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We both giggled like silly girls.
“Finally! On our own,” I said.
“Not yet you aren’t,” my daddy said from the doorway. I headed over to him, taking one of the bags he was carrying.
“Okay, well, sort of on our own.”
Alyssa’s parents walked in with my mom.
“This place is so adorable. I’m glad we decided to rent you an apartment rather than have you stay in the dorms,” Darlene, Alyssa’s mother, said.
“I agree. I like the security here, as well.” Alyssa’s father, Walter, added.
My mother opened the refrigerator and sighed. “We need to go grocery shopping.”
“Paxton, I think the girls can go on their own,” Daddy said.
“They won’t know what to buy!” my mother argued.
“Mom, Alyssa and I know what to buy. I know how to cook. I learned from the best.”
She sighed, wiped a tear away, and leaned into my father. “I thought I was ready for this day. It appears I’m not.”
“Don’t cry, Mom!” I said, making my way over to her. “It’s going to be fine. I’ve got Alyssa with me, and Rip and Mike aren’t that far away.”
Rip and Mike had moved into off-campus housing in an apartment they shared with two other guys. All of them played sports. I already knew Mike would most likely be here all the time with Alyssa.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” my father asked.
Shrugging, I replied, “Probably go to the grocery store and then go visit Rip and Mike.”
Darlene and Walter came out of Alyssa’s bedroom.
With a sad smile, Darlene said, “Well, it looks like the girls have everything. This is your new home for the next four years, girls. Enjoy it.”
Alyssa hugged her father as I looked around our little apartment. Our parents had bought us basic furniture since it came unfurnished, and now it was time to make it our own.
“I see a trip to Hobby Lobby in our future!” I said as I gazed at the empty walls.
“I see someone sitting down and looking at her budget. You’re not on an open-ended account, ya know.”
With a grin, I hugged my father. “I know, Daddy. Thank you for everything and thank you for taking us to lunch.”
My father kissed the top of my head and hugged me tighter. “I love you, Chloe Cat.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
Then it was my mother’s turn.
“I’m going to miss you so much. The house won’t be the same.” Tears started forming in both of our eyes. I needed to get the focus off of me, stat.
“You’ll make sure Patches is okay?” I asked.
She pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Of course I will. Gage and Patches will both miss you so much.”
I wiped my tears away. “I’m going to miss them, too. I’ll miss everyone.”
My parents wrapped me up into another hug.
“Okay, we better do this before it keeps getting harder,” Walter said as everyone made their way outside.
Alyssa hugged her folks once more, as did I. We stood there and watched as they drove off. When they turned the corner and were out of sight, I wiped the tears off of my cheeks.
“And suddenly I don’t want to be on my own anymore,” Alyssa whispered next to me. Turning, I pulled her in for a hug.
“Come on, let’s start unpacking things.”
After we both unpacked our clothes, we met in the kitchen to start putting all the food-related items away.
“So, are you really finally going to tell Rip how you feel? Now that you are both at college, and the whole telling him at prom didn’t work out,” Alyssa said, leaning against the counter, eating an apple her mother had left.
Letting out a long breath, I nodded. “Yes. As scared as I am, I know it’s time.”
She smiled. “He likes you, too, ya know. Mike tells me all the time how frustrated he gets with Rip because he won’t tell you.”
A bout of nerves hit me. “What if he really does only want to be friends?”
“Then it’s his loss, but I don’t think that is the case. Maybe now that we’re not around our parents and everyone from Oak Springs, he’ll finally take the chance.”
Alyssa was right.
“Come on. I told Mike they needed to treat us to dinner!”
Two hours later, Rip and I were in the living room of the guys’ apartment. Mike and Alyssa were in his room watching a movie on their own.
“Want something else to drink?” Rip asked, getting up and heading into the kitchen.
“No, but I do want to talk to you about something.”
“Okay. I’m all yours.”
I smiled; if he only knew.
He stared at me as I fought to keep my breathing under control.
“I want more.”
He drew his brows in and asked, “More of what?”
“You. Us. More than friendship.”
My heart raced as he stood there, staring at me like I had magically grown two heads in the last thirty seconds.
