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Aria held up her hand, showing them the ring.
“Oh,” Tania said.
“I love her, Mom, and she loves me. There’s no one else I’ll ever want.”
“You’re sure about this?” Tania asked. “Marriage is a big decision, and you’re eighteen.”
“That’s how old you were when you had me, and Dad, you knew within three days that you wanted her. I’ve known Aria fifteen years. We’ve grown up together. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Harvey is not a good man.”
“He tried to marry me off to a businessman’s son,” Aria said. “I had no decision in that. I don’t want to cause any of you trouble. I love Eli. I really do, and I only want what is best for him. If you want me to leave, I’ll go home, but I won’t stop loving him.”
“We will be together.”
“You should have known, Larry, this would happen,” Tania said. “I always knew you two would end up together.”
“How?” Eli asked.
“The way you were. As friends, all six of you, you sort of gravitated to the person you liked best. You were always around Aria. It was so sweet.” Tania kissed his cheek. “She can stay here, and we can handle the Deans. Lisa has already been in touch. It’s just a matter of time before we settle this.”
“Can she stay here?” Eli asked. “Separate room. No rules broken.”
“Welcome to the family, Aria,” Larry said after several seconds of hesitation.
Chapter Nine
They were the gossip of the school, and there was a lot of crap posted up about them. If Eli, Chris, or Branson saw anyone actually doing it, they dealt with them swiftly, without getting caught. She was finally free from her parents and with the guy she loved more than anything. She got a job to support herself. She worked every day after school, even though Eli hated it.
She got a job at the library, which wasn’t so bad. In between dealing with customers, and sorting through the books, she was able to study. Chris and Rachel actually got married at Christmas time. Neither of them wanted to wait, and it was a double wedding with Branson and Mary.
Sticking by each other through thick and thin. She was their maid of honor, and of course, Eli was their best man.
In the new year, Mary did start to show with her pregnancy. She wasn’t the only one who had gotten knocked up. One of the cheerleaders was also pregnant. Soon Aria and Eli became old news.
Sitting in the school library, Aria was working on her English assignment when Eli sat down beside her.
“Hey, babe,” he said.
She held a finger up, and finished typing the last of her sentence, saving it, and turning to him.
“Finished?” he asked.
“Yep. You know how difficult it is after you’re brought out of your flow. I thought you were home sick today?”
“I am.”
She reached out, touching his head. “You’re really sick. You need to learn to rest.”
“My girl wouldn’t stay home with me.”
“That’s because I didn’t want to get sick, and I still have to work. You’re supposed to be studying anyway, so why are you here?” she asked.
He held out two white envelopes. They had both agreed on the same college, and had already taken their interviews. Providing their grades were good, they would be transferring just an hour away. Neither of them wanted to leave their friends. With Mary and Branson staying near Blythe Ridge to raise their child with family, it was where they were all going to stay.
“Did you open yours?” she asked.
“We agreed to open them together.” He held his envelope up. “See, I’ve not opened it.”
