Page 142 of If We Say Goodbye

I chuckle, peering up at him in the moonlight. There’s a strand of hair right above his eyes, trying to break free from his slicked back style. I reach up to fix it, but it refuses to listen.

As I pull my hand back, Caleb stops it, covering it with his hand. He leads my hand to his face, resting it on his cheek. Then, he looks at me with his deep brown eyes. “I’ve missed this.”

I smile. “Me too.”

Everything else melts away when he looks at me. I’m mesmerized by him—his smile, his laugh, his dimples—I love it all. I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I want to spend forever making sure he knows how much he means to me.

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him softly. I can feel his smile against my lips, seconds before he kisses me back. When we break apart, he pulls me into a hug. My head rests on his chest as I listen to the beat of his heart.

“Caleb?” I say.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think I want to go to New York in the fall.”

He steps back, hands on my shoulders, staring me straight in the eyes. “What? Are you crazy?”

I shake my head.

“But that’s your dream,” he says.

“Not really. I wanted to get away from here—to run away from all of my problems. But I don’t think that’s what I want anymore.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to regret not going.”

“I’m sure,” I say. “I’m done running.”

His posture relaxes. “Then, what’s your plan after school?”

“I got into the college here too.”

He looks directly at me as if he doesn’t fully believe the words coming out of my mouth. “You want to go to school here?”

“I haven’t told my mom yet, but I’m planning on living at home instead of on campus.”

“Are you for real right now?”

I playfully push his shoulder. “Yes. I’m serious.”

“Your mom is going to lose it when you tell her,” he says with a laugh.

I smile wider. “I know.”

His gaze shies away, blushing. “We’ll only be an hour’s drive apart instead of a plane ride.”

I hate the subtle reminder of his family moving, but he’s right. We’ll be closer this way.

“You better not get tired of me,” I say.

“I could never.”

We lock hands and start walking toward my house. “I’m going to be at every show your band plays.”

“Even if it's packed and loud?”

“Especially then. Do you realize how many girls are going to be drooling over you? I’ll have to scare them off.”

“So in other words, you want to be my bodyguard?” He laughs.

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