I’m with youour kisses said.
I’m right here.
F-I-N-A-L-L-Y.
Then a car horn blared through the night.
We both jumped, and I wrenched my head back with a gasp, horrified at the idea of my parents catching us. But when I looked toward the road, I found that it wasn’t my parents’ SUV parked along the curb.
It was Jamie’s car.
With the passenger window rolled down. Daisy was front and center, but I could see Jamie ducking forward to peer out, too. “Phase Two was atotal success!” Daisy shouted at us, grinning with her head and thumbs-up hanging out the window. “Told you!”
“Oh my gosh,” I groaned, face flaming as I ducked my head to Beck’s chest, hiding from their knowing grins.
Beck’s hand slid up my back, laughter in his voice. “Do I want to know?”
“The better question is, am I too embarrassed to tell you?” I murmured into his chest, feeling the uneventhump-thumpof his heartbeat beneath my forehead. A sound I couldn’t wait to memorize. “The answer is yes.”
“Ah, you don’t have to tell me.” Beck leaned down and pressed the world’s softest kiss to my forehead, his lips a warm pressure against my skin. “I think I’ve got a pretty good guess.”
I couldn’t believe I’d gone four years without having kissed Beck again. My skin still vibrated with every one he gave me. He was going to make me greedy, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t get tired of it.
“Happy birthday, Eleanor,” Beck whispered to the top of my head, his lips brushing my hair.
I settled firmer against his chest, squeezing my arms around him tighter. “The best one yet.”
Beck gave a quiet laugh, one I felt echo through me, and we stayed like that for a while. Longer than we should’ve, since my parents could’ve driven by at any second, and while my parents were letting me “drive my car,” I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about the PDA. But at that moment, I didn’t care.
Listening to Beck’s heartbeat and breathing in his scent, I could’ve stayed in his arms, just like that, for the rest of the night.
I-N-E-V-I-T-A-B-L-E.
CHAPTER 23
Yesterday had been such a whirlwind of a day that I was almost grateful when Graduation was over, only because it meant everything wasdone. No more big parties or birthdays or love confessions. I walked across the stage, took my diploma from my principal, and wasfinished.
In the audience, Destelle cheered for us the loudest.
Jamie and I found our group outside, where families were all gathering around their graduates for pictures. Destelle stood on top of a bench to flag us down, and when we got closer, we found a little gaggle waiting for us. Dad, Mom, and Destelle were there, along with Ms. Jennings and Beck.
It’d been less than twenty-four hours since he’d dropped me off at home, but my heart still swelled at the sight of him, especially since in his hands was a bouquet of roses.
“I know it’s ironic,” he murmured as he offered them to me, “but they were the prettiest at the store.”
“They’re perfect.” I wrapped an arm around him, careful not to stick him with the point of my graduation cap.
Ms. Jennings fretted her hands around her head, trying to tame her blonde flyaways. “Thiswind! It’s going to mess up my hair!”
“Let’s take a picture quickly, then.” I stretched my arm toward her. “While your hair still looks perfect.”
Ms. Jennings was easily flattered, sidling up beside me. “Jamie, get in here! I need a picture with my favorite twins.”
And then began the picture rotation, starting with Ms. Jennings, then Beck with Ms. Jennings, and then with my parents, and so on. Destelle squeezed herself between Jamie and me, and I wrapped my arms around her, grinning for the camera Dad held up. Jamie gave her ears with his fingers, which caused her to let out a little gasp when she realized. It felt sonormal, and natural, and perfect.
When it was time for just Beck and I to take a picture, he held onto my diploma with one hand and wrapped his arm around my back with his other. I had to bite down on a stupidly wide smile as I tucked close to him, holding the bouquet of roses, leaning in.
“I came home at just the right time,” Beck murmured while we got ready, lips barely moving. “I was here for all the big milestones.”
