by Sally Henson
My eyes widened. “What?” I asked with a giggle.
He chuckled too. “You’re the only one for me. I tried to make that clear today.”
I dipped my head. It almost didn’t seem real…Roan and me.
He let loose of my hand and lifted my chin with his finger. “I know I screwed up. I was a coward and scared and didn’t know what my grandparents moving would mean for us. I should have told you, but…”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You weren’t the only one who made mistakes. I was desperate to replace my public prom kiss humiliation with a worthy public kiss so I wouldn’t look like an idiot anymore. I didn’t consider what you wanted.”
“It was worth Mrs. Parks yelling at us,” he said with a smirk.
I leaned over and placed my palm on his chest above his heart. “Thank you. For doing all that today.”
He placed his hand on top of mine and whispered, “You’re worth it.”
“Ugh,” Brendan grumbled, leaning against the frame of my door. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to get used to mushy couple stuff from you two.”
I stood, Mom’s phone in one hand, and reached for Roan. He stood and slid his fingers through mine. “You’ll figure it out,” I said.
Brendan stuffed his hands in his shorts pockets. “You’re going to the beach party, right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Roan said. “We need to finish your phone, Toms, then head out.”
“Are you going?” I asked my brother. “I thought it was for seniors.”
“Sometimes those who graduated already go. I might. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I assume Cayla’s going? All your friends?”
I glanced at Roan. He grinned. We might have picked up on Brendan’s motive.
“Cayla left for Hawaii right after graduation. She won’t be back for two weeks.”
Brendan’s face flashed disappointment, but he quickly masked it. “Wish Mom and Dad would have sent me to Hawaii for two weeks after graduation.”
Roan released my hand and crossed the room to my desk, opening my laptop.
“Maybe we’ll see you at the party?” I asked.
Brendan watched Roan for a second and then looked at me. He gave me a soft smile. “Yeah, maybe.” He pulled me into a quick hug and said, “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks,” I whispered.
He walked out of my room, and I turned to watch Roan.
For the first time in months, I was eager to go to the party. Roan said he had a special playlist but wouldn’t give up any details.
After graduation, the hugs and congratulations about my new boyfriend came from Cayla, Summer, Gabe, and so many people I couldn’t believe. Even James congratulated me. Or something like that. It felt like he had more he wanted to say, but he backed away without finishing it.
Roan said he got the photo of us kissing in the rain from James. I guess James knew about us for a while.
We still had things to talk about, but for the moment, a bonfire graduation party was on our minds.
36
When Roan and I walked up to the bonfire, the stares from our teammates, at least the ones I could see, landed on our clasped hands. Summer shot across the crowd like a fastball.
“Hi,” she said with a quick wave. It was more to Roan than me.
Jenna followed behind her, greeting us by wiggling her fingers.
“Um,” Summer uttered, reaching between Roan and me. She snagged my arm and tugged me in the opposite direction. “You don’t mind if we steal Tommie for a bit, do you?”
It must not have been an actual question because Summer didn’t wait around for an answer. Jenna looped her arm through mine too. Teammates on either side of me.
“I…” I started, but Jenna shushed me. My neck craned as I kept my gaze on Roan, not wanting to be separated from him. He stood there, the strap of our chairs slung over his shoulder, and a cooler in one hand, looking as stunned as I felt.
They were in such a rush, guiding me around the bonfire, through the sand, and toward the ocean, that I lost a shoe.
“Wait,” I said, resisting their efforts. “My flip-flop.”
They stopped. While Jenna let go of my arm long enough to run back for it, I asked, “What are you guys doing?”
“So, when did you and Roan become a thing?” Summer asked.
“Girl,” Jenna drawled out before I could answer Summer. “I almost fell up out of my chair when I saw those pictures today.”
I giggled. My happy bucket overflowed. This was the kind of attention I didn’t mind. It was so weird to talk openly about Roan as my boyfriend. “You weren’t the only one.”
