Page 60 of Composed
She tucks her head into neck and her arms band around my back. “Everything’s about to change.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” I tell her, running my fingers up and down her spine. She shivers, pressing herself deeper into my skin. My heart cracks with every tremble of her shoulders. “Talk to me. Please.”
“We’ve never been apart.”
Lead sinks in my stomach. “This is why you’ve been pulling away from me?”
“I just—” She sucks in a heaving breath. “I don’t want to know what it’s like to live without you.”
Ice slides down my spine, chilling every inch of me. “You don’t have to know what it’s like. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But I am.” A sharp, broken sob steals her lungs. “I’ll be three hours away, busy with university. You’ll be here, busy with the band. We’ll never see each other.”
I huff a laugh. “You really think you can get rid of me that easily? Wherever you go, I’m following.”
Pure sorrow seeps into her expression.
“Sure, we won’t see each other every day,” I say, my hold on her tightening. “But every weekend, every break you have, I’ll be there or you’ll be here. It’s just another road on our journey. Another step closer to reaching our dreams. Together.”
My chest vibrates as she presses a kiss to my heart.
I push up to stand.
Her legs wrap lock my waist, her arms coiling around my neck.
“Now, perk up, baby,” I tell her. “We’ve got leavers assembly in an hour, and if Saint sees you crying he’s going to blame me and I really don’t fancy having a black eye in the millions of photo’s Mum is about to take of us.”
She laughs then.
I slide her down to the floor, my fingers pinching her chin. “I love you, Rixie Moore.”
“I love you.” She steals my breath as she seals us together in a searing kiss. “Always and forever, Cole Hayes.”
I brush my thumb over her puffy lower lip. “And even after that?”
“Even then.”
Hendrix slides her fingers between mine as we weave through our classmates.
I spy Saint sitting on the edge of the stage, Theo tucked between his spread knees as he fingers the braid in her icy blonde hair.
He finally locked her down at the start of the year, and they’ve been inseparable since. God knows how he did it, but I’ve never known either of them as happy as they are now.
Saint waves his free hand in the air.
I tug Hendrix, shifting her in front of me with a hand on her hip, and steer her towards them.
“Schools out. Forever,” he shouts, garnering the attention of those around him. “Fucking finally.”
“I dunno.” Theo’s eyes glisten as they dance over the hall. “I think I’m gonna miss this place.”
Saint snorts. “You would. Little miss popular.”
“Shut up.” She swats his arm, ducking when he puckers his lips and aims for her neck. “It’s not my fault you and Rix would rather smoke weed in the forest than hang out with the cool kids.”
“Rude.” He clicks his tongue. “Wearethe cool kids, Teddy.”
She rolls her eyes, before turning to Hendrix. “Did you get your letter?”
