Page 179 of Love Me

“I do, and I will. Don’t ask me how I know, because I don’t. But I feel her inside of me, in every heartbeat, in every thought, in my dreams, in my plans, in every fiber of my being. When I think of home, love, and happiness, she’s the image of them. And if that’s not enough, I would die for her. But I’ll try to avoid it, because I want to build a life with her first, and offer her everything my heart feels for her and the life she deserves.”

Looking at them, I pour it all out, feeling my cheeks redden. Both have glassy eyes, giving me the courage to continue. “I’m Felix’s son. That will never change. But I am not him. I never will be like him either. And this is my vow to you two. You can ask Celine how serious I am with vows.”

Celine is my compass, and I will never lose myself along the way. The needle will always point to what’s important––her, my home, my family.

“Okay, fine, son.”

Sebastian calling me son unleashes something in me. I hug him and he pats my back.

“Got it. You’re not him, and we’re family.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“No marriage or babies before graduation,” he says.

We’ll have a big wedding when the time comes. But for me, our wedding date will always be the one where it was just the two of us. And babies? I can’t promise him anything.

I shrug, and her mother chuckles.

My parents step into my hospital room. An avalanche of emotions crash down on me, but it’s the best kind of feeling. My eyes tear up and my mother takes my hand in hers.

“Are you in pain? How are you feeling?”

“I’m good, Mom. I should ask you that.”

Her eyes, even though they shine with relief, behind them are other feelings too. We might be alive, but we’re far from well.

My father comes to my other side, taking my hand in his. “I’m so proud of you.”

I can’t shake the impression that we are tiptoeing around each other, but I guess after all we went through, that’s normal.

My parents stay a while longer, and when they leave, Kaden rushes back inside. I feel his desperation, his need, his love for me as if they are my own. They are. Our souls are fused together.

When our friends walk inside, Abi, Bailey, and Mia stand to the left, the guys on the other side.

“We did it,” I say, just to shove away the heaviness permeating the room.

But we’re not free.

I hate the uncertainty. In the end, there will still be someone else deciding our future.

I look at Blake alone in the corner. His body is tense. The way he keeps a distance breaks my heart. I don’t even know if he does it consciously, not stepping into our bubble, or if the group is freezing him out, but I say, “You saved me.”

“No, you did that.” I get the impression that his words carry more weight. We are all broken, even if we didn’t share the same experience.

“I call for a girl’s night out. No, make that multiple,” Abi says, and the girls and I nod enthusiastically. Even if our relationship hasn’t been easy, similar experiences create the best bonds.

“How are you feeling?” Bailey asks.

“She’s drugged out of her mind. She feels great,” says Dane, and I chuckle.

“Don’t do this solo again, okay? I was worried,” Mia says.

Hunter looks straight at Bailey, arching an arrogant brow. “Were you worried all alone in your ivory tower, kitten?”

“Hunter,” Kaden and I say at the same time.

With a smirk on his face, Hunter comes to me, kisses my cheek and is the first to leave, followed by Blake who salutes me. Dane winks at me, and I say, “That was quite a show.”

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