Summer gasped. “So you didn’t know all that was going down?”
I shook my head. “Nope.” The light in the sky was fading, causing the ocean to look like a dark abyss.
We stopped in front of the water, plopping our butts in the sand. Jenna handed over my other shoe. I slipped my other one off, placing them in front of me so I could dig my toes into the warmth that was clinging to the sand.
Jenna and Summer put me through a rapid-fire barrage of questions before we made it back to the fire. Music played from somewhere nearby. We stopped at the edge of the crowd when we saw a few of our teammates.
The fire burned bright with red and blue flames. Between it and the song playing, they hypnotized me for a moment. I maneuvered closer to the warmth.
There were a lot more people than when we first arrived. Some were dancing nearby. Even couples. All faces I recognized from school. My senior class. I couldn't believe only four years ago, I was a freshman. Now I was basically an adult leaving for college soon. Mom and Dad were right—it went by so fast. I was glad to leave the high school drama behind though.
I scanned the crowd for Roan. Lucas Addington and Charlotte Robinson had their arms around each other, talking as if no one was around. Ky Andrews wasn’t far away with his girlfriend, Emmy. Oh, Wes Schultz was here too. Lauren was by his side. They seemed to be the royal couple of Sweet Water.
Oh, my gosh. Jett Bryant and Harper Tisdale were so adorable. They picked us up in his ATVs at the parking area when we arrived. He let Roan drive one, and I was on behind him. My arms were wrapped around him so there was no space between us.
Carson Brooks was talking animatedly. Mia Randalls was laughing next to him. She changed a lot this year. It was probably because of Carson. They were opposites.
Seeing these guys in the crowd…they were all on my Top Hot Guys of Sweet Water list. Bentley Nelson was here with his new girlfriend, Bailey Garber. Even Jeremy Dermot and Sydney Thane were here.
I giggled to myself. At the crazy idea my sister and best friend came up with. The kissing tutor. It was so ridiculous. Roan was right about that. In the end, I got the guy. The one that was right for me.
I continued searching for Roan. James Lowe caught my eye. He stood near Jason Hunt and Amber Kelley. She played volleyball with my sister. Other football players gathered nearby, moving from group to group. Roan played football, but baseball was always his favorite.
Close by James was Gabe Washington and some baseball players. I spotted Roan across the fire, parked in one of the beach chairs we had brought.
Just the sight of him caused a quiver in my chest, and a smile lifted my lips. He already wore his sweet grin. I wondered if he had been watching me.
The warm glow of the fire danced on his face, making him more handsome. I almost sighed out loud at the sight of him. This had been the best day of my life. Roan made my life better. Period.
I tilted my head and watched him watching me. It was hard to do. My heart pounded louder with every second that ticked by because things were different for us. Better.
My favorite song came on. Roan mentioned something about making a playlist for tonight. Did he do this? My smile widened, remembering how he wanted me to think of him every time I heard it. The way he kissed me. I swallowed. It totally worked because I was remembering the way his lips tasted.
/> That beautiful grin of his widened. His mouth began to move. At first, I thought he was telling me something but soon realized he was singing the lyrics to me. He lifted his chin as if he wanted me to sit next to him.
My heart melted and the need to touch him, kiss him, was strong. I didn’t know if I could resist. Instead of marching over there, I dug my toes into the sand. I wanted him to come to me.
He stood, parted the sea of people between us, and made his way to me. Just like the song. Our eyes never left each other’s. The quiver in my stomach had expanded to my chest.
When he reached me, he grasped my hand, pressed his other against my waist, gave me a quick kiss on the lips, and spun me around.
I gasped. The flip-flops I’d been holding slipped through my fingers, landing on the ground a few feet from us.
Our entwined hands crossed my body and rested on my hip. He nestled close to me so that my back was pressed against his chest and his free hand was on my other hip, guiding my movements.
