To Be Your Wife by Rae Kennedy

Author:Rae Kennedy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RAKE Publishing
Published: 2019-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

I’ve been so busy these last few weeks of school, I haven’t even had time to miss him.

That’s a lie.

I miss him every time I get in bed.

I miss him every time I wake up.

I miss him every time I think about going for a run.

I miss him every time I hear something funny and can’t share it with him.

I miss him every time I touch the little heart pendant on my necklace.

And I’ve missed him every single second of every single day.

But I have been busy, that is true. I’ve been amazingly productive because when I can’t sleep, I study. And—I haven’t been sleeping.

I cross off the last thing in my planner. I place it in a box with other books I want to keep. Almost everything is already packed, taken down from the walls.

I am officially done.

School is over.

Graduation is in two days.

And then I’m going back home. For good. It’s a thought that used to bring joy to my heart. Going home—to where I know everyone, where everything is comfortable, predictable. Home—where there might be more cows in the county than people and no one is too busy to stop and say hi and ask about your mother. Home—where my family is. Where Wes is.

Now, going home means leaving here. Leaving him.

* * *

The night before graduation, Nick, Caleb, and I celebrate by drinking cheap beer and ordering a pizza. We sit on the floor in our empty apartment, the furniture sold or moved out earlier today when Nick’s parents came with their truck. Gilbert is weaving between us, rubbing our legs with his cheeks and tail to entice extra petting. Caleb scratches behind one of his ears, giving the cat a rare smile.

In hours, we will all be starting new adventures. Nick has an internship at his uncle’s office in the city and Caleb is moving across the country. I realize I have no idea when I’ll see them again after tomorrow. Maybe I won’t ever.

I didn’t know saying goodbye would be so hard.

In the morning my parents arrive early.

“Not everyone is a morning butterfly like you.” Nick yawns, standing in his doorway, his wavy hair disheveled.

“My parents offered to take us to breakfast before we have to get ready for graduation. You wanna come?”

“Well, you did get me up already, so...”

Caleb declines, saying he’s got to meet up with his grandparents who will otherwise get lost. We don’t typically hug, but I make sure to give him one just in case. And he hugs me back, tight. Nick tells Gilbert to behave while we are out, giving him kisses while the kitty lays stretched across the carpeted floor.

We meet my parents at The Bistro.

I wasn’t going to, but I order the damn cinnamon roll. It makes my heart ache a little, but it’s still fucking delicious.

* * *

I search through the sea of black gowns and graduation caps with golden tassels. Everyone is smiling, throwing their arms around one another, excited to be done, graduated, ready for our real lives to begin.

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