was the day we met. I know we didn’t start dating until a long time afterwards, but I wanted to do something special for you today.”
I bit my lip, staring into his eyes. I hadn’t even remembered, but he did. Not only did he remember, but he also got me a gift to celebrate it. “I didn’t even realize.”
He smirked. “I caught you off guard, didn’t I?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. I wanted you to be surprised.” He put his arm around my shoulders, and kissed my forehead.
I stared down at the bracelet again. “What’s the strawberry for?” I asked, looking up at him.
Shane ran his hand through his hair. “When I met you at the diner that day, you were drinking a strawberry milkshake, so I figured a strawberry would be a suitable first charm to commemorate this day with.”
My mouth dropped open slightly at his words. I was shocked that he remembered that. It was such a small detail. Glancing down at the little strawberry, I couldn’t keep myself from smiling like an idiot. It was the most thoughtful gift he could have given me. The little strawberry was a symbol for so much more than just the day we met. It showed how much he cared about me, to even remember such a minute detail, and then to go through the trouble of getting me a gift and giving it to me to celebrate the day we met.
He brushed some of my hair off of my cheek and smiled down at me. His eyes glistened in the sunlight as he stared into mine. “Ever since I met you, no one else has been worth thinking about. You make me so unbelievably happy.” Then he scowled, and groaned, “You’re making me all sappy.” His eyes widened, and he looked horrified. “I’m turning into Carter.”
I laughed, shaking my head at him. I didn’t know what to say to that, so instead, I turned toward him, put my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me. I kissed him with everything I had in me, hoping that he could feel just how much I cared about him. We hadn’t told each other yet, but I knew then that I loved him, and something inside me told me that he felt the same way. I didn’t know what the future held for us, but I knew that it was bright.
Acknowledgments
Four years ago, at the age of 16, I started the first novel in this series. Better Than Revenge began as a writer’s block novel that I hoped would give me something fun to write whenever I didn’t know what to write next in another work in progress. It was just going to be a fun book that I could get lost in and post on Wattpad (an amateur writing website) for my fans to read when they wanted entertainment. Two years later, when I finally finished the novel, it was so much more than that. I had grown attached to the
characters in a way that I never had been before. In that timespan I had received so many encouraging comments from my followers on Wattpad that I decided to do everything I could to get it published.
Now, less than a month from my twenty-first birthday, I have completed the series. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, and I am forever grateful to everyone who made the series possible. First off, I want to thank my fans from Wattpad, who gave me the inspiration I needed to keep writing and have stuck with me since the beginning. I would also like to acknowledge my best friend, Sara Schoen, who helped make my dream a reality. She gave me the push I needed to finish what I started, and supported me throughout the series. I couldn’t think of a more deserving person to receive the dedication for the final novel. I would also like to thank my editors Darryl Cook and Toni Rakestraw for molding me into a better writer, and helping my stories grow to their full potential. Another group who deserves a huge thank you is the Limitless Publishing team for believing in me and my abilities as an author.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the brilliant designer who created each of the covers for the novels in this series. Robin Harper at Wicked Design did an amazing job conveying the fun and youthful aspect that I wanted, while making all of the covers cohesive. It’s been a fun four years delving into the lives and minds of Violet, Lena, and Ella, and I am sad to see their series end, but I know their stories will continue in my mind forever.
About the Author
Taylor Henderson is a twenty-year-old college student who was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She has been an adamant reader and writer since she was young, and has always found solace in the worlds and characters that other authors have brought to life in their works. Taylor plans to continue writing, and hopes to expand to different genres in the future.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TayMHenderson
Playing With Fire (Sweet Secrets #3) Page 10