We had danced like this before. When a school dance was coming up, he gave me a few lessons. It always ended with him stopping abruptly and walking away in a huff. Maybe the problem wasn’t that I was bad. It could have been he liked it more than he thought he should.
He moved us to the beat of the song in a slow salsa mix. Roan knew what he was doing. I followed his lead.
I craned my neck to ask, “I thought you didn’t dance in public?”
His lips dipped down to my neck and kissed me through my hair, and answered, “I didn’t do a lot of things before today. It’s kind of freeing.” His fingers grazed my skin as he brushed my hair from my neck.
“Besides,” he hummed, “you look amazing in that dress. I couldn’t resist.”
My heart soared. I didn’t want to resist. The way his body molded to mine was so natural and easy. How much more could my heart take? It felt like it would burst at any moment, and we had plenty of night to go.
Roan’s fingers pressed against my hip before he spun me away and brought me back face to face. One hand continued to hold mine while the other gripped my hip and brought me closer. He stepped back with one foot and I followed. Our bodies were in sync. Every step, he inched us closer and closer.
He released my fingers, placed my hand on his shoulder, and slid his around my waist.
Every touch left goosebumps in its wake. My eyes were as wide as could be. I loved every second of it but was surprised he would do this anywhere other than a dance studio or his house.
I knew others found him intimidating. Not me. Until he set his attention, his focus, all on me. I held my breath. It was… beautiful. “Roan,” I breathed.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Tommie Sue,” he answered in a low, raspy voice. His lips meet mine in a rush.
Howls and whistles erupted around us.
Roan’s lips moved across my cheek to my ear. “Can we take a walk? I can’t kiss you like I want in front of all these people.”
I bit my lip, holding in the emotion from the day that was hitting me right in the heart. “Yes, please,” I squeaked out.
We weaved through a few people and slipped away until there was nothing but sand, crashing waves, salty ocean breeze, and us.
Epilogue
“Tommie girl, I can’t believe you’re old enough to leave the nest,” Dad said, hugging me again. He gave the best hugs, but he had done it so many times the past two days, I think my ribs were bruised.
The truck door shut, signaling Roan had everything packed for our trip.
“Thanks for helping me move,” I said, pulling away. “For coming home. I missed you.”
Dad’s eyes shined with moisture. He rubbed my shoulder and said, “I missed you too. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to school?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “No, Dad. I think Roan can handle it.”
Dad grunted and focused a stern look at Roan.
Jim and Marilyn took turns hugging Roan. They had returned from Florida to see him off. Jim said, “You two make sure to come see us during Christmas break.” He broke off from Roan and hugged me too. “I have two round trip tickets with your names on them,” he said.
Marilyn reached for me and wrapped her arms around me. “That’s right,” she said. “And we’ll be up to see one of your games. Both of you.”
I nodded and released her. “Thank you. For everything.”
Marilyn and Jim sold their house down the street from mine. They said it was too big for one person to live in but allowed Roan to stay the summer at my house. They said when we graduate from college, they’ll put a down payment on a house in Sweet Water if we plan to move back full-time.
She patted my cheek. “Thanks for taking care of our boy. You’re good for each other.”
My smile widened. I didn’t know what she would think of Roan and me being together as a couple. I wasn’t exactly high-end girlfriend material. But thanks to Madi, I learned some fashion sense and how to dress for my body. I still hated shopping though. I planned to save all that for when I came home for visits.
I stepped toward Madi. She stood there with her perfect golden hair pulled into a ponytail, holding Juju. Sweat beaded at the edge of my sister’s hairline, sporting a flushed face. She held our black Pug close while her lips pressed tightly together, but it couldn’t hide their quiver.
“Coach tried to kill you this morning?” I asked, teasing to ease the tightness in my throat. I took Juju out of her arms and tucked her close to my side.
Madi nodded about her practice and a tear spilled over her light brown lashes.
