Текст книги "Fusion"

Автор книги: Tessa Teevan

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

My body was already spent and the night was just beginning. I wanted to lie there, basking in the afterglow of my orgasm, but I couldn't. This was only the beginning, and I wanted to get Jeremy as primed and ready as he’d gotten me.

So, as I begrudgingly came down from my high, I slowly untangled my fingers from his hair. I whimpered when he withdrew his fingers from me and then watched in fascination as he placed them on his lips and leisurely sucked each one into his mouth as if he were savoring the taste of me. It was incredibly arousing, and I was eager to get my own taste of him.

Mustering up every ounce of confidence I had, I rose to my knees. My hands reached out and grasped Jeremy's, pulling him up with me. As I curled my arms around his neck, his erection rested on my belly. One hand slid up and curled in his hair, forcing his head down and allowing me to capture his lips. For the very first time, I tasted myself. My lips licked up the sweet, salty, exotic taste, and when I slipped my tongue into his mouth, I attacked, taking my fill in the most delicious swirling fashion. And Jeremy conceded defeat, giving me what I wanted.

"My turn," I whispered when I broke our kiss.

"Sierra—" he started, but I placed a finger on his lips.

"My turn," I insisted.

When I pushed him down onto the blanket, I gave him one last kiss on the lips before I settled in between his legs. Sure, I could've done my own exploring with my tongue, but I was more than ready, and judging by the size of his erection, so was he.

My hand expertly found the sinewy length of him, firmly gripping as my thumb gingerly explored the silky-soft head. Jeremy groaned, and a tiny drop of pre-cum leaked from the tip. It was powerful knowing I'd caused that. Desperate to taste him, my tongue swirled and laved the evidence of his arousal. It was intoxicating to taste his essence mixing with my own. Even more so was the way he tensed and released a harsh, uneven hiss as I took him deeper, until my lips were wrapped tightly around his rigid shaft.

Wanting to make him feel as good as he had made me, I sucked, licked, and pleasured him expertly until his hands were gripping my hair and his thighs stiffened, indicating he was achingly close to coming. With one last hollowed suck, I retreated, not ready for him to get off. At least, not when he wasn't inside me.

Just I was about to tell him that I was ready, Jeremy surprised me. His hands came to my waist, and in a flash, I was flipped onto my back with his body stretched out over mine. He leaned down and kissed me hungrily while he fingers found my entrance again. By the time he was done with me, I was drenched, a panting, wanton mess. I was so close when, all too soon, he pulled away.

"Jer," I breathed out in protest.

His heated expression told me that this wasn’t over though. Not in the least.

Nerves took flight in my belly as he reached across the blanket and dug his wallet out. He removed a condom, and when he turned back to me, his face was a mask of lust. And love.

"Sierra, are you sure?" he asked, and for a split second, I hesitated.

"I want you to make love to me, Jeremy. You've been my first for everything. And here and now, under the stars at our special spot, I'm giving you me. All of me."

I smiled at him as I mustered up as much confidence as I could. I’d seen and felt the size of him up close, and I won’t lie and say that the size of it didn’t give me a twinge of nervousness. A wave of apprehension washed over me as I wondered how it was going to fit, but I pushed that thought from my mind, knowing he’d take care of me, just as he’d been doing all our lives.

My legs inadvertently clenched together in anticipation of his touch, but he wasn't having it. When he pushed his knee down to separate my legs, I complied. One lone finger traced along my slit, and his eyes became hooded. I was primed and ready for him, and he wasn’t going to make me wait any longer.

He positioned himself at my entrance then laid his body down on top of mine. His left hand brushed the bangs out of my face before he cupped the side of my head. His eyes bored down into mine, and as he slowly slid the tip of his cock inside me, his eyes fluttered closed.

"I love you, Sierra," he whispered. "I love you."

My hands gripped his back and I held on for dear life, waiting for the pain to come. But he didn't move.

"Jeremy, what are you doing?" I asked, my fingers tapping on his back.

He lifted his head, opening his eyes, which were brimming with love and devotion. "You. This. Us. It's just… It's overwhelming. I had no idea how incredible it would feel to be inside you. And now that I am, I want to bury myself until I have no idea where I end and you begin. But damn, baby…I don't want to hurt you."

Tears pricked my eyes. Not from pain, but from love.

"It's going to hurt,” I said. “At least a little bit. I'm prepared for that."

