Page 142 of Road Trip to Forever
“Grams bought stock in Apple,” he says. “Years ago, when they were a brand new company. Barely a household name. She claimed it was because she thought Steve Jobs was cute.”
“God rest her soul. Grams was always a shameless flirt,” I say.
Patrick rolls his eyes. He hooks his finger in my belt loop and pulls me back close to him. “She sold them the year before she passed. Turns out, it wasn’t justsomestock. It wasa lotof stock. Thousands of shares. The money went to me and Isaac after her funeral, with a stipulation in place that we put it toward something that would set us up for financial success down the road.”
“And you want to spend it on me.”
“Yeah. I’ve been taking some online courses. I hired someone to run numbers with programs that are more professional than my spreadsheets. I’ve kept the money in my savings account until yesterday, when I withdrew fifty-five thousand dollars to give to you. I believe in this, Lola. I believe inyou.Your designs. The classes you want to set up to teach young kids how to sew. The bigger dreams you have like opening an international location and being in New York Fashion Week one day. I’m going to support you every step of the way, and this is another opportunity to do that. Let me be a part of this, yeah? Let me be by your side.”
A tear rolls down my cheek, and I wipe it away with the back of my hand. “I love you,” I say. “I love you so much. How did I ever imagine a future for myself without you in it? You are the best thing to happen to me, Patrick, and I’m not just saying that because you’re offering me thousands of dollars.”
“It doesn’t hurt though, right?”
I huff out a laugh. “I’d love you the same with nothing to your name. I’m saying it because it’s true and I’m so lucky I get to do life with you.”
He tips my chin up and I see his smile. Wide and bright. Crinkled nose. Wrinkles around his eyes. It’s his Really, ReallyHappy smile.
It’s alsomysmile. The one he only gives to me.
“Is that a yes? You’ll let me invest in Lola Jones Designs?”
“I couldn’t stop you even if I tried, could I?” I ask.
“No.” His smile stretches wider and he brushes his lips over mine. “You couldn’t. This is an argument you’re going to lose.”
“Okay,” I relent, letting out another laugh. “Okay.”
“Still not a yes,” he murmurs in a teasing tone, wrapping his arms around my waist and dipping me to the ground.
“Yes!” I exclaim with enthusiasm. “Yes, yes,yes. Is that better?”
“There’s no need to yell.” Patrick backs me into the wall. He’s careful to maneuver me away from the old nails sticking out of the plaster and drywall. “And I love you too, Lola Jones.”
“Did you ever think you’d be here with me?” I loop my arms around his neck and tug him close. “Kissing me? Helping me knock the crap out of some walls so we can make a store full of my clothes?”
“Yeah,” he says. He tucks his hands in my back pockets. “I did.”
“Even when we were eleven and you thought girls were gross?”
“I never thought you were gross.”
“And when we were fifteen and you started dating Gina Prince?”
“Yup.”
“What about—”
“I’m going to stop you right there, honey.” He folds his hand over my mouth, amusement dancing behind his eyes. “Every answer is going to be yes. I’ve thought about this for a while, Lola.”
“And now?” I ask, my voice muffled by his warm palm. “Are you glad it happened?”
“Yeah.” His forehead rests against mine. “More than glad. You and I are timeless. Written in the stars. Every moment it took for us to get here was well worth the wait.”
“Thank you for being patient with me. Thank you for letting me figure myself out before figuring out my feelings for you. I never thought I’d be the person who counted down the minutes and seconds until tomorrow, but with you, I do. Every day with you is my new favorite.”
“That’s why we’re inevitable, Lo. It’s been twenty-four years of the best day of my life, every single day. Because you’re there for all of them.”
* * *