That was all it took for mine to do the same. She rushed at me and flung her arms around me.
“I’m so glad we became friends,” I whispered.
Roan and everyone talked in the background. It was another perfectly sunny morning in Sweet Water, North Carolina. Perfectly hot and humid too. Living near the mountains was going to be a new experience. One of so many that lie ahead of us.
Madi sniffed and said, “Me too.” She took in a heavy breath. “I want to come see you some time. Okay?”
“Of course,” I said. “Any time.”
“You two are too much,” Mom said, embracing us both. “I wasn’t going to cry.”
Madi and I laughed.
Brendan joined us on the other side of Mom. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Secret girl meeting?”
We giggled and broke apart. I gave him a solo hug too. He was my brother, after all. “Something like that,” I said.
“Have fun, sis,” he mumbled against my shoulder. “But don’t screw up your grades, okay? Promise me you’ll study and graduate.”
Brendan had been as lost as me, trying to find his way after high school. He took last year off and worked at Sweet Surf. He decided to join the Marines. He didn’t want to leave his boss hanging, so he chose a date that was after the big surfing season to leave for boot camp. I didn’t know if I’d see him before then or not.
“I will. I promise. I love you. I’m proud of you for taking a year off and for not rushing in to join just because Dad did.”
“Thanks. Love you too,” he said and stepped back. “Roan.” They shook hands and did a quick hug. “Take care, man. See you sometime.”
“I want to be there for your boot camp graduation. If I can make it work." Roan glanced at me. "I’ll make sure Tommie’s there.”
Brendan nodded. “Don’t forget what I said.”
Roan rubbed his lips together, doing his best not to grin too big. He nodded and said, “It won’t be a problem.”
Dad moved toward Roan and Brendan. His blue plaid shirt made his eyes a brighter blue than usual. I imagined it was quite a change from his desert cami’s. He put his hand on Brendan’s shoulder. “Did we have the same conversation?”
Any hint of a grin Roan had on his face left when Dad stepped in. He answered, “Pretty close to the same. Yes, sir. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Sweetie,” Mom said, d
rawing my attention away from the testosterone show. “Do you have your schedule and room key? Did you pack pads and tampons? I’d hate for you to start and not be prepared.”
Heat burned my cheeks. “Mom,” I hissed. “Not in front of the guys. Geesh.”
“Oh, Tommie, they know all about these things. If Roan doesn’t, you should educate him.”
I rolled my eyes. I’m sure it was just as embarrassing for Dad and my brother as it was for me. “I have everything.” I hugged her for the last time. “I love you. I’ll let you know when we get there.”
I kissed Juju on top of her head and squeezed her one last time. “I love you too, girl.”
She whimpered.
“I’m going to miss you, but sissy said she’d take good care of you.” I pet her dark coat one last time and handed her over to Madi. A tear slipped out of the corner of my eye. Juju’s kept me company through good times and bad. She’s family too.
I hurried to Roan, slipped my hand in his, and tugged him toward the truck.
“Don’t forget to call when you get there,” Mom said.
“Let me know too,” Madi added.
Brendan waved. “Me too,” he said.
“Roan," Marilyn called, “let us know too.”
Roan opened my door as he nodded. “I will.”
I stepped onto the step board and turned back. “I’ll send a group message to everyone. Love y’all.” I slid into the smooth leather seat and Roan closed the door.
I took a deep breath and was letting it out when Roan got in the driver’s side. “Just a bit overwhelming, huh?” he said.
I grunted a laugh. “Yeah, just a bit.”
The truck was backed into my drive to load the last of my things earlier. He shifted into gear and we pulled out onto the street. Roan honked. We waved at everyone still gathered on the concrete by the house as we pulled away.
“I’m exhausted already,” he said.
I slid my hand in his, finding some calm in his touch. “Tell me about it.” I angle in my seat and asked, “What was all that with Brendan and Dad?”