"I'm not."

I smiled up at him. "Jeremy…it'll be worth it. I know. Now, shut up and make love to me."

And make love to me he did. Did it hurt? Of course. Was it worth it? Absofreakinglutely.

I learned that night that sex didn't have to be carnal and dirty or bring on ten orgasms. Sure, sex like that would come, and it’d be amazing, but that night? That isn’t what we experienced. The night Jeremy and I had sex for the first time was us connecting ourselves in the most intimate way possible. We were giving ourselves to each other. I was showing him that I trusted him with my whole self—heart, body, and soul—and in turn, he was showing me he'd always take care of me. Always protect me and put my needs first. Always love me.

It was everything I’d never imagined. In fact, it was kind of the complete opposite. Instead of spine-tingling, toe-curling passion, it was over quicker than expected, and the pain was more intense than the pleasure. But, with every stroke of Jeremy’s fingers, every steady departure and hesitant thrust, his movements emanated the love he had for me. The utter devotion, the cautious, tender way he touched and took me. It was absolute perfection. It was exactly what every girl's first time should be like.

And, afterwards, we lay in silence on the blanket, listening to the sounds of nature and staring up at the stars. Side by side, we held hands, half clothed, whole hearted. He’d thrown his shorts on, and I’d put my T-shirt on, but that was as far as we’d gotten before collapsing back onto the blanket in a post-sex fog. Thankfully, he’d packed a second blanket, so we were covered from prying eyes and cool temperatures.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked, finally breaking the silence. His voice was laced with worry.

I shifted until I was resting on his chest, gazing up at him. His eyebrows were drawn tight, and his jaw was clenched. It was endearing.

“Honestly? A little bit. Especially at first. I mean, you’ve been using your fingers for two years.” I took his hand and toyed with his fingers. “And these things are pretty big. But they have nothing on your cock, so yeah, it hurt a little bit. But it didn’t last long.”

“My what?” he asked.

“Your cock.”

“What?” he repeated. “I couldn’t hear you over the waves.”

I grinned. “More like you couldn’t hear me over the size of your ego swelling.”

“Actually, I just really wanted to hear you say cock again. It’s sexy as hell, Sierra. Where’ve you been hiding that dirty mouth?”

I leaned up to kiss him. “I guess you just bring the best out of me,” I whispered. “And now that you’ve officially made me a woman, who knows what’s going to happen next?”

He pressed a kiss to my lips then rolled us until we were on our sides. His arm slipped around my waist, and he held me close to him. “Lucky for me, I have the rest of my life to find out.” His expression softened, and his eyes darted back and forth between mine. “Thank you, Sierra.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you thanking me?” I asked, because after the way he had made me feel that night, I should’ve been the one thanking him.

“For having good taste in mutant reptiles.”

I laughed, snuggling up to him to steal some of his warmth. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of my head.

“I love you, Jeremy. More than I ever thought possible.”

“I love you, too, baby. I have from the moment you stood on the top of that step. I’ve never stopped. I never will.”

We held each other close as sleep overtook us.

Jeremy was right. Even though we’d spent a decade loving each other, our lives were about to begin, and they’d never be the same. And they were going to twist and turn and change in ways we’d never imagine. But, if we held on to each other, held on to our love, we could get through anything. There was no question about it.

I mean, we were Jeremy and Sierra. I loved all of those fictional characters, but the truth was no one had anything on us. And they never would.

WHEN I WAS EIGHT years old, I met the girl I knew I was going to marry. You’ve heard this already a time or two, so I’ll save you the long-winded speech about how pretty I thought her freckles were or how excited I was to meet a girl who liked Michelangelo as much as I did.

What I hadn’t known was that, ten years later, I’d be making love to that girl in the very spot in which we’d met.

What I hadn’t known was how terrified I’d be when that moment finally came.

What I’d had no clue of was that, as soon as I sank into Sierra’s sweet depths, I would be a man renewed.

I’d had hopes of going all the way with Sierra on graduation night. Not because it was a momentous occasion, but because she’d been dropping me hints here and there. So I’d packed up a picnic basket filled with champagne, fruit, and my boom box, ready to spend the night with my girl listening to the smooth sounds of soulful ’90s R&B music that could put anyone in the mood. And in the mood, it put us.

