“I missed you, too,” I mumble, “and it’s only been anhour.How are we going to survive this summer and then next fall and then?—”
He pulls back to look into my eyes, his hands giving my shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “Ives, we have a plan. We won’t be apart for long, trust me. I can’t stand the thought of it.”
My nose wrinkles. “Okay, if you say so.”
He laughs and plants a quick kiss on my cheek. “God, you’re fucking cute.” My face warms at the compliment, but I won’t be so easily distracted by flattery.
“Are yousureyou wouldn’t rather be spending your night at some wild party, getting shit-faced and reliving your glory days?”
He snorts. “As appealing as that sounds, I’d rather spend my last official night in college helping my girlfriend pack up her dorm and then watch a movie after, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He sets his hands on my shoulders, spinning me around to face my room. He walks me toward the door before giving me a playful tap on the ass. “Let’s hop to it, then. The sooner we pack, the sooner we start our foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
I glance back at him. “Wes…”
“Yes, baby?”
“There are like four-hundred Marvel movies…”
His grin widens. “I know. Good thing we’ll be seeing a lot of each other this summer. We’re gonna need all the time we can get.”
Despite my protestthat Wes spend the night in his own bed, he refuses to leave. We fall asleep crowded in my twin monstrosity, and come morning, Wes groans, rolling onto his back and wedging me against the wall until I’m able to slip under his arm.
“I think I dislocated my shoulder,” he grumbles. “This bed is the devil.”
“Hey, don’t hate on the bed. It’s comfortable when your giant body isn’t hogging it,” I tease. “Plus, you have no right to complain. I told you to leave like five times.”
He blinks at me too innocently. “I wasn’t going anywhere without you last night, and you wanted to stay here. I’ll be fine. Just need to see a chiropractor. And maybe a physical therapist.”
I laugh at his whining and nudge his arm affectionately. “Mhm, okay. Whatever you say.”
Before Wes can issue any more complaints, there’s a knock on the apartment door. I blink, wondering if I imagined it, but when it sounds again, I jerk upright. My chest tightens with panic, and I throw back the blankets. “Shit, what time is it? Shit, are they early?”
It takes effort, but I somehow manage to roll over Wes’s body and set my feet on the floor, pulling on clothes and running into the bathroom to brush my hair.
When I step back into the bedroom a minute later, it’s empty. Wes is gone. Panicked, I burst into the living room and freeze at the sight before me.
Mom and Dad are standing in the doorway of my apartment, staring wide-eyed at the giant of a man in front of them. The giant of a man who can’t stop grinning.
“Are you sure we have the right apartment, Angela?” asks Dad.
“You guys are in the right place,” I call, widening my eyes at Wes as I step into view. I didnottell him he could answer the door. In fact, if he’d asked, I probably would have told him to lock himself in Quinn’s old room until it was time for them to leave. Not that he would have listened to me.
And Wes…well, Wes just keeps on smiling, an excited glint in his eye, almost like he’s been waitingmonthsfor this moment to occur. He extends his hand toward my father. “Hello, Mr. Combs. Mrs. Combs. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you both. I’ve heard so much.”
My dad blinks in surprise and reluctantly shakes his hand. “Hello,” he says, confusion evident on his face. “And you are…”
“My name is Wes Tucker and I’m madly in love with your daughter.” I swear, I choke on my own spit. My dad just stares. My mom’s jaw hits the floor. Neither of them says a word. “How was your drive? Not too long, I hope. Say, Mr. Combs, is that a Miller Hill Symphony Orchestra pin on your jacket there? My dad’s also a big fan. We’ve seen them perform live a dozen times, at least.”
Still, neither of my parents say a word.
“Mom. Dad. Come in,” I say hurriedly. “My stuff’s all packed in my room.”
The two shoot Wes and me strained looks before my mom guides my dad into my bedroom. As soon as they’re out of earshot, I widen my eyes at Wes.
“What are you doing?” I cry.
