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Sue came by and helped, smiling at the totes I had ready for Matthew to take. “Not much, kiddo.”
I pursed my lips. “Moving around so much helps keep things light. I have a few sentimental things I want to keep, though. The boxes I’m going to ship—way cheaper than what the airline wants for baggage fees. I have enough clothes and toiletries to get myself going in my carry-on and one suitcase. Sharing the house with five others, I think storage space will be at a premium.”
“No doubt. I’ll ship the boxes, so it’s one less thing for you to do.”
“Great.”
“How did Matthew take the news?”
I tugged on my ponytail. “I could see it upset him, but he was understanding. Offered to help in any way he could. He’s taking the night off tomorrow and wants to drive me to the airport.”
Sue smiled. “Good. He’s a keeper, Maddy.”
“I know he is. But…” I trailed off. “I guess we’ll see. He keeps telling me not to get ahead of myself.”
“He’s right. Take it a day at a time. A week. Don’t start planning next year or even worry about what happens once you graduate. You’ll have time to plan that later. Concentrate on now.”
I knew she was right. So was Matthew. Still, I fretted, but I swallowed down my thoughts and smiled.
“Do you want to have dinner with us? Matthew is bringing food and asked if you’d join us.”
“I’d love that.”
“Okay, and I want to do one last baking session in the morning with you.”
She pinched my cheek. “Perfect.”
Matthew returned, carrying a bag of Greek food and a bottle of wine. He was witty and funny, making Sue and me laugh several times. She shared a few amusing stories of me, and I decided turnaround was fair play so I told Matthew about the time she’d been hungover and added salt instead of sugar to the cookies and peppermint extract to the icing by mistake.
“They were horrendous. Luckily, I was also hungry and tried one before we sold them,” Sue said, amusement in her voice. “Bitterly salty and horribly minty instead of sweet and vanilla. Quite the taste-bud awakener.”
Matthew laughed hard.
It was a nice evening, and the next day I got up and we baked together for the last time for who knew how long. Tray after tray of cookies appeared. The buns were light and looked delicious. I took extra care decorating my last cake, wanting it to be special. Sue kept the atmosphere light, and we laughed a great deal of the time.
Matthew surprised me when we were done by driving me to the marina, and we used his dad’s boat for a few hours. On board was a bottle of champagne and a note from his parents congratulating me and wishing me well. I looked at Matthew, who smiled.
“They’re happy for you too.”
“Not angry I’ve upset their son?”
He shook his head. “Like me, they know this is an opportunity you can’t let pass you by. No one is angry, sweetheart. Sad, but not angry. Never.”
He hugged me tight, and I wanted to crawl under his skin and stay there. Warm, safe, protected. But he drew back and kissed me. “Today is our last day. Let’s make it good.”
I nodded and dashed away the tears. “Okay.”
The ocean was calm and peaceful when we arrived at the same cove he’d brought me to before. We swam, ate the sandwiches he’d packed, sipped the bubbly wine. Talked about everything except tomorrow. We made love again, slow and tender, our bodies saying the things we couldn’t speak out loud. I lay against his chest, wrapped in his arms, letting my mind drift and enjoying the quiet around us. The sun was high in the sky, the rays warm on our skin. We let the peacefulness of the moment be the one that lasted the longest. Just him and me, the water, and our skin pressed together.
That evening, I fluctuated between anxiousness and happiness. I laughed with Matthew and Sue. Cried more than once. Lay awake all night, feeling Matthew’s quiet strength behind me, trying to absorb the sensation of our bodies molded as close as possible. The way his breath felt, warm and light on my neck as he dozed. How his lips would kiss my skin when he would stir, pulling me tighter again and nuzzling close.
I felt the tears form again when I realized that when I woke up the next morning, I would be alone. Thousands of miles away from him.
I hated those thoughts the most.
Matthew
Maddy held my hand in a death grip all the way to the airport. She had said her goodbyes to Sue last night, both women positive and upbeat. I’d seen the tears she held back and felt her anxiety grow as the evening progressed. It took every ounce of my strength to hold back my own thoughts and not do something stupid like beg her to stay. I had a feeling if I asked, she would, and I refused to be the one who stood in the way of this opportunity.