As soon as Sierra’s tight walls clamped around my dick, I knew that this is what I’d been waiting for. I hadn’t wanted a quick, frantic fuck in my bedroom, hurrying to be done before our parents got home. I hadn’t wanted the cliché hotel room on prom night, with fumbling fingers. I hadn’t known what I wanted.

I knew now.

It was Sierra telling me that she was ready, that she wanted to give herself to me. All of herself. It was holding the tip of my erection just inside her, gazing down into the depths of her beautiful eyes as I tried to convey just how much I loved her. Words would never have been enough. I had to show her with my actions, and even still, I was so frantic with worry that I’d hurt her that I had a hard time moving forward.

At least, I did until my sweet Sierra slid her fingertips up my spine and asked me to make love to her.

So I did.

I went as slowly as possible even though I had the primal urge to slam into her over and over and over again. The time would come for that, but at that point in time, there was no way in hell I was doing anything to hurt her.

Eventually, her whimpers turned into soft moans, and it wasn’t long before I was releasing into the condom, my face in her neck as I muttered her name.

The fond memory was one I’d always remember. It had been three weeks since we’d lost our virginities to each other, and the following three weeks were equally as, if not more, incredible than that first night. Sierra had needed a few days before she was ready to go again, and I can proudly announce that, during our second time together, my name was on her lips when she came. Since then, she’d become ravenous, as if she were trying to make up for lost time whenever we could sneak down to the beach or found ourselves alone in one of our houses.

I didn’t mind one bit. In fact, I was on my way to get her so we could take an overnight camping trip to Defuniak Springs, where I was looking forward to making love to Sierra in the very tent we used to sleep in when we were kids.

What could I say? She’d unleashed a monster.

As I crossed the yard to Sierra's house, I was nearly plowed over by a tear-stained and grief-stricken Lexi. When I called out to her to try to stop her, the only response was a hiccupping sob. A frown formed on my lips as she took off in a full sprint towards the neighborhood gazebo.

With a shrug, I turned back to the house and gave a short knock before entering. The second I walked in, I knew something was wrong. At the time, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the reaction from Lexi and the blanched, guilty looks on Sierra's parents’ faces caused my heart to skip a beat—and not in a good way.

Sierra was sitting on the edge of the couch, biting her lip. She wasn't looking at me. In fact, no one was. It was as if I'd interrupted some sort of family meeting.

"Who died?" I asked jovially, trying to make light of whatever I'd just walked into.

Only, this time, no one laughed. Hell, I didn't even get a smile. Not one crack. Instead, Sierra's lower lip trembled and a wave of unease washed over me.

Fuck. Had someone actually died?

My eyes raced from my girlfriend to her parents, hoping for some sort of tell. I got nothing. They still weren’t looking at me.

"Okay, Sullivans. You're freaking me out a little bit. What's going on?" I asked.

Sierra sighed deeply and swallowed hard before rising to her feet. Her eyes flicked to her parents and then back to me. She had the same tear stains on her face.

"We're moving."

Talk about ripping the Band-Aid off.

I blinked.

I swallowed.

I blinked again.

All the while my heart was racing and my blood pressure was rising.

Sierra bit her cheek as she watched me, waiting for my response.

Well. Hell.

This was certainly unexpected.

"We are?" I finally asked, not missing the way both of her parents’ heads snapped in my direction. They obviously hadn’t been expecting that response.

Her eyebrows furrowed, but she didn't answer me.

"Where to?" I inquired.

Sierra's jaw fell open as if she were in shock. Why, I wasn't sure. I stared back, locking eyes with her. We were in some sort of weird, silent standoff, neither of us saying a word.

A throat cleared, and I broke my gaze from Sierra to see her father watching us, a stern, albeit apologetic look on his face.

"We'll let you two talk," he said before leading her mom out of the living room.

When my eyes fell back on Sierra, she had tears running down her cheeks. I crossed the room in two quick strides and stopped directly in front of her. Lifting my hands, I cupped her soft cheeks and used my thumbs to wipe the moisture away.

"Baby, why are you crying?"

She started blubbering and shaking her head, speaking rapidly. It was hard to make out, but I got the gist of it. Still, I wanted to be sure.

"Your dad's company is transferring him?"

She nodded.

"Your grandma's health has taken a turn for the worse?"

Another nod.

"And you don't want to leave me, but you don't want to leave your family, either?"

