Page 5 of Uniquely in Love

One more minute,I thought. I just wanted to be their little girl for one more minute.

It was just my mom who was left, standing there with her arms open for me.

“Mom,” I breathed as I stepped into her hug.

“Hi, sweetie pie. Look at you. My little graduate.” She kissed the side of my forehead. “Happy graduation day, my sweet girl.”

“Thanks, Mom. I love you guys so much.”

As the youngest Bradford sibling, I never could have asked for a better family. Beau was a year and a half older than me, and all throughout school had been fiercely protective of his little sister. And while Abs and I had barely attended the same school, my big sister had been there for every school dance, every skating competition, and every big moment in my life.

The decision to stay in my hometown for college hadn’t been an easy one. But after the skating accident that had left me with a bad knee, dashing my dreams for the olympics, I hadn’t known what I wanted anymore. Except I didn’t want to be alone in a new city for the first time in my life, and instead, I’d followed in my parents’ footsteps, attending the same university that they’d both attended. I was proud to wear the purple, and happy that there was no ice rink to remind me of what I was missing.

WhoI was missing.

“Ellie!” My head perked up, and I saw one of my friends waving at me. “Let’s take a picture!”

I turned to my family. “Be right back?”

They smiled, and I ran over to hug my friends and take pictures with them. It was strange to think that we’d never all be in one place like this again. That after four years of college, I might not see some of my classmates ever again. We all said our goodbyes, promising to keep in touch.

I made my way back to my family, my heart full and my camera roll full of even more photos.

“The rest of the family’s back at the house, waiting for the party,” Beau said, slinging an arm around my shoulder. Ihadn’t been able to get as many tickets for today as I had people who loved me. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins had been watching the live stream, but as soon as we got home, we’d be throwing a huge joint graduation party.

“Speaking of, has anyone seen Penny?” I looked around, scanning the crowd for a curly head of ginger hair. “I wanted to get one last picture.”

As if summoned, my best friend’s curls bobbed as she ran over to me, throwing her arms around me even as her cap dislodged from her head.

“We did it!” Penelope laughed as we jumped up and down in each other’s arms.

“You ready for the party tonight?” I asked, the smile practically splitting my face.

But her face grew solemn. “Yeah, but…”

I winced. “Oh. He’s… not coming?” I knew she’d hoped that her brother would make it to watch her walk, but he wasn’t here.

Penny shrugged. “No, he said he’s on his way, I just…” She bit her lip. “I love him, but it’s been hard, you know. I barely get to see him anymore.”

“Yeah. Beau’s only been gone a year, but even in college, I didn’t see him as much.”

Still, getting drafted to the NFL last year had been incredible for him. Our family was so proud of him, even if he lived down in California now. My Aunt Lavender, my mom’s sister, lived down there too, so we had plenty of excuses to go visit. Plus, we’d practically grown up going to Disneyland down in Southern California and Disney World in Florida, so going down to Los Angeles wasn’t anything new.

I hugged her tight to my side as her parents caught up with us.

My dad looked at all of us before wrapping his arm around my mom’s waist. “Everyone ready for the party?”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

TWO

Owen

NOW

What the fuck did I think I was doing?My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I stared at the Bradford house. A house I’d spent almost as much time in growing up as my own.

But I couldn’t seem to getoutof the car. Maybe it was because I knew that when I did, everything would change. I hadn’t seen her in almost five years. Since she’d walked out on us, walked away from our relationship, leaving my heart shattered in pieces on my dorm room floor.

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