Chapter 9 #3
I try to shrug it off, but my fingers twist the end of his tee. “On the phone, I heard a girl giggling your name.” I elaborate when he doesn’t answer. “You and Leo were waiting for a cab. You had a birthday dinner to go to in Malibu.”
“Fuck, Mads…” He kisses the top of my head. “I wish you had mentioned something sooner. I was with two girls…one was with Leo, and the other was her sister, who was there with her boyfriend. Nothing else was going on.”
“Oh.” My shoulders slump. “I’m sorry. I don’t like being insecure. I promise, but sometimes my mind runs wild, and I can’t stop it.”
He links our fingers together, guiding me toward the table. “I’d rather you care than not. But we don’t have much time, so let’s enjoy what we have.”
I frown. “Not a lot of time?”
Mason checks his watch. “An hour, maybe. Two, max. We’ll eat fast, then you two can have a little time alone.”
Disappointment settles deep in my stomach.
That’s barely anything.
A tease.
Before I can dwell on it, Nate nudges me. “Before we order, there’s something important we need to do first.”
Oh!
“I nearly forgot.” I stare down at the envelope weighing down my hands. The outcome of my entire future is determined by one single piece of paper. I breathe in through my nose and slowly let it out to calm my nerves. Just open it already. “I’m scared. You do it.”
Nate shakes his head, his smile soft. “No way, babe. You need to do this yourself. Trust me.”
“Okay…okay.”
“Maddieeeee,” Leo groans dramatically.
Nate shoots him a glare. “Don’t rush her, dickhead.”
I glance between them, a smile tugging at my lips. “God, I missed you two.”
Mase rubs my back, gently reminding me to open the letter.
I tear it open slowly, afraid I’ll rip it, then unfold the thick, glossed paper.
The writing on the top is embossed in the USC colors of cardinal red and gold, but it’s the words beneath that steal my breath.
The paper slips between my fingers, my hand flying for my chest as I struggle to breathe. The tears clouding my eyes come on instantly, and disbelief hits hard.
Nate leans down and scoops up the lost paper. He and Mase lean in, scanning the words together.
“Holy shit,” Nate yells, ignoring the disgruntled patrons around us. “Mads, babe!”
He lifts me, arms tight around me. I bury my face in his neck, whispering, “Is this real?”
“You did it, babe. You fucking did it.” He spins me, peppering kisses all over my face. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I think I’m in shock,” I mumble.
Mason’s standing there, pulling me in next.
“Can you believe it? I’m finally leaving Georgia.”
“Madeline,” he murmurs, emotions thick in his voice. “I always knew you could do it. You’re the most talented, determined person I know.”
“So she got in?” Leo interrupts. “Jeez, Maddie, could you be any more dramatic? You clutched your pearls so tight I thought you got rejected and I’d be forced to transfer schools with Nate to be with you.”
I turn, grinning like a fool. “Aww. You’d follow me to another school.”
“If you haven’t noticed, your boyfriend is obsessed with you. We’re a package deal.” He hugs me and kisses my cheek. “Now let’s celebrate with some pancakes. I’m going to faint from starvation.”
“Talk about dramatic.”
“My real answer is not appropriate to say in front of my sister.”
“I’ll go,” Leo announces. “Head.”
I giggle. That’s such a Leo answer. “That’s it? If you were to choose the way you die, you’d want to go by a blow job?”
“Gross, Maddie. Don’t even say that word.” Mason sticks his finger down his throat, fake gagging.
Leo shrugs. “Like Nate wouldn’t want the same thing from you.”
“You won’t be able to pick the way you die because I’m about to kill you in two seconds,” Mason threatens, and as per usual, Leo ignores him.
“Actually, that’s not true.” Nate wraps his arms around my shoulder. “I’d want to be holding her just like this.”
I stretch my neck to meet his lips. “That sounds perfect,” I whisper for only him to hear.
“Okay, you two make me sick to my stomach.” Leo pops M&Ms into his mouth. “Getting deep-throated by a smoke show is so much better.”
“Maddie.”
I turn my attention to Mase. “What’s up?”
“Mama knows I’m home. I told her I took you out, but we won’t have long.” He points to the park across the street. “Go take a walk. You have fifteen minutes.”
My chest tightens, and instant unease swoops in, leaving me with an unsettled feeling of emptiness.
Fifteen minutes…that’s not nearly enough time.
My heart hurts, even though Nate’s still here, standing so close I can feel his breath sweep along the curve of my neck. The last thing I want to do is say goodbye again.
He walks us down the path to the first bench.
“You flew all this way, and we only get fifteen minutes alone.” I duck my head, my voice barely above a whisper. “You shouldn’t have wasted your time.”
Nate stops, pulling me onto his lap as he sits on the bench. “You better be kidding me with that shit, Mads.” His fingers brush my hair back. “Look at me, please.”
I cross my arms, clenching my jaw to stop the verbal nonsense spewing from my mouth.
Who am I kidding? I’d rather have three minutes with Nate than none at all.
“You’re lucky I can read you so well,” he murmurs, twisting the ends of my hair around his fingers. “I know you didn’t mean that.”
My lips tremble. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” He tugs me into his chest. “Just let me hold you.”
I press my face against his shoulder, inhaling his familiar scent and soaking in the warmth of his arms.
My one hand travels to his chest, and I lightly trace the outline of his necklace through his shirt.
“I can’t believe you flew here just for today. Thank you,” I whisper.
He leans back, eyes locked on mine. “We needed this, Mads. I know it’s hard for you because you’re home and I’m across the country, but I promise, you’re on my mind every second. In less than a year, we’ll be together, and this summer, we’ll figure out a way to see each other more.”
I smile at the thought. “I hope so. What time do you leave for the airport?”
He shrugs. “Whenever.”
“Well, what time is your flight?”
“We chartered our own plane. We leave when we tell the pilot.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “That’s insane, you know that, right?”
He shrugs again, and I roll my eyes.
I will never grasp the kind of money Nate has.
“Anyway…guess what?”
He grins. “What, babe?”
“I’m going to live in Los Angeles, Nate. Little ol’ me is moving all the way from Georgia. I can hardly believe it.”
“I can’t wait, babe.”
“Oh!” My eyes widen with excitement. “I need to call Addie. She’s going to flip. Have you seen her much?”
“Only the time I told you about, right after she moved in a few weeks ago.”
“You need to befriend her, Nate. I told you, Addie puts off this cool girl vibe, but she’s shier than you’d think, and she knows no one there.”
“I will.” He cups my cheek, his thumb tracing slow circles against my skin. “We have ten minutes left. And all I want is your lips on mine the whole time.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I smile through my words, then lean in and press my lips against his.
“Mmm…cherries,” he murmurs around my lips. “Different from my lollipops, though.”
I reach into my back pocket and take out my cherry lip balm. “This is better than getting a cavity. Now I can taste you every day.”
A low, possessive growl rumbles through his chest before he leans back in, capturing my lips again.
And that’s how we stay until Mase finds us and tells me it’s time to go.
I steel myself.
I’m not going to cry.
I’m going to be strong.
Over and over, I remind myself that I’ll hear his voice the second he’s home.
Still, my heart aches as I wave goodbye and blow him one last kiss.
“Love you, Mads,” he calls, winking before turning and walking away.