Page 214 of Staying Selfless

E: Hope you don’t have plans tomorrow.

“Someone want to fill me in?” Ali asks on my other side.

I pull up the photo Eli sent me, enlarging it on the screen so Ali can see the invitation to the university’s graduation ceremony.

“Eli is graduating tomorrow, and we’re going.”

Chapter 53

Logan

“Does this look okay?”

“Logan, you’re kidding, right?” Ali laughs. “You look insane in the best way possible.”

“I just want to look nice.” I run my hands down the front of my sky-blue cotton sundress as I stand in front of my full-length mirror, my heart beating a little faster from the nerves. “I haven’t seen him in six weeks.”

And the last time he saw me, I was lying in a hospital bed, fresh out of surgery with cuts and bruises covering my face and body. I want to give him a new image, hoping not to be remembered that way, but I don’t articulate that particular insecurity out loud.

“You could show up in a burlap sack, and I’m pretty sure Maddison will still try to bone you the second he’s sees you. Now, in this dress, and with your ass looking like that.” Her wide eyes are directed at my backside. “I’m just hoping you two don’t get arrested for public indecency.”

A giggle sneaks past my lips as I admire myself in the mirror once more. Today is the best I’ve felt since the accident. I’m not sure if it’s because I feel good in this dress or because I know Eli is about to be in the same city as me, but either way, I feel a little more like myself.

I run my fingers through the loose curls in my hair before I fix the spaghetti straps of my sundress, which has easy access to my tattoo that I know Eli loves.

And yes, I said sundress. It’s finally warm enough in Minnesota to wear a dress.

I made it through winter.

“Damn, Logan.” Marc leans on my doorframe, motioning up and down my body, referring to my dress. “Yes.”

A slight blush creeps up my cheeks, making me even more excited and nervous to see Eli. I just hope he missed me as much as I’ve been missing him.

“My parents have our seats, but we should get going.”

“Marc, can you drive?” I hold out my new car keys to him.

“Really? Logan, don’t you think it’s time? We’re only going to the other end of campus.”

“Please,” I beg, keeping my keys outstretched.

Marc takes them from me with a defeated sigh, knowing I’m not ready to drive just yet. In fact, I haven’t driven once since the accident. I’m too freaked out. I didn’t even drive my brand new, fully loaded, black-on-black Jeep Wrangler that Eli bought me off the lot. I made Marc do it.

Once on the far side of campus, Marc puts my keys back into my purse as the three of us walk into the football stadium for Eli’s graduation. I haven’t heard from my boyfriend for a couple of hours now. His last message was to let me know that he was grabbing one more tank of gas and should be here right before the ceremony starts, so I’ll see him when it’s over.

We filter into the mass of families and friends, all here to see their college student graduate. The football stadium has been completely redone for today’s events, a makeshift stage set up in one of the endzones, and plenty of folding chairs on the field for the students.

We follow Mary’s directions, finding her and Jack in the crowd with three seats saved for us beside them with Eli’s college teammates sitting in the next row back.

I can’t contain my proud beaming smile as Jack and Mary stand to hug me, all of us excited to see their son.

I’ve seen them plenty over the last six weeks, but I’ll never get tired of spending time with Eli’s family. Mary practically moved into the Minnesota house, and Jack only went back to Indiana when he had work commitments. Even when I settled back into the dorms, they stuck around. I think it was partly to give Eli peace of mind that everything was okay here so he could focus on hockey. But if we’re being honest, I think the real reason is that Mary, Ali, and I have been having a blast together, and she didn’t want to go back home quite yet.

They even brought Max up here to stay, and I’ve been loving having a dog around. I can’t wait to start working out again so I can run him around the lake in their backyard.

“I love this.” Mary pulls away from our hug, checking out my dress. “Is this the one we got at Nordstrom a couple of weeks ago?”

I nod my head in agreement, unable to wipe the smile off my face, knowing that I get to see Eli soon. I can’t stop thinking about that moment. It’s been replaying in my mind every day for the last six weeks.

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