This time, a sigh accompanied her small nod. She tore her eyes away from me, seemingly ashamed. "This should be an easy decision, Jeremy. A no-freaking brainer. But the truth is I'm torn," she said, sounding defeated.

I didn’t really know why. It wasn’t like I was going to let her go alone. I could’ve been freaking out, running around, making plans and changes for my future, but the truth was, as long as she was in that future, I would take whatever came my way. I just needed to make that clear.

I lifted her chin and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. When I pulled back, her lashes fluttered until she was looking up at me.

"Hey," I whispered. "Who says you have to choose?"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head. "You have plans, Jeremy. You've already been accepted to Alabama. Long distance would've sucked, but it was different when we were only going to be a few hours apart. Now, if I decide to go with them, we’ll be twelve hours away and we’ll never see each other!” She sobbed into my shirt.

It dawned on me that I still hadn’t told her about my plans to switch to UWF. Sex had apparently fucked with my memory.

I shrugged. "I didn't have plans, Sierra. We did. And plans change. You adapt. Hell, look at McAllister. He was set to play baseball for the Tide, but then he decided he’d rather spend his life serving his country. It happens all the time. I’ll adapt.”

Her face fell. "God, don't even bring up Jace around Lexi. She had a freaking fit as soon as she heard the news."

I winced, knowing how big of a crush she had on the guy. "Yeah, I saw her take off down towards the gazebo looking pretty upset. From having to leave Jace?”

She nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "I should probably go see if she's okay." She rose up on her tiptoes, and her lips brushed mine. "We'll talk about this later, okay?"

"Okay."

As she started to walk away, I grabbed her hand and yanked her hard, causing her to crush into my chest.

"Sierra, you have me. You always have. You always will. I don't care if we're in Florida, Georgia, or freaking Norway. Where you go, I go, and that will never change."

"Jeremy—" she began, but I held a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"I love you, Sierra. We'll figure it out. Together."

She smiled softly and nodded. "I love, you, too. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

The grin on my face couldn’t have been wider if I’d stretched my skin. I was that sure about what I was doing.

“Then it’s a good thing you’ll never have to find out.” I gave her a reassuring smile as she slipped out the front door. Instead of following her, however, I didn't move from my spot in the living room. After a few minutes of going over my game plan, I knew what I had to do.

I had plans to make. And my first stop? Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. As I made my way towards the kitchen, I prayed like hell that they'd agree.

If they didn’t, I’d figure something else out.

When my parents sat Lexi and me down and told us that we were moving, I barely had time to react before she let out a sob and ran from the room. To say I was shell-shocked would've been an understatement. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was feeling until Jeremy walked in, and in true Jeremy fashion, he made a joke, trying to elicit even the faintest smile.

Only, this time, he couldn't. And, as soon as I saw his face, I knew how I felt.

Heartbroken.

It's not that I wasn't ready to be an independent eighteen-year-old college freshman. I was. At the same time, I understood why Dad had accepted the job transfer. Grandma Nancy had recently suffered a stroke, and he wanted to be near her, especially with not knowing how much longer she had. I was torn. I wanted to be with my family. I wasn't financially ready to strike out on my own, and I couldn't imagine paying living expenses while trying to pass my college classes. I also couldn’t expect my parents to pay for me to live in the dorms when I could easily live with them.

But how could I leave Jeremy? He was my best friend. He was the love of my life. He was my other half, my whole heart, my everything. How could I walk away from the greatest man I'd ever known?

Most people would scoff, saying that we’re too young, too inexperienced, too naïve to be so in love, but I knew my heart. It’s been Jeremy’s for longer than I can remember.

They say when you know, you know. I don’t exactly know who they are, but they’re right. And I knew. I just didn’t know what I was going to do about my future.

I felt like I was being pulled in two completely different directions, and I had no idea which side would win out.

At least, I didn't until Jeremy made me realize I didn't have to choose—just another reason to love him even more. It still made me wonder, however. Could I really have both? His reassuring kiss made me believe it, and even though we had a lot of talking to do, his kiss put me at ease. We'd figure it out. I wouldn't lose him. I never would, and with my whole heart, I believed it.

But my sister was a different story, even if she was tight-lipped about her feelings. Ever since Jace had surprised us all by shipping off for the Army right after graduation, she'd been in a funk. Jeremy suspected that something had gone down between them before he’d left, but if it had, she hadn't said a word.

