Chapter 19 – Beau
BEAU
Stella stands stiffly next to me, her gaze bouncing between me and her brother. Everyone else at the party is too busy to notice me, which I’m thankful for in this situation.
Stella sends a pleading glance to her brother. Something that looks like, please don’t kick my boyfriend’s ass tonight. From her lips to God’s ears.
“Happy birthday,” I say to him.
He gives a quick chin lift. “Thanks. You two should stay outside or you can hang in my room. Garrison isn’t here, but other guys on the team are, and the more they drink, the less certain I am they won’t try to start something.”
“I appreciate it.” I was shocked to get a text from him earlier tonight, inviting me to come down tonight for Stella. Even more shocked that it wasn’t a trap. Although, I guess this could be phase one of a very elaborate plan.
Felix nods. My girl’s gaze keeps darting between her brother and me as she tries to piece together what’s happening.
“You did this?” she asks Felix. “You invited him?”
He doesn’t answer, but she rushes him anyway and hugs him around the neck. “Thank you.”
“Three minutes!”
Felix takes a step back, gives me one last not-quite-murderous-but-not-exactly-friendly stare, and then joins the others counting down to the new year.
Stella practically bounds over to me. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Come on.” I take her hand and we go out the front door. It’s a nice, clear night, and the stars twinkle down on us.
“I’m stunned and so happy.” She beams up at me.
“Me too.”
We walk around the house, through a gate, and into the backyard.
Holly and her boyfriend are standing on the far side, a few others by a keg in a red tub, but Stella and I stay off by ourselves.
I’m wearing a plain white baseball hat pulled down low over my eyes, not exactly incognito, but showing up in CU gear seemed like a bad plan.
“You look amazing.” I slide my hands around her waist and clasp them behind her back.
“Holly did my hair and makeup.”
I remove one hand from her back to twist a finger around a red curl. She tips her head to lean into my touch.
“What’d your family and friends say about you leaving the night before you head back to college?”
“I changed my flight to stay a couple more days.”
Her eyes widen. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I chuckle and squeeze her to me. “You know, I want to get in another practice with Scottie, and my dad and uncles are going to watch the Cardinals game tomorrow.”
She squeals and bounces in my arms.
“What do you say? Want to go to a football game and meet my crazy family?”
“Yes! Definitely.”
“Good. We have three more days and I want to spend every minute of them with you.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” She kisses me with all that enthusiasm, and I give it right back. When I made my holiday travel plans months ago, I never dreamed I’d want to extend my time at home. Now I’m dreading going back.
I move one arm down to scoop her up and bring her closer. She giggles, but keeps kissing me. My chest tightens. How does one person change your life so much in such a short amount of time?
Shouts from inside indicate we’re in the final seconds of the countdown. I set Stella down and pull the sparklers out of my back pocket. “I brought these.”
With swollen, wet lips, she takes them from me with a stunned expression on her face.
“Are you okay?” I dig the lighter out of my front pocket to light the sparklers.
I step closer, flick the lighter on, and bring it to the end of one, colorful sparks lighting up the dark between us.
“I love you.”
My gaze lifts and a slow smile raises the corner of my lips as her words sink in.
“I love you too.”
A chorus of cheers come from inside.
“Happy New Year!” she says.
“Happy New Year, baby.”
I take her mouth and we bring in the new year the same way I hope to end it. I don’t know how I’ll manage not seeing her and kissing her for weeks or months at a time, but that’s a problem to figure out later. Tonight, tomorrow, I’m just going to enjoy this.
When we break apart, Holly is standing a few feet away, smiling at us.
“Happy New Year,” she says to her sister and then they embrace, Stella holding the sparkler away from her body.
I give Teddy a nod, and he surprises me by reciprocating.
“Sparklers?” I ask and offer them a couple.
“Yes, please.” Holly gives me a big smile.
“You saved me, man,” Teddy says. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, of course.”
Inside, they’re singing “Auld Lang Syne” and Holly and Stella sing along, waving their sparklers around and making sparks fly, both of them smiling.
Someone in the neighborhood shoots off fireworks and our heads lift to watch the colors explode in the sky.
Stella comes back to me and wraps her arms around my middle. She tips her head up to look at me. “Best night ever.”
“Definitely,” I agree.
“Ready to get out of here.” A new kind of excitement lights up her features, and she presses her boobs into me. “My dorm is in walking distance.”
“Walking?” I scoop her up. “How long will it take us if I run?”
She laughs.
“Good to see you both,” I say to Teddy and Holly.
Holly lets out a quiet laugh. “Good to see you, Beau.”
“Bye. Love you,” Stella calls to her sister.
“Let’s get breakfast tomorrow,” Holly calls, as I start for the gate with my girl.
“I’d like that,” I say at the same time Stella says, “We’ll see.”
For the next seventy-two hours, Stella doesn’t leave my side. I introduce her to my family, we hang with Scottie and his friends, we go to the Cardinals game with my dad and uncles, and every second I get her alone, well, that’s between me and her.
The morning I have to leave, she drives me to the airport and walks with me to the security gate. We linger next to the line, holding on to one another.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“Me neither.” I tip her chin up and look into her watery, brown eyes. “Five weeks and I’ll see you at the diving championships.”
“And six weeks after that is spring break,” she adds.
“Exactly. And in the meantime, I’ll be blowing up your phone.”
“You better.” She nuzzles into my chest.
I hold her until I’m in danger of missing my flight.
“All right. I gotta go. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She wipes at a tear and then steps back.
I wipe it away with the pad of my thumb, and then brush a quick kiss on her lips.
I turn and walk toward the security line. I glance at her one last time and wave before I hand the guy behind the podium my ID and ticket. My heart feels full and heavy at the same time.
My flight is boarding, but it isn’t my turn yet, so I take a seat and pull out my phone. I just stare at the screen. A second later, it lights up with a FaceTime call from Stella. I hit accept quickly.
“Baby?” I answer, thinking something is wrong. Or maybe I forgot something.
“I love you,” she says as her face fills the screen. “I just needed to say it one more time. Have a safe flight.”
I sink back in my chair. “I love you too. Wanna keep me company until they force me to put away my phone?”
She grins. “Absolutely.”