“Dylan.”
Matthew’s voice is quiet, almost hesitant. I turn to see him standing just a few feet away, his hands shoved into his pants pockets. His expression is softer than it was before, but that same tension lingers between us, thick and heavy.
“I just wanted to say congrats,” he says, offering me a small smile. “And… goodbye.”
My heart skips a beat, and I force myself to smile back, even though his words sting more than I want to admit. “Goodbye? Aren’t you coming home?”
He shakes his head, looking down at his shoes for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “No, I’m headed out to CSU. Figured I’d get a head start on everything.”
The news hits me like a punch to the gut. He’s leaving—leaving town, leaving everything behind, leaving me behind. And we’re not even going to talk about what happened? About us?
“Oh,” is all I manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper. My mind races, trying to process it all. “Will I see you at all this summer?”
Matthew hesitates, then nods slowly. “Maybe. If you want to, you could come visit for a weekend. We could… talk and stuff.”
“I… yeah, maybe,” I finally say, my voice wavering slightly. “I’ll think about it.”
Matthew’s eyes search mine, as if he’s trying to find something in them that I’m not even sure is there. But before either of us can say anything else, a loud whoop breaks through the tension, and I barely have time to register what’s happening before Ford comes barreling toward me, grinning like an idiot.
“Dylan!” he shouts, lifting me off my feet and swinging me around in a circle. “We did it! We’re free!” Jacob weaves his way toward us, chuckling at the scene Ford is causing.
I laugh despite myself, the tension breaking as Ford sets me back down, still holding onto my shoulders. “Yeah, we did,” I say, my eyes flicking back to Matthew, who’s watching us with an amused smile.
“Congrats,” Matthew tells the guys.
“And what’s going on here?” Ford asks, wagging his eyebrows in that infuriatingly cocky way of his. “You finally gonna tell us what’s up?”
Just as the words leave his mouth, my mom reappears, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the scene. “What is happening over here?” she asks, her voice sharp and suspicious.
Matthew clears his throat, stepping back slightly. “Oh, nothing. Just congratulating Dylan and, uh, inviting her up to campus sometime this summer. You know, so she can tour before she comes in the fall.”
The mention of CSU makes my mom’s face tighten as she pieces together the implications. “I told you if you went there, I wouldn’t pay for it. So how are you going to afford that? Who’s going to pay for it?”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes, instead offering her a sweet smile. “Oh, did I forget to mention? I got a scholarship.”
Gideon beams with pride, pulling me into another hug. “That’s amazing! Congrats, Dylan.”
But Mom’s expression doesn’t soften. If anything, it hardens as she gives me a pointed look, one that carries the weight of a thousand unspoken words. I can see the wheels turning in her mind, the past coming back to haunt her as she tries to fit this new piece of information into whatever narrative she’s constructed in her head.
Matthew, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around us, steps forward and extends his hand to my mom. “Goodbye, Holly. Thanks for everything.”
Gideon looks surprised. “Where are you headed, son? We’ll just see you at the house.”
Matthew glances at me, then back at his dad. “To CSU. I’ve got to get started early, so everything is set when the fall term starts. Plus, I want to get settled in a house since I plan to stay out there permanently.”
“That makes sense, but when were you going to tell us? I didn’t even know you’d been packing or were planning to leave today.”
“I’m grown, Dad, and your fiancée is miserable to be around. I’m not taking anything with me but my clothes and laptop. You can do whatever with the rest.”
The words hit me harder than I expected, the finality of them settling into my chest like a stone. He’s really leaving.
Mom, ever the dramatist, lets out a theatrical wail, clutching at her chest as if she’s just been told the most tragic news in the world. “He better be back for the wedding!” she exclaims, her voice rising in pitch as she glares at Matthew. “You promised you’d be there!”
Matthew’s jaw tightens, and I can see the frustration simmering beneath the surface. “I already told you, Holly. I’m not going to be a part of it. I made that clear.”
I can feel the eyes of everyone nearby turning toward us, sensing the drama unfolding. My cheeks burn with embarrassment, but I force myself to keep my expression neutral. This isn’t the time or place to get into it with my mom, not with everyone watching.
Ford, ever the peacekeeper, steps in with a grin, clapping Matthew on the back. “Hey, man, don’t worry about it. We’ll see you around, yeah?”