I walked down to the gazebo, where Jeremy had said he'd seen her go. Sure enough, she was there when I approached. She was hunched over, her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking as sobs racked through her. My heart shattered for her.

I knew she'd had a thing for Jace for all of high school, but he'd put her in the friend zone and never let her out. She’d watched from the sidelines for far too long as he’d dated Mallory, who’d hated the close friendship Jace and Lexi shared. She’d pined for him much in the way I had for Jeremy before we’d gotten together. But, unlike my boyfriend, Jace hadn’t seen Lexi that way. Or, at least, that's what he'd claimed.

Pretty much everyone at Navarre High School knew they had a thing for each other except for those two. It didn’t make any sense, and I’d always thought they’d get together, but graduation had come and gone, just like Jace. And now that we were moving, Lexi didn’t know when she’d ever see him again. If she ever would. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, so I wanted to do whatever I could to comfort my baby sister.

Lexi's head lifted slightly as she heard my approaching footsteps. I sat next to her on the bench and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close. She laid her head in the crook of my arm, her soft sniffles echoing in the gazebo around us.

"Hey, you know Ohio isn't the end of the world, right? I mean, sure, it's not the beach, but think of all the Reds games we can go to now."

Her shoulders shook as she gave a small laugh at the mention of our dad's—and our—baseball team. "Senior year, Sierra. It's my senior year!" Her voice was a cross between a wail and a cry, and my heart hurt for her.

I sighed as I ran soothing circles on her arm. "I know. It sucks, and it seems unfair that, after spending nearly your whole life in Navarre, you're going to have to graduate in a new place. But don't you think, if Dad had any other choice, he'd have found a way to stay?"

She nodded. "I know. And I understand, but like you said, it just seems so unfair. Not that I’d ever ask Dad to stay… Not with Grandma’s condition. It’s just…" Her voice cracked as another wave of tears streamed down her cheeks. "We can't leave. Not now. Now that he's finally—" She stopped abruptly as her face reddened to the color of the ripest tomato.

I raised an eyebrow. Okay, maybe Jeremy was right.

"Now that what, Lexi?" I asked, trying—and failing—not to sound too interested.

She sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. None of it matters. In three weeks, we'll be in Ohio and Jace will be… God knows where."

I gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, it's called phones. E-mail. Technology is a pretty cool thing," I said. "You guys are best friends and have been for years. A little bit of distance isn't going to change that."

Lexi sniffled and shrugged. "Do you think so?"

"Even if he won't admit it out loud, Jace cares about you," I told her. "One way or another, he'll find you."

She wiped her eyes, looking hopeful for the first time since my parents had told us the big news. "God, I hope you're right, Sierra. I just… I can't imagine my life without him, you know?" she asked.

It was rhetorical, but I nodded anyway. If she felt even a fraction for Jace what I felt for Jeremy, then yeah. I definitely got it.

And that was when a fierce wave of determination crashed over me. Even if it meant saying goodbye to my family and working three jobs to pay my bills, I was not leaving Jeremy. Not if I could help it.

She must've seen the look on my face, because she sat up and wiped her nose. "God, Sierra, I'm sorry. I was only thinking of myself. What about you? What are you going to do?" Her eyes widened. "Oh, God. You're going to stay here and I'll be all alone. I know that sounds selfish, but I can't help it. I feel like everything is falling apart. What will I do without you there? Hell, I’ll even miss that big lug Jeremy. I’ve gotten a little used to him being around for the last…oh, ten or so years," she said, giving me a smile and a shoulder bump.

I laughed and pulled her in for a quick side hug. I was lucky to have such a close relationship with my sister, and I couldn't fathom being so far apart. "Jeremy knows. He walked in right after you took off. Don't worry about us. We'll figure it out. We always do."

She sniffled and gave me a watery smile. "I need to find me a Jeremy," she quipped.

As we walked back to the house, silence descended on us. I was pretty sure we were both thinking the same thing, but we didn't voice it.

She'd already found her Jeremy, and he was now gone.

The question was…

Would she ever find him again?

I made a silent prayer right then and there that Lexi would one day find a man who made her as happy as I was. Whether it ended up being Jace McAllister or someone else, I didn’t care. I just wanted her happy, loved, and in love.

What every woman deserves.

