PROLOGUE
PENNY
THE DAY I'VE been dreading for the past four years is finally here. I'm heading off to college in New York and leaving everything behind. A part of me is excited to experience city life and escape the small town of Willowbrook, Alabama, but a much bigger part is absolutely terrified.
Pushing the last of my bags into the car, I let out a squeal when a pair of arms wrap around me, dragging me backwards. "You wouldn't leave without sayin' goodbye now, would you, Penny Lane?" Colton asks, as he nuzzles his stubbled jaw against my neck.
He turns me around to face him. The hot summer sun is beating down on us, and I stare up at him, squinting and taking in every feature of his face, as if committing it to memory. His strong arms are wrapped around my waist as he looks down at me with his signature smirk, and I wish I could just pause this moment and soak it all in. I miss him already, and I haven't even left yet.
Colton James Crawford.
Just thinking of my boyfriend makes butterflies erupt in my stomach. With his dark, shaggy hair, chocolate eyes and all-American good looks, he causes my heart to pitter-patter whenever he's near…along with any female within a five-mile radius. However, Colton only has eyes for me, and it's been that way faithfully since we were too young to even know what love was.
"I would never leave without sayin' goodbye to you," I murmur.
Our love story started out innocently enough. He was the one that, at five years old, made me swear off all boys until the end of time when he put earthworms and dirt in my hair during recess. I got him back, however, the next week by putting glue and glitter in his hair. His mother was not happy when she had to shave his head, and I was grounded for over a month because of that incident.
The back and forth teasing between us slowly eased its way into friendship, and the friendship eventually blossomed into a love that was deeper than any love I have ever seen before. Our love bloomed over the years, growing strong and vibrant like a beautiful and rare flower. It was the kind of love you read about in romance novels, and I was lucky enough to experience it firsthand.
From the little boy who had made me hate him in kindergarten, Colton had grown into a brawny teenager with a heart of gold and who could make everything as right as rain with just a smile. Yes, I was in love with that boy so deeply that I knew I would never reach the surface again no matter how hard I tried. He definitely ruined me for anyone else. No one would ever be able to take his place in my heart.
Colton sweeps me into his arms and swings me around until I cry out for mercy. Laughing, he stops us abruptly and holds me tight. "I love you, Penny Lane Preston," he says, while gazing down into my eyes.
"And I love you, Colton James Crawford."
He closes his eyes for a moment as he inhales and then sighs deeply. "I can't believe you're leavin' today. I knew this day was comin', but it just came too soon, you know?"
I nod in agreement. I knew all too well how fast this day had come and how much I had been dreading it ever since high school graduation. As we part ways for the next four years, my heart wants to split in two --- leaving one half in Alabama and the other half still beating in my chest while I'm in New York for college.
"Come with me," I suggest, repeating the same phrase I've been saying for the past several weeks.
And, of course, Colton's response is the same. "I can't, Penny." His dark brows draw tight. "I wish I could go with you, but you know my dad needs me to help run the bar."
Colton's plan is to stay in Alabama and help his dad out with the family business. His dad has been running Crawford's Bar by himself since Colton's mama died from cancer years ago, and I know he could use an extra hand in keeping the business afloat.
His forehead touches mine, and he bites his lower lip in thought. "New York City is a hell of a long way from Bama, Penny." He sighs sadly. "What am I gonna do without you?"
I place my hands on his cheeks and meet his stare. "I think you'll survive, Colt. Besides, we're gonna call, text, email and visit as often as we can. That's the agreement, right?"
He nods once, and I can see his tough exterior start to crack. "I'm gonna miss you so damn bad. I feel like a piece of my heart is gettin' ripped out of my chest."
I know the feeling. Gently, I touch my palm to his chest over his heart and make a motion like I'm grabbing a part of it, and then I hold my cupped hand over my chest. "I'll keep it safe for you until I'm back."
He grins a crooked grin, and my resolve starts to fracture. I'm going to miss that grin. Hell, I'm going to miss everything there is when it comes to Colton James. The thing that kills me the most is that I'm having second thoughts about New York. What if I don't even like it once I get up there? I've never been that far away from home, and I'm scared that everything will change once I leave.
But just like my mama told me the other day, there is no room for second thoughts when it comes to New York. My apartment and tuition have been paid for, and I'm already enrolled in all of my classes. It's too late to back out.
I can do this, I tell myself. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. And after I'm done with school, I can come home and marry Colton just like I always wanted. It's only a few years, and I'll come home during summer break. We'll make it work.We have to.
While I'm lost in deep thought, Colton pulls me impossibly closer to him, breathing in my scent and sighing softly against my neck. His brows are furrowed, and he looks like he has a lot on his mind. Seeing Colt have his doubts about all of this makes me all the more nervous. I know deep down that we'll get through this. We have survived everything in the past together, and that's just how it's going to be in the future. I can't imagine my life without him. He truly is my soul mate, and I believe that wholeheartedly.
"Are you gonna forget about me when you start makin' all your new college friends?" he asks, and I can hear the apprehension in his voice.
I pull back to stare into his eyes; and in all seriousness, I tell him, "I could never forget you, Colt."
He smiles that familiar smile and leans in to place a sweet kiss on my lips. A dull ache forms in the middle of my chest, and I fight back my emotions. I think I'm going to miss his kisses most of all.
"Remember me?" He whispers the question against my lips.
