“I love you, Ives.”
“You do?” I breathe, my pulse fluttering out of control.
He nods slowly, holding my gaze. “Of course, I do. I’ve loved you since that day we got ice cream, I think. Back when you first said my name. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”
Once his words sink in, I can hardly believe them. “Really? That long ago?”
“From the very beginning you treated me like aperson,not some campus persona. You weren’t trying to win me over or put on a performance or make some calculated move. You intrigued me. Disarmed me. You didn’t give away your smiles freely or your laughs easily. You made me work for every single one, and honestly, Ives? I didn’t mind it for a second. Earning your trust, yourheart,was the most worthwhile thing I’veeverdone.”
Warm tingles spread throughout my body as his words sink in, but before I can respond, he kisses me. He kisses me andkisses me, and we float up and out of this bed. The world tunnels to the two of us, and at last, I’m able to fully embrace the moment.
No more secrets. No more hiding. No more running. Wes knows the truth, and he still loves me. He’s here for me, no matter what that means.
After months of stumbling in the dark and desperately clinging to his beautiful, blinding rays,Ilight up forhim.
This time when he shines, I shine right back.
THIRTY-NINE
With only twoweeks left in the semester, time speeds up. The days start moving too fast, and graduation looms, the monumental milestone both a sunrise and a storm cloud on the horizon.
Wes and I make up for the time apart by spending every possible second at each other’s side. We become joined at the hip. Absolutely inseparable, sitting together for hours, talking, laughing, and preparing for finals. I try not to think about the fact that it won’t be like this next year, but it’s difficult to ignore reality the closer we near to his graduation ceremony.
I share my feelings with Deborah, who manages to convince me that just because things are going to change, doesn’t mean they’ll have a negative impact. But it’s hard to maintain that sort of optimism whenever I see Wes waving to someone across the quad or lighting up campus with his contagious smile and boisterous energy. There’s no denying that Stratus won’t feel the same without him as a student.
With finals only three days away, I step out of the Counseling Center and into the main portion of the building, which houses the rest of the Student Support divisions. Looking down at my phone, I don’t see the girl until I nearly barrel straight into her.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, immediately apologetic.
And then I register who it is.
I stumble back, nearly fumbling my phone as I take in Alexis Cane’s ruffled appearance. Her eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, and her normally made-up face is make-up free. Her hair’s pulled up in a disheveled ponytail, and she’s wearing baggy sweatpants with the MHHS logo on the thigh.
It takes her a moment to registermebefore her face twists like she’s smelled something sour.
“Are you happy?” she snaps, her voice dripping with pure venom. When I only stand there, staring at her with wide eyes because I have no idea what she’s talking about, her face flashes with fury. I take a step back, genuinely afraid she might slap me, but she only shakes her head. Angry tears well in her eyes, and she hastily swats them away. “Fuck you, Ivy. Fuck.You.My parents are going to fight this. I’m not getting kicked out because of some fucking forum I didn’t evenwrite.”
“What?” I breathe, my mind reeling as I try to catch up.
She scoffs. “Oh, don’t play innocent. I know you were behind this. Fuck. You.”
And then she pushes past me, her shoulder smacking into mine. She hurries down the hallway and out of the building, leaving me standing here, staring after her, completely stunned. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Alexis would face repercussions for her actions. I just assumed she’d get away with her bullying the way she always does.
Still struggling to wrap my head around it, I drive to Wes’s house, eager to tell him the news. He’s already coming down the steps as I exit the car, his broad smile easing my stress.
“Were you waiting for me?” I ask as he gathers me in his arms.
“I’m always waiting for you,” he says, his dimples making an appearance.
Grinning back at him, I tilt my head up for a kiss. He obliges, kick-starting my heart, and when we break apart, he takes my bag off my shoulder and ushers me inside.
“I had the weirdest interaction just now,” I tell him, as we climb the stairs to his room.
He glances back at me with a raised eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”
I nod. “After my session, I ran into Alexis. She told me she’s getting kicked out. Someone must have reported her involvement in that forum.”
“Oh, really?” he asks, but there’s a strange, almost coy note in his tone. Confused, I study him as he sets my bag on his desk and sits on the bed, adopting a much-too-innocent expression.
