Page 88 of Faking It Right
No more pretending. No more lies. Just Harley being Harley, me being me, and us being together in a way that felt so natural I couldn’t believe I’d resisted it for so long.
“What are you smiling about?” Harley asked, giving my knee a playful nudge.
“Just happy,” I replied, surprising myself with the simple truth of it.
He squeezed my hand under the table, and I didn’t even care that Sawyer noticed and made exaggerated kissy faces at us.
“Remember,” Mom said, already shifting into departure mode, though we wouldn’t be leaving for another hour, “you’ll text when you reach your apartment, right? And you’ve got the leftovers I packed in the cooler? And?—”
“And we’ll be back in five weeks for summer break,” I reminded her.
She scowled. “Five weeks is a long time.”
“It’ll fly by,” Dad assured her. “Besides, you’ve got that garden club competition to prepare for. You won’t even notice they’re gone.”
“That’s ridiculous. Of course I’ll notice.”
Sawyer rolled her eyes. “Mom, you do this every time someone leaves. When Gia and I took a day trip, our goodbye lasted longer than the trip itself.”
“Fine, I’m being dramatic. But I’m allowed to miss my children and their wonderful partners.”
After breakfast, we packed the last of our things while Mom triple-checked our snack inventory. Finally, we gathered in the driveway for goodbyes.
Mom pulled Harley into a bear hug first. “You take care of my boy, but also let him take care of you, too,” she instructed, patting his cheek. “And I expect you back here for summer break. No excuses. You can stay the entire time if you want.”
“Thanks, I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Harley promised, returning her hug with equal warmth.
While Dad helped Harley load our bags, Sawyer tugged on my arm, pulling me a few steps away from the others.
I braced myself for another round of teasing, but her serious demeanor made me paranoid.
“What?” I asked, checking my pockets to make sure I had my keys, phone, and wallet. “Did I forget something?”
She shook her head. “No, I wanted to say I’m really happy for you, Ryker.”
I blinked, taken aback by her sincerity. “What, no punchline?”
“Would you prefer I say it’s like watching someone realize they’ve been pushing a ‘Pull’ door for half their life?” She chuckled at her own joke. “It’s about damn time you came to your senses.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or feel insulted. “Uh, thanks?”
Sawyer, reaching her limit for genuine emotion, punched my arm. “Don’t screw it up by overthinking everything like you usually do, okay? Sometimes good things are just good things.”
Gia joined us, wrapping an arm around Sawyer’s waist. “Are you two plotting something?”
“Always,” Sawyer replied, leaning into her.
Gia gave me a quick hug. “Drive safe. We’ll go on a double date when everyone’s back for summer. I’ve got plans for the four of us.”
“Should I be worried?” I asked.
“Probably,” she admitted with a mischievous grin.
Dad approached next, pulling me into a firm hug. “I’m proud of you, son.” He pressed something into my hand as he pulled away. I glanced down to see a folded fifty-dollar bill. “For gas.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I really was the luckiest son.
Mom made a valiant effort not to cry as she hugged me last, but I could feel her trembling. “It’s only a few weeks,” I told her.
