“Do you want your birthday present?” I lifted an eyebrow.
“This isn’t it?” She motioned around the room with her hand.
“Nope.” I slid the box across the table.
Her mouth stretched into a wide grin as her eyes lit up. She tore the paper off and gaped at me.
“It’s a digital sketch pad,” I explained as she turned the box over. “I was going to get you new pencils, but if you still draw as much as you used to, that goes straight to your computer. It will help when you … go away to school.”
Saying that without clenching my jaw was difficult. I’d just gotten her; how long before I’d have to give her up? Her father beating the crap out of me was the very least of my concerns. He could have at it as long as she stayed mine.
“I’m not going away. I’m going to School of Visual Arts and staying here.”
My jaw went slack as I prayed I didn’t hear her wrong.
“Why? I thought you couldn’t wait to go.”
She let out a frustrated groan before meeting my gaze.
“Why I wanted to go, honestly, was to get away from you. You’reeverywhere.Jack moved out, but you’re still around because you live across the street. I thought moving to San Diego would maybe be the magical cure to make me forget you.”
“And now?” I asked on a shaky breath, so tempted to get on my knees and beg her to stay.
“I don’t want to leave. I never did, to be honest. The School of Visual Arts has almost the same program and are offering me the same scholarship. I kept talking about it because I thought if I pretended hard enough I’d eventually want to go, but it didn’t work. If I go to San Diego, I’d probably still be just as miserableandhomesick. Running away from you wouldn’t make me get over you. Whatever happens between us, I want to stay here.”
I exhaled and fell back against my chair.
“This is where I pretend I’m not relieved as fuck you’re staying.”
Her lips curved into a shy smile as she nodded. “I’m relieved as fuck, too. I haven’t been sleeping that well the past few weeks. However … we end up. I won’t run away. I owe that to myself.”
She still thought this was temporary, but every nerve ending in my body screamedpermanentwhenever I looked at her.
“I want us to have a real shot. I want you here, with me.” I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “I want us toend uptogether, Patricia. I’ll promise you one thing. However they react, whatever happens, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You say that now.” She let out a sad laugh. “When my father goes nuts and my brother won’t speak to you anymore and our mothers—”
“I’ll still be right here. Fighting for you. Fighting for us.”
She squinted her eyes at me, regarding me as if I weren’t real. I didn’t blame her. The past not even twenty-four hours were unexpected—for both of us. I never thought I’d be here tonight, across the table from PJ, vowing to never let her go.
But at the same time, I couldn’t fathom being anywhere else.
“You mean that?” she whispered.
“Every single word. Again, why I ruined your birthday last night.” I smiled before I noticed the quiver in her bottom lip. “It’s all you and me, now,” I whispered.
“Thank you for my gift.” She grinned and pulled it out of the box. “I can’t wait to dig into this later.” Her mouth curved into a small smile before she reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of plastic with a paper inside. “I have a gift, too. Well, I had it for a while, but I thought you’d like it.”
She lifted a brow until I grabbed the paper and slipped it out of the cover. It was … me. I recognized the deck in her yard in the background. I was leaning forward, my elbows on the table laughing, probably at something stupid Jack said while we were hanging out back there one day. The air whooshed out of my lungs as I sat back in fucking awe. Her parents always plastered their walls with her paintings, but when she’d became more than just my best friend’s sister, I couldn’t look for more than a second when they’d point out her latest creation. Her art was an extension of her, and taking in the details of one of her paintings was too intimate for me to handle. I stayed far away from anything that would make me want her even more. As I took in the drawing in my hands, I discovered I’d been right. Her talent knocked the wind out of me.
“I may have had a little … staring problem when it came to you. I tried to keep it quiet and stealthy, but I always loved your laugh.” She shrugged with a wistful sigh. “I drew it, so I could save it.” She leaned over the table and grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. “I was hoping you’d find it sweet, not creepy. Although, even to my own ears, that sounded like the confession of a stalker.”
I laughed at the crinkle in her adorable nose. “You …” I trailed off, speechless. “You’re fucking amazing. Brilliant.”
“Brilliant?” She scoffed. “You don’t have to lay it on so thick—”
“It’s the truth …” I clammed up, glancing at her and then the paper in my hand. I’d never felt so much for anyone else, and even though we’d only started whatever this was between us, I was certain I never would. This little lady knocked me on my ass, and I’d never be able to get up. “This is … this is great. Thank you.”
