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So far, turning twenty-two wasn’t half bad. On Thursday, I spent my actual birthday with Maci in a much more private setting. After we went out for dinner and a few drinks, we came back to her place and didn’t leave her bedroom until noon the next day. Maci made it clear that we weren’t just celebrating my birthday, but also acknowledging that I had made it through my first week as her official boyfriend.
It was completely worth missing class and taking an absence. If being a boyfriend meant being with Maci whenever I wanted and sharing her bed every night, then I was all for it.
“Heather has asked me three times tonight if you’re really dating Maci.” Jared shook his head and handed me another beer.
“She shouldn’t even fuckin’ be here,” I murmured and clinked the neck of my bottle to his.
He laughed halfway through his sip. “They’re just leeches, man. You know that.”
“Fuckin’ leeches!” I shook my head and grinned proudly at him. “Bro, you’ve spent way too much time with Kennedy.”
“Oh, absolutely,” he agreed right before he turned and got the attention of a cute blonde in a bright red sundress.
Unfortunately, his disappearance invited a very unwanted guest into my personal space. Heather ran her fingers down the length of my arm and bit her bottom lip. “Happy birthday, Jax.”
“Nope,” I deadpanned and brushed past her.
I spotted Maci over at the beer pong table with Katie. They exchanged a playful high-five, and Maci caught me staring at her as Katie took the winning shot. My mouth curved into a half smile, and I waited until they finished celebrating to approach the table.
“Hey, pretty girl.” I drew her close to me so I could kiss her temple.
“Hey, birthday boy.” She slipped her arms around my waist and rested her chin on my chest. The makeup around her eyes made her bright blue eyes pop even more than usual, and the rest of the room immediately tuned itself out. “Having trouble avoiding your usuals?”
“Not at all.” I read into her sarcastic tone and ran my thumbs above the waistband of her jeans. Her stomach was completely exposed in her long sleeve crop top. “This boyfriend thing isn’t that bad.”
She grinned. “You’re only saying that because of how I rewarded you for it.”
I shrugged and rolled my eyes. She laughed and pulled away to rest her hands against my chest. She looked me up and down until her eyes landed on mine again.
“Just imagine how I’ll do it if we last, like, a month,” she said slowly in a voice that threatened to make me hard on the spot.
I blew an exaggerated breath from my chest, and her mouth curved into a satisfied grin.
“What will I get for two months?” I prompted.
She shrugged. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Three?”
“Well, I’m not gonna see you for three,” she reminded me.
I halted my stream of questions and realized that month three would put us in June. I didn’t recoil at the thought of still being with her in the summertime or having to make things work until we both returned to Bowling Green.
“What if you did?” I asked in a low voice.
She cocked her head and looked at me like I had made a mistake. “We’ll be on break.”
I shrugged. “So.”
Her eyes studied my face and looked for any signs of hesitation. She blinked a few times and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “What are you saying to me, Jaxon Hayes?”
My teeth scraped my bottom lip as my full name left her mouth. Her dimple dug into her cheek, and she waited for me to continue. Butterflies dipped into my stomach, and the words came to me without warning. “Come visit me over the summer.”
Her eyebrows shot up toward her forehead. “In North Carolina?”
I grabbed her hand and pulled her back into my chest. My fingers traced along the freckles on her stomach, and she shivered at my touch. I had to keep reminding myself that we were in the middle of my living room—surrounded by a shit ton of people. The end of the night suddenly seemed so far away.
“Why not?” I asked and returned my focus to our conversation. “As soon as I tell my mom about you, she’s gonna wanna meet you anyways.”
