Page 84 of Fragments of You

“Thank you, Paisley.” She speaks directly into my ear.

“What are you girls—” My mom stops mid-sentence, and I watch in the reflection of the mirror as her jaw goes slack. It strikes me that this is likely the first time she’s seen her daughters hug since they were little kids.

“Sorry, Mom.” Celine releases me, turning to grab her cap and gown from where it’s laid out across her bed. “We’re ready.”

“Okay.” Her gaze comes to me and we share a silent exchange. She doesn’t say it, but I can see in her eyes how grateful she is to have witnessed a tender moment between us. It’s no secret that Celine and I have never been close. “Your father is in the car,” she finally says.

“Well, let’s not keep him waiting.” I look back at my sister and then at my mom, feeling more whole than I have in a very long time.

All the pain of the past, all the regret and heartache, in some weird way I feel like it needed to happen. Because it brought us here, to this moment, and for me, there’s no more looking back, only forward.

Chapter Nineteen

Paisley

“YOU OKAY?” MY MOM ASKS as we stand on the football field, waiting for my grandparents and Aunt Rose to join us before we head to our seats.

“Yeah, why?” I force a smile to my lips.

“Because you look like you’re about to lose your breakfast on the turf.” She gives me a knowing look.

“Do I?” I attempt to laugh it off, but it only makes me sound more freaking nervous.

“It’s okay, you know? That boy loves you today the same way he loved you when you were kids. Maybe even more so.”

“What makes you think the way I’m acting has anything to do with Nash?”

“Because I’m your mother, and I know you.” She grins, her eyes catching something over my shoulder. “I know a lot has happened, and your father and I will support any decision you make. But if you think you’re going to find a man who loves you the way he does, you’re lying to yourself. You were lucky enough to find your soul mate when you were only a child. Some people search their whole lives and never find theirs. Don’t let fear dictate what you do now.” Her hands come to my shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Now turn around.”

I feel like my heart has lodged itself in the center of my throat, cutting off my ability to circulate air through my lungs.

I do as my mother says, though as I spin, it feels like I’m moving in slow motion.

I feel him before I see him, the familiar hum filling the air, like an invisible tether, pulling me toward him. I blink once, then twice, spotting him easily as he moves through the crowd.

His eyes meet mine, and like someone has just performed a silencing spell, every sound falls away until all I can hear is the fierce pounding inside my chest that vibrates through my entire body.

I haven’t even registered that I’ve moved until the distance between us is suddenly much smaller. But I’m not just moving, I quickly realize, but I’m running. Sprinting through the crowds of people with a single destination in my sights.

“Nash.” His name touches my lips.

We collide with so much force that I’m certain that if his arms hadn’t closed around me in that split second, I would have ricocheted off him and onto the ground.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck as I breathe in his familiar scent. His arms tighten around my waist, lifting my feet straight off the ground.

“Hi, P.” His deep voice reverberates through me.

Suddenly, every moment we’ve ever shared hits me like a wave, pulling me under with their weight.

Every touch. Every kiss. The pain. The joy. The heartbreak. The love... It’s like photographs being shuffled through my brain. I can see them all, but I can’t focus on a single one. They all blur together into one beautiful mess.

I don’t know how long we stand there, our arms wrapped around one another, holding on to each other like we’re both afraid to let go. All I know is that when Nash finally lowers me to my feet, all I want to do is jump right back into his embrace.

“God.” His eyes trace my face as he pulls back to look at me. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.” Emotion swims behind his stark blue eyes.

I want to say, you too, but that seems stupid. How do you say to someone that they’re so handsome you feel like you could die just from staring at them for too long? And my God, do I. Long gone is the boy I once knew or the young man I left behind four years ago. Today, a man stands in front of me. I mean, there are fragments of that boy everywhere, but physically, he looks so different, so grown. Then again, I guess I probably look different too. Age does that to a person.

I reach up and touch the side of his face, letting my fingers linger on his square jawline, hidden beneath a short, well-kept beard. The hair is course to the touch and all I want to do is spend every waking moment touching it, committing every thread to memory.

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