The house was strangely silent when we returned from our talk at the gazebo. I wondered where Jeremy had gone, but knowing him, he was already making plans for the future—our future. Even though I didn’t know what was on his mind, I trusted that, whatever it was, it would work out for us. Anything else wasn’t an option. I wanted to go find him. After all, we only had a few short weeks before the big moving day. Dad had to be there by the end of June, and it was already early into the month. Plus, if I wanted to get into college in the fall, I had to make up my mind as soon as possible as to whether I was staying or going.

Lexi entered the kitchen, and I followed. Our parents’ heads were together, and they both looked up from the kitchen table when they heard us come in. Mom was on her feet and quickly crossed the room, drawing Lexi into her arms.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know this is a shock," she said, and the pain was evident in her voice. She didn't like that her daughter was hurting, yet at the same time, she knew that it was important for her husband to be close with his mother for however much time she had left.

Dad rose and joined them. "If there was any other way…" he said, his voice trailing off.

Lexi pulled back and nodded. "I know. I don't like it, but I understand. It's what you have to do." She sighed and swiped at the tears running down her cheeks. “We better get season tickets to the Reds for this.”

Dad laughed and kissed the top of Lexi’s head. “You got it, Lexi,” he promised, a glimmer in his eye that told me he was already on it.

As I looked at the three of them, my heart ached. I love my family. We’d always been close, and I couldn’t imagine being far away from them. I also couldn’t imagine being far away from Jeremy or his family.

As if she could read my thoughts, Mom looked over at me. "Are you okay, Sierra?"

I blinked back fresh tears. "Yeah, I think so. I mean, I have a lot of thinking to do. And I need to talk to Jeremy. Did he say anything to you guys before he left? I kinda ran out on him to make sure Lexi was okay."

My parents exchanged a glance that made me curious.

"Umm," Mom stammered. "We did speak. He said to tell you he'd pick you up in a few hours."

I gave her a brief nod then sighed. “Mom, what do I do?” I asked.

Her smile was soft. “Don’t worry about that right now, honey. Wait until you talk to Jeremy. Just know, whatever you choose to do, your father and I love and support you.”

She gave me a kiss on the forehead, and I closed my eyes. Without even talking to Jeremy, I knew what I was going to do.

I’d miss my family like hell, but at least I wouldn’t be missing him.

There was a confidence on Jeremy's face I couldn't quite understand. He’d called the house, asking for me to meet him down at the beach. After practically sprinting there, I found him staring out at the ocean. He must’ve sensed my presence, because he turned as soon as I was near. His smile was soft, causing my heart to flutter as I wondered what he was going to say.

"The one thing I'm really going to miss is this gazebo. It's where I first saw you. Where we first spoke. It's where I fell in love with you, and it's where I first told you. But it's just a place. It's just a structure. It's not my home, Sierra. And, if you're not here, then this gazebo means nothing."

"What…what are you saying?" I asked, breathless. I had a feeling I knew where this was going, but I needed to hear the words. Was Jeremy really not forcing me to choose?

He grasped my hands and pulled me to him until our chests were pressed together. Then he dropped our hands and wove his arms around my waist, holding me close. The moonlight illuminated his handsome face as he gazed down at me.

"What I'm saying, Sierra, is that you're not moving." He said it so matter-of-factly.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he dipped his head and captured my lips, effectively shutting me up.

"We—we're moving. I'm coming with you. I discussed with your parents—and with mine. And, when they realized I was coming with or without their blessings, they gave them to me. In fact, your dad—after threatening me within an inch of my life—offered to let me stay with you guys until I can find a job and get on my feet since out-of-state tuition will be a bitch."

My eyes widened as my heart nearly leapt into my throat. That's what he'd talked to my parents about? And they'd agreed? I wanted to jump in his arms, both thrilled and excited at the prospect, but I hesitated. It all seemed so perfect, but was he sure? Was that really what he wanted?

"I can't ask you to do that, Jeremy. Just pack up and leave your whole life behind? What about school? Football? Your family?” I protested even though I didn’t want to. I had to give him that: the chance to back out so he didn’t have to uproot his entire life for me.

"Don't you get it, Sierra? You are my whole life. You are my family. Without you, I'm nothing. If you tell me to stay here, then you're packing up and taking my whole life with you. I'd be just a shell, and a pretty damn miserable one. So please. Take me with you. Or stay here with me. Just don't…just don't leave me. You promised you wouldn’t."