Page 57 of Summer of You
Sweat trickled down my back when my bike skidded to a halt in front of the two-story craftsman-style home. The white paint still looked pristine and the blue trim looked just like Dad had painted it last summer. It didn’t look like a house that hadn’t been lived in for years, and I had Drew to thank for that.
My hands shook as I approached the front door. I was immediately thrown into the past. The upkeep of the house had me fooledthat at any moment the oldSubaruwould pull into the driveway and Mom and Dad would get out and give me a hug. That the last few years I’d spent without them were all in my imagination.
The longer I stood there, the more reality washed over me again. That driveway would remain empty unless I approved Drew to start renting the place—or I bought it back from him.
As much as I loved this house, it wasn’t mine anymore. It anchored me to a town that didn’t hold my future. Nathan held my destiny. And with the decision I’d made... It was time to move on.
The click of the lock was cathartic. My mind still attempted to play tricks on me when I entered the living room. A plush couch sat in front of a small wooden coffee table. There were lamps on both ends of the couch and I remembered so many nights snuggled there, watching a movie after finishing my homework, thinking of summers and waiting for the boy who’d opened up so many possibilities to me.
It was a living time capsule. Nothing inside had changed. The fridge had no food, but all of our old furniture was still there. The pictures remained on the wall, staring at my past and happier days. I wiped more tears from my eyes at the image of my parents with their arms around me. I had to have been about ten in the picture and I hadn’t looked happy, but my parents had. I had been their entire world.
I took the frame off of the wall and kept walking through the house, reliving so many memories as my heart ached. This was supposed to be healing, but instead I felt worse.
My bedroom was the breaking point. The gray comforter was still rumpled as if I’d crawled out of bed that morning and not years ago. I sat on the corner of the mattress and pressed the photo to my chest.
I hadn't been emotional like this since my parents had died. But it felt good to let them go.
“Mom. Dad. I think it’s finally time.” I choked on the words, gripping the photo tighter. My throat fought to close off and keep them inside.
“I can’t hold on to you guys forever like this. You deserve to be free, just like I do. I’ve punished Nathan enough, and... I love him. I want to give him my future and I know you would have loved that. You guys always loved him.”
I wiped some more tears away as I smiled at the thought. “I loved our home, but I need to let it go. And I know that you’d understand.”
The picture was heavy in my palms as I looked at it one more time. A few stray tears landed on the glass before I placed it on my old pillow and stood. This room wasn’t mine. Not anymore. Maybe it would make some other little boy or girl happy one day. This home deserved a family and to be filled with love. It didn’t need to stand and be a memoryof so much loss.
“Where did you go?”
My heart pounded for a whole different reason when the camper door closed behind me. I clutched at my chest, then pulled my hat from my head, and threw it onto the counter.
“There was something important that I needed to do.”
Nathan stared at me skeptically. “You’re acting like you’re guilty of something.”
I cleared my throat and pulled the keys from my pocket, dangling them in the air. “Maybe because it required me to steal some keys from your uncle.”
“No shit?” Nathan crossed the camper and pulled them from my hand. “What are these keys for?”
One look at my red-rimmed eyes was all Nathan needed before his whole body softened. His hand reached to thread through my hair and pull me into a soft kiss. Usually, nothing stayed soft between us for very long, but in the moment it felt significant that things didn’t switch to something heated right away.
“I could have gone with you, you know.”
I nodded when he released me and I collapsed into one of the booth seats at my table. “I appreciate that, but this was something I needed to do by myself.”
He nodded and watched me for a moment. Oreo jumped from the bed and trotted over to jump into my lap. Her purrs set me further at ease, and I scratched behind her ears before petting her silken fur.
After a few prolonged moments of silence, I found the strength to tell him what had happened. “I think it’s time I let go of the house. I know I’ve spent the last few years trying to get it back...”
“You know he would have handed it over had you asked.”
I stared at Nathan. Part of me knew that. The stubborn part of me wanted to earn it back. But it was also good that I’d never asked because I’d be stuck here if I had.
“But it’s your family home.”
I shook my head. “It’s a family home, but it’s not mine anymore. You’re my home.” At that, the sappy part of me was choking up all over again.
Nathan smiled warmly as he slid into the seat next to me. Oreo knew when she was in the middle of something she didn’t need to be and hopped away. His hands threaded through my hair again. The feel of his fingers massaging my scalp was comforting, but didn’t feel nearly as good as his mouth slanting over mine.
I moaned into the kiss as I wrapped my arms over his shoulders. The move was awkward in the cramped space, but I needed to be closer to him. My Nathan. My everything.
