PROLOGUE #2
How could she possibly explain to her parents that she had to try this?
She had to leave the safety of her small hometown.
This itch to travel wasn’t what her friends were doing this summer, palling around Europe and staying in hostels while they drank beer and ate their weight in tapas and cheese.
Jessie wanted to see the real world, to go where the tourists didn’t, and make her mark.
She’d always struggled with her place in Pinegrove.
Never one of the pretty, popular girls, she’d fumbled her way through school, never making lasting friendships.
Jessie had always been tight with her brother, but they were older now.
Trevor was at the academy preparing to follow in their father’s footsteps.
Daisy wanted nothing more than for her daughter to stay home, marry Malcolm, and fill the town with their offspring.
For a progressive woman, her mother still had old-fashioned ideas . ..
Jessie opened her mouth to explain herself, or at least attempt to, when the doorbell rang. Daisy sighed, patting her damp cheeks. “I’ll get it. It’s probably Malcolm.”
There was no doubt her boyfriend was at the other side of the door, and that didn’t help Jessie’s roiling belly.
For all her muster to go, she hated leaving Malcolm behind most of all.
Her parents would be fine in the end. Parents were meant to raise children and set them free, right?
But Malcolm, her sweetheart boyfriend, was a walking marshmallow, always soft and tender.
She didn’t want to hurt him, but she didn’t know how to avoid it either.
Nick pushed himself to standing. In the distance, they both heard Daisy greeting Malcolm, but they didn’t join them.
“June Bug, listen to me.” Her father’s voice didn’t waver, despite his trembling bottom lip.
“You’re going to do amazing things, I have no doubt.
There’s greatness in you, but remember you always have a place here.
” He pointed at his feet, hand quivering.
He pulled her to him, resting his chin on top of her head.
Jessie let out a sob, unable to stop the waterworks.
He shook around her, and she squeezed until she feared they’d both pop like balloons at the county fair.
Reluctantly, her father stepped back. “Take your time with Malcolm. We don’t have to leave for Atlanta for another hour. ”
Take her time ... if only.
“Thanks, Daddy,” she breathed, frantically swiping away more tears as Malcolm approached.
Malcolm stood awkwardly in the doorway, nodding at her father as he made his exit.
His hands were shoved into the pockets of his shorts, his gorgeous brown eyes downcast and red-rimmed.
His dark skin was ashen, jaw tense. “Hey, JJ,” he said, unable to look up.
He’d recently gotten a haircut, his riot of black curls tamed into waves.
It made him look older, like a different person.
She hated this small reminder that his life was moving forward already.
“Hey,” she whispered, falling onto the bed with a huff. “Damnit, this is depressing.” Her exhale left in a whoosh, but she didn’t bother hiding the tears as they slid down her cheeks.
Malcolm glanced over his shoulder, ensuring the coast was clear before joining her on the bed.
Even though they’d been dating for years, they both respected house rules and left the bedroom door open.
Easing himself down onto the mattress, he snatched her hand and pulled it toward his chest, cradling it like a precious treasure.
“You know what wouldn’t be depressing?” he asked, voice barely audible.
Jessie knew what he was going to say, and she begged him to stop.
The last thing they needed was a repeat of their last round of fights.
It was impossible not to be sad when one of them was leaving.
Jessie understood they’d only be delaying the inevitable.
Malcolm left for college in three weeks, and she’d be alone anyway.
All she was doing was beating fate to the punch.
“Don’t,” she warned, pulling her hand free and sweeping a short curl off his forehead. His skin was smooth and cool under her touch, despite the summer heat outside. “Please don’t, Malcolm. You know I have to go.”
Slowly, he shook his head. “You really don’t, JJ. You can come with me to school and we can—”
But Jessie didn’t have the fight in her anymore. She slid her hand down to cover his mouth, her own lips quivering. “I need to try this. You know I do. I’ve never felt like I fit in, and I want to see if I can find out who I am. Please, you have to let me go.”
Hand falling down to her lap, Jessie squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to watch his face crumple. Beside her, she heard the rumble in Malcolm’s chest as he struggled to collect himself. “But I love you, JJ. Doesn’t that matter?”
She hated him in this moment, for poking at the hole in her plan. Her desire for self-discovery had one flaw—that she was leaving the love of her life behind. These days, Jessie clung to the old adage of If you love someone, set them free...
Right now, she clung to Malcolm, turning to face him until he wrapped her against him.
He pressed a kiss to her temple, his lips whispering terms of endearment meant only for her.
“I love you so much, and I’ll be back.” She repeated the promise over and over again until her parents knocked on the door.
“Sorry, kids,” her father said, actually sounding remorseful. “We need to get ready for the airport.”
Malcolm helped her father carry out her luggage, swiping at the tears on his cheeks when he didn’t think anyone was looking.
Once her parents were in the front seats, she tugged him to the side of the driveway and repeated the mantra she’d been saying since she accepted her first position with the Peace Corps. “I love you, and I’ll write every day.”
Jessie kissed Malcolm goodbye, telling herself she wasn’t making a mistake, telling herself she wasn’t walking away from the best man on earth.