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I manage to stammer that out before I turn and bolt from the bathroom and his room and back towards the hall to my room. I slam the door closed behind me and grab some clothes from my bag before sprinting into the bathroom and slamming the door behind me. I turn and lock the door before I turn the shower on and strip out of my clothes. I take the quickest shower of my life and pull a comb through my hair before I throw my clothes on.
I pause before I open the door though. How do I face him now? He probably thinks that I just walked in and was surprised that he was naked. I doubt that he saw me before then so hopefully, this won’t be too awkward.
I slowly open the door and make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab an apple from the bowl on the counter before we leave. Aaron comes down the stairs right as I take a bite.
“Hey, Hi, Morning.”
He seems nervous and that helps to put me a little bit more at ease.
“Are you ready to go? We have to leave here in just a couple of minutes.”
“Yeah, I’m ready when you are.” He says. Then he motions for me to lead the way.
I walk ahead of him out to his truck and climb in. The drive to my high school is quiet and mercilessly short. As soon as we get there it’s a mad rush to get my cap and gown and to find my place in line. The actual graduation ceremony is dull and drags on. I can’t believe that Aaron would want to be here for this.
I glance around the auditorium to try to spot him. I see him in the bleachers closest to me about halfway up. I am surprised to see Conrad just a few rows up from him. I didn’t give him a ticket to get in so I’m confused as to how he was able to get in. I really don’t want to see or speak to him and I’m hoping that I will be able to find Aaron as soon as this is over so we can get out of here.
After what feels like an eternity, my name is called and I make my way across the stage to grab my diploma and shake the Principals hand. I pause for the photographer and then make my way back to my seat. After that, it’s not long before we’re standing and moving our tassels on our hats and then throwing them into the air.
I immediately turn to find Aaron and see him standing and clapping while he stares right at me. When he sees me looking at him, he gives me a bright smile and a quick thumbs up.
We file out of the gym and before I even get a chance to look for Aaron, he is coming up behind me.
“Congratulations, Sweets.” He whispers into my ear.
I blush as I turn to face him.
“Thanks, Aaron.”
He leans closer and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I look up and see Conrad over Aaron’s shoulder. My body stiffens and I pull away from Aaron.
“Can we get out of here?”
He seems surprised but grabs my hand to lead me back to the truck. He opens the door for me and helps me in before he rounds the hood and hops in himself.
“Did you want to go out to eat? I’m sure everywhere will be busy but I don’t mind waiting with you.”
He’s so sweet but the last thing that I want to do is wait in a crowded restaurant. I can’t stop thinking about what I saw this morning and after seeing Conrad at the graduation I have realized that I will need to leave. I don’t feel safe in this town with him.
I’ve also decided that I need to tell Aaron how I feel. If I leave town without at least trying to tell him how I feel about him and see if he feels the same way then I know that I will regret it for the rest of my life.
As soon as we get back to the house, I’m going to tell him how I feel about him. Best case, he tells me that he feels the same way and we make love for the rest of the night. Worst case, he lets me down gently and I pack my bag and leave first thing in the morning.
The drive back home is over much too fast and I haven’t worked up all of the courage that I need to have this conversation. Aaron rounds the hood again and helps me out of the truck but he doesn’t let go of my hand right away. We end up standing there, holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes. I don’t know how long we stand there before I realize what we’re doing.
I pull my hand away and clear my throat while I look down at the ground. I try to gather my thoughts and realize that I need to do this conversation now before I totally lose my nerve.
“Can I talk to you inside for a minute? There’s something I need to tell you.”
He looks panicked for a minute before he runs his hand over the back of his neck and indicates that I should lead the way.
He follows me into the house and I walk into the living room instead of the kitchen. There’s Kleenex in here, just in case this goes badly.
He sits down on the couch next to me and clears his throat nervously.
“So, what’s up?”
“I uh, saw you this morning. In the shower, I mean.”
