AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thanks,” I smiled up at him, when someone jostled me into him. I hadn’t known he’d be there. Plenty of hidden security likely filled the room while we graduated, but we didn’t really need Michael there. He was pretty much just with my father lately, anyway. Next to him, a beautiful, slender woman lounged in a stunning black dress that slinked up her body to match the cheerful top hat she artfully displayed among her curls. It was daring, like the slit in the skirt that crawled high up her tanned thigh, but she was gorgeous. I didn’t care at all about fashion, but I was sure Layla and Hope would have recognized the label of the designer of her gown just by the cut. I mostly wore what they told me to wear.
Not anymore. At eighteen, I didn’t have to pose anymore, not if I didn’t want to do it.
“Hi.” The woman in the slinky black gown held out her hand. “Oh, how adorable you are! So much prettier than in those pictures. Why do they always make you look like the dowdy one?”
“Hey,” Michael snapped at her. “That’s not nice and not true.”
She waved her hand in the air. “Sorry, I just talk. I’m paying you acompliment. I’m Christine, Michael’s girlfriend. I insisted on coming when he said he wanted to stop by the Redheads’ graduation.”
He sighed. “Pretty sure I said Radfords.”
Christine kept talking—she hadn’t lied, she clearly enjoyed talking. “Ihaveto meet Layla and Hope. I’m hoping they’ll want to wear my stuff.” She was a designer, which made more sense. “And you, too, Bridget…if you want to.”
“I don’t.” I smiled at her, but the expression held no warmth. “Thanks for coming, though. It’s so nice to have friends in the audience.” It was polite, I hoped. “My sisters and my father are inside.”
Christine whirled around and grabbed a brown bag. “We came with gifts! It’s your graduation, but I picked them out. He’d never know what to get for three teenage girls.”
Michael took the bag from her. “That’s not true, actually. I did know what to get you three, but she said I was wrong. Due to that, we have two gifts for each of you, and you can tell me if I was wrong. It’s okay. It won’t hurt my feelings.”
I stared at him.That was such a funny thing to say.Once again, I was struck by how beautiful Michael was. All of the boys I met looked just like that—young. But in front of me, Michael was a man. Grown. Sure of himself. Doing something with his life. He had good adventures and bad ones, although he didn’t like to talk about either. He looked stunning next to Christine, half a powerful couple. He might not be the kind to have his photo taken or to pose, but gosh they’d look beautiful doing it.
Almost entirely lost in my thoughts, I opened the one that she gave me on autopilot. I recognized the familiar and expensive lock and key necklace—all the rage at the moment in fashion. I actually already had three of them, perks gifted to us for showing up in certain designer clothes. The one she selected for my graduation was pink and very cute. I lifted my head, and I hoped that I said thank you sincerely enough. She smiled, and I quickly put it on, the weight of it heavy around my neck.
“Try mine.” Michael said and he smiled at me. I would do anything to have someone in my life like him, but I sighed. Michael was out of the question. The biggest factor being he would never consider it, plus he probably thought of me as a kid.
But when I touched myself—which was rare since I was never alone, not even at night—I thought about his hands. The same long, elegant fingers which passed me a gift he’d personally picked for me, in fact. “Christine says that it’s stupid.”
I took it from him, swallowing hard and trying to ignore the heat that flushed my cheeks. Being a redhead meant lots of blushes, though, so it wasn’t like he’d know what caused this particular color. “I’m sure it’s not stupid, and I’m incredibly flattered you guys spent time to buy us anything, let alone two things.”
Why had I said that? What a stupid thing to say. I forced my mind to move on. My father had given me a car. He said I would need one to get back and forth from Philadelphia to New York City, so next I would need to get my driver’s license. That would be my project during the summer, I guessed.
“What you said in your speech, I didn’t know you felt that way about the future,” Michael said, and caught my attention even as I unwrapped his gift. “But I’m glad to see you’re an optimist. We need optimists, especially valedictorian ones.”
I shook my head. “I gave them what they wanted. I don’t know enough about anything to really be making speeches to anyone.” I caught my breath when I saw what he got me. In the box, wrapped in protective tissue paper, I found a novelty chess piece—Princess Leia fromStar Wars. “Oh my god.” I grinned at him, not able to help myself. “This is the best thing ever.” I rocked back on my feet. “I talked about this once, and you remembered?”
“Yes, you said it was hard to find Leia. You had Luke and Chewy. I hoped you hadn’t found Leia as a knight yet. Am I too late?”
I looked up. It was maybe the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for me. “No you’re…you’re totally not. It’s perfect.”
“Oh look, it’s Layla and Hope. I’m dying to meet them.” Christine practically shrieked. It was weird that people felt that way about my sisters. “Come on. You have to introduce me.” She kissed him, hard. I didn’t know anything about sex and relationships, but I could recognize possession. He’d told me the year before that he didn’t date—that had obviously changed. “I’m so glad you like your little toy, Bridget. Your sisters will appreciate the jewelry.”
Was I rude?“I’m sorry if I…”
“You did nothing wrong.” Michael smiled. “I picked out an operative to be with you at school. You’ll like him.”
I clutched Leia to my chest. “Someone who won’t disdain me too much?”
His lips twitched. Maybe he did remember the previous conversation we’d had. “No he won’t disdain you. And if he does, you’ll just let me know.”
“Michael,” Christine pulled on his arm again. “Comeon. I want to meet Laya. And Hope.”
“Happy graduation, Bridget.”
What did he pick out for my sisters? I stood and watched them head inside. My sisters seemed thrilled with the necklaces. Did Hope realize he bought her a journal with her favorite painting on the front? That he knew it was her favorite painting? And that he’d given Layla a paint set? They were grateful, smiley. Happy. Leia the Knight made me feel seen, maybe for the first time in my life.
* * *
I snuggledmy head into the pillow to escape the bright light. Daylight? How long had I slept? At home, I lived by alarms and never let myself sleep until I woke up on my own. I didn’t have time to lounge about; there was too much to get done. I also wore a weighted sleep mask and employed a white noise machine at home, neither of which I needed in Michael’s bed.
