Chapter 26 #2
Briggs was able to keep the money he’d saved, but it’s all going to pay for college and won’t even cover a semester. He’ll have to get a job and take out loans to pay for school. I ended up getting a scholarship that pays for most of my tuition, and financial aid to cover the rest.
“Did Parker ever show up?” Briggs asks, checking his phone.
“I don’t think so.”
“Figures. He said he’d be here, but I knew he wouldn’t show up.”
The court hasn’t made a decision yet regarding Parker and Finn and their punishment for the hit-and-run.
Parker’s lawyers think he’ll get off with a fine.
Finn will probably get a fine and some time in prison, but it won’t be much, probably less than a year, according to his attorney.
Briggs is still friends with those guys, but he uses the term friends loosely, meaning he’ll hang out with them now and then but knows he can’t count on them like he could an actual friend.
“We should go back outside,” I say.
“Before we go, I need to tell you something.” Briggs’ arms go around my waist, and he gets a serious, almost nervous, look on his face. “You did an awesome job on your speech today. You’re a way better valedictorian than I would’ve been.”
I smile. “Thanks, but you already told me that. Twice.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just . . .” He looks me in the eye. “Ella, do you trust me?”
“Yes. Why are you asking me that?”
“Because for a long time you didn’t. And if you still don’t, I understand.”
“I do, but I’m a little worried why you’re asking me that.”
“I want you to believe me when I say this. I want you to trust that it’s real.”
“I do. I mean, I will. So what is it? What are you trying to tell me?”
“That I love you.”
“Briggs.” I feel my eyes tearing up, but I’m smiling.
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“I believe you, but I already knew.”
“But when I told you that before you—”
“It’s not about what you said. It’s about what you did.
You risked your reputation to be with me at school.
You stopped seeing me as Trailer Girl and starting treating me like a person, a person you actually care about.
You told me your secrets and let me see the side of you nobody else gets to see.
That says a lot more than hearing you say those words.
” I smile. “But I like hearing you say them.”
I wait, but he doesn’t say anything.
“That was a hint,” I say.
“I’m waiting to hear it back.”
“You know I love you.” I roll my eyes.
“You should say it.”
“I just did.”
“What took you so long? If you love me, why’d you wait to tell me?”
“I don’t know. I guess because sometimes I still see you as the guy who tortured me, and it’s hard to tell that guy you love him.”
“But I’m not that guy, not anymore. I’ve been trying to prove that to you.”
“And you have.” I reach up and kiss him. “I love you.”
There’s a knock on the door, and an old man in a suit walks in. “Is this where the party’s at?”
“Mr. Whittaker,” Briggs says, going up to him. “I didn’t know you were coming. How’d you even know about it?”
“I heard about it at the club. You know how those people gossip. Hope you don’t mind me coming by.”
“Not at all. Thanks for coming. It’s good to see you again.” Briggs walks the man over to me. “This is my girlfriend, Ella. Ella, this is Mr. Whittaker. He’s one of my dad’s clients, or he used to be.”
“I never was,” he says. “After that dinner at your house, I decided not to invest with him. I got a feeling your father wasn’t being honest with us that night.
His earnings forecasts were far too optimistic.
Anyway, I’m sorry to hear what happened, for your sake, Briggs. Your father can go to hell.”
I laugh. This guy is funny.
“Mr. Whittaker owns movie theaters,” Briggs says.
“Did you take her?” the man asks.
“Not yet, but I will.”
“I gave him a free pass,” the man says to me. “Gets him and his lady friend in for free, anytime.”
I look at Briggs. “You have a pass that lets us go to the movies for free? Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“I forgot I had it.”
Mr. Whittaker shakes his head as he reaches into his suit pocket. He takes out a plastic card and hands it to me. “You keep this one. He’ll just lose it.”
I laugh as I take it. “Thank you.”
“A graduation gift,” Briggs says to me, then he turns to the man. “Ella was valedictorian.”
“Congratulations,” he says to me.
“Briggs was a close second,” I tell him.
Mr. Whittaker looks at Briggs. “I wanted to talk to you about something, if you have a minute.”
“Yeah. Let’s go sit down.”
We go to the living room. Briggs and I take the couch, and Mr. Whittaker takes the chair my dad usually sits in.
“Go ahead,” Briggs says.
He glances at Ella.
“She can stay,” Briggs says. “What’s this about?”
“When I heard what happened with your father and the seizing of his assets, I didn’t think it was right.
Well, it is for your father, but not you.
You didn’t do anything wrong. You shouldn’t be punished.
Anyway, I wanted to do a little something to help out.
” He reaches into his pocket and hands Briggs an envelope.
“Before you open that, I need you to promise me you’ll use at least some of it for college, not blow it all on a car.
Whatever’s left can help you get a new start, a new life for yourself. ”
“Okay,” Briggs says, seeming confused.
“Go ahead and open it.”
Briggs opens the envelope and takes out a check. It’s made out to him, and when I see the amount, I have to lean in closer to make sure I’m reading it right. It’s half a million dollars!
“Mr. Whittaker,” Briggs says, seeming just as shocked as me. “I don’t know what to say. This is too much.”
He chuckles. “It’s nothing. I’m worth millions. And I don’t have children of my own. When I met you Briggs, I could see you were a bright young man headed for a bright future. I didn’t want to see that future ruined because of something your father did. You’re still planning to go to Stanford?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s not a cheap school. Hopefully, this will help out.”
“It definitely will,” Briggs says. “Thank you, Mr. Whittaker.”
He smiles. “You got any food around here?”
“Yes,” I tell him. “The party’s out back.”
“Would you two get out here?” my dad yells from the back door. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were with a guest.”
“That’s my dad,” I tell Mr. Whittaker as we walk over to him. “He’ll show you to the food.”
“Right this way.” My dad takes him outside while Briggs and I stay behind.
“Can you believe this?” Briggs says, holding up the check. “He gave me half a million dollars!”
“And I got a free movie pass,” I say, like it’s just as good. “What are you going to do with the money?”
“Most of it will go to pay for college. As for the rest, I’m going to make a budget and make this money last. But the first thing we’re buying is a better truck. The old one’s going to the junk yard.”
“Briggs, it’s your money. Get something you want.”
“I want a truck. I never thought I liked them until I started driving yours and your dad’s. We should go pick one out tomorrow.”
“We? It’s not going to be mine. You need to pick it out.”
“We’re going to share it. I’m putting both our names on it.”
“But what if we break up?”
“Then you’ll get it one week and I’ll get it the next.” He brings me into his arms. “But I don’t see us breaking up. We’ve been through hell and back and we’re still together. I’d say that makes our odds of staying together pretty damn good.”
We kiss just as my dad appears again.
“Would you two stop kissing and get out here?” he says.
I laugh. “We’re coming.”
We go back to the party. Briggs takes off to talk to some of his rugby friends. He’s smiling and laughing and seems genuinely happy, not like he’s just pretending. My heart swells seeing it, knowing what he’s been through.
I always thought Briggs had the perfect life, when he was really living in hell. Now he has a new life, a fresh start. We both do.
“Briggs looks so hot,” Charlotte says, racing up to me. “I swear he gets hotter every day.”
I smile. “He does.”
“You’re so lucky,” she says in a dreamy tone as we stare at him.
“It wasn’t just luck. Briggs was a lot of work.” I laugh. “But worth it.” I smile at him. “He was definitely worth it.”
THE END