Chapter Five
Danika
The flat black cap leaves my hand and I cover my head so I don’t get a concussion as it comes back down. Graduation caps rain down around us, and Sydney, Margot and I laugh as we run out of the fray.
“We did it!”
Sydney hugs me, and I squeeze her right back. I can’t believe that it’s finally here. Our graduation day. The three of us have worked hard and partied even harder this last semester and it’s come down to this moment.
Margot grips my hand and I grin at her, beaming with pride at all three of us.
Her boyfriend, Alex, comes up behind her and grabs her by the waist, swinging her around.
With him is her father and her grandma, Memaw, who winks at me from behind Margot’s back.
The four of them head out of the auditorium to find a less crowded place to take pictures of Margot in her cap and gown.
When I turn toward Sydney, her family is there too. Her mom has her in a vice grip and her dad is beaming with pride as he holds her little sister, Kerry’s, hand. They walk off too and for the first time all day I realize…I’m alone.
I don’t even bother looking around for my parents.
There’s no way in hell they’d be here. I did get a text from my mom with some excuse as to why they “won’t be able to make it”, but I didn’t even read the whole thing before I deleted the entire text thread.
Excuses be damned. My mom should’ve been here.
Glancing around at all the happy families one more time, I take a deep breath. Happy graduation, Danika. Just as I’m resigning myself to an evening of microwavable mashed potatoes and chicken nuggets, a voice directly behind me pauses my footsteps.
“Dani.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, knowing exactly who is standing there. Turning slowly, I face him.
“Congrats,” he says, his expression sheepish, which for him, is a feat. He hardly ever looks anything but cocky.
“Thanks, Nico.” I look him up and down, dressed in the same attire as me. “You too.”
“Thanks,” he smiles. “Can you believe it? We actually made it.”
“Yeah, I can believe it. And now we can go off and live our very separate lives and never speak to each other again.” I turn to do exactly that when I feel his hand wrap around my wrist, pulling me back.
“Dani, come on, wait.”
I rip my arm out of his grasp so quickly, his hand might as well have been on fire. “Don’t touch me, Nico. Please, just…just move on.”
Nico’s hand drops to his side and I take two steps away. Once I determine that he’s actually going to let me walk away, I turn around and head toward the door.
I can’t believe that he’s still pursuing me after all these years. And even now that we’ve graduated and I’m sure he’s going onto bigger and better things…what could he possibly want with me?
When I get to the door, I pause, seeing Margot posing under a tree canopy for a picture with Alex, her grandma fawning over them as her dad snaps the shot.
They look so happy. Alex wraps his arm around Margot’s back and she looks up at him, scrunching her nose which he kisses lightly.
What I wouldn’t give to have something like that in my life. Someone…
“Congrats, brat.”
The deep voice comes from my left, startling me back into the present.
“Arden,” I breath. “You surprised me.”
He kicks off the wall he was leaning on and walks over to me. “You still not used to me being here?” He teases.
When Arden had told Margot he was starting classes at TU, he was adamant that he would mind his own business and he did.
Only a handful of times would I see him on campus or at the coffee shop and those times were cordial and polite.
Honestly, it was kind of jarring having him there but at the same time, it gave me an odd feeling of comfort and protection knowing he was near.
“No, I guess I’m not,” I laugh.
Even though Arden has been taking classes this semester, we really haven’t seen him. Him and Margot would get together for lunch or dinner every other week or so, but other than that, it was like he wasn’t even there.
“Where are your folks?” He looks around me to see if they’re hiding in my gown or something.
Hitting him with a hard look, I sigh. “Don’t ask questions you know the answer to.”
His gaze hits mine and the softness in his deep green eyes threatens to take my breath away. Why does he even care?
“You look good in black,” he comments. “Long, drapey clothes suit you, too. Is that Prada?” He pulls at the oversized gown I’m wearing, a smile creeping onto his face. He’s doing that thing he does when he wants me to feel better. He’s making me laugh.
“Gucci, actually.” I smile. Because it’s working. Like it always does.
Arden laughs and I realize we’ve sort of drifted closer together. When I look up at him again, I need to lift my chin.
“I think we—”
“Arden!” Margot calls from the garden. Immediately, we both turn in the direction of her voice. She beckons him over to take a picture with the whole family.
“Family calls,” I say, gesturing toward Margot.
Without a second thought, Arden grips my hand. “Let’s go, then.” He pulls me through the doorway and into the garden where Margot’s family is waiting.
“Hey, sugar,” Memaw says, pulling me in for a hug. I grip her tightly, always loving a Memaw hug and needing one a little extra today. Once she releases me, I go to grab the phone from their dad’s hand to snap their family photo but Margot doesn’t let me.
“Uh uh,” she shakes her head. “All family in. I’ll ask a rando to take it.
” Margot sets off to find a stranger before I can stop her.
I sigh like this is so exasperating but actually I’m ecstatic to be included this way.
I’ve always thought of Margot’s family as an extension of my own, and I’m overjoyed that they see me the same way.
I step toward Arden to pose in front of him but he catches me by surprise, pulling me backward by the hip until my back is right up against his chest.
“Smile, brat,” he says in my ear, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. I look up instinctively and meet his intense gaze over my shoulder.
Margot runs up and poses on my other side, having no idea the hold her brother has on me right now. “Everyone smile!” she says.
The flash goes off in front of us, but all I can see is Arden’s deep green eyes boring into mine. All I can feel is his hand on my hip. And all I know is that I’m not sure how I’m going to survive four more years with my best friend’s brother on the campus with me.