Page 11 of Uniquely in Love

She blinked. “Me?”

I nodded, handing her the daisies. “Do you see anyone else in this treehouse, Skater Girl?”

“This is just… are you sure? I’m sure there are a lot of other girls in your classes that you?—”

“I don’t want to date any of them, Ellie.”

Her teeth dug into her lower lip, and her words came out in hardly more than a breath. “Then… who do you want to date?”

Flashing her a smile, I sat up on my knees. “You.”

“Oh.” She blushed, looking down at the flowers. “Are you sure?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sure. I like you a lot, Eleanor Bradford.”

She gave me a shy smile. “I like you too, Owen Harper.” Her eyelids fluttered as she looked down at the flowers. “I just…Wow. I didn’t expect this today.”

There was no way the grin could be wiped off my face. “Yeah? What did you expect?”

She blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know, honestly. What will everyone think?”

“Well, I already asked your parents, so they’re cool with us dating.”

“Oh.” A giggle slipped free from her. “You asked my parents?”

“Your dad, mostly.” I shrugged, like it was nothing. As if I hadn’t been nervous beforehand.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

I nodded. “I am when I know what I want, Ellie.”

You.

She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t stop smiling. Not as she told me how her practice had gone today, how she felt more comfortable with her routine with each passing day and how excited she was to perform it. Scooting closer to me until our thighs were touching, it felt like there was no one else in the world, just the two of us in that tiny tree house together. We shared our hopes and dreams for the future. How she wanted to go to the Olympics. My dreams of the National Hockey League.

After all, in here, anything was possible.

And today… Today was the beginning of us.

FOUR

Ellie

NOW

Hours after my graduation party had ended, I sat outside in the old treehouse with a pile of snacks I’d smuggled up. My parents had built it when I was a kid, and I still loved it.

I’d told Penelope that I was going to go back to our apartment tonight, and I meant it, but right now, I was enjoying my last night where I didn’t have to think about being an adult or getting a job. About the fact that soon, I’d be living with my parents again. At least I wouldn’t have to pay rent.

It felt like I had blinked, and my time in college was over. Looking back, it felt like it was last fall that I’d been moving into my dorm for the first time.

“Damn,” I muttered, looking down at my pile. “Maybe I should have brought some wine.” I’d had more than a few glasses throughout of the evening, a lot of them to distract from the fact that I’d practicallyflungmyself into Owen’s arms when he’d shown up outside my house. And then we’d spent the entire night less than five feet apart, and I could almost convince myself I’d hallucinated it. But no.

He was here.

I leaned my back against the wall, looking at the structurefondly. I had so many amazing memories here. It was where Owen had asked me to prom. Where we’d shared our feelings over summer breaks. How many kisses had we shared in this very spot?

Over the years, as I’d gotten older, I’d stopped spending as much time up here, but it was no less special. Still, being up here made me a little heartsick.

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