Page 88 of Always You

Both our gazes snap to the stage, and I lock eyes with the principal. The old man holds the microphone in front of his lips, one eyebrow cocked to his hairline in a reprimanding look.

“Charlotte Roux?” His voice echoes through the sound box on the stage, an entertained smile cracking through. “You still want your diploma?”

I hide my smile behind my palm, then nod.

“I think you’re up, babe,” Hunter whispers in my ear, then places another kiss on my neck before I let go of him. I lock eyes with my mother on the way to the stage, and another tear slips down my cheeks. My mother is here, Hunter and I finally took the plunge, and I’m about to graduate.I’m so fucking lucky.

I step onto the stage with pride, shake the principal's hand, and move my tassel to the other side with a grin that reaches my ears. Hollers of my name are shouted by Hunter, Jason, Julie, and my mother, expanding the laughter from my throat before I run down the steps, ready to fly back into Hunter’s arms.

I launch myself at him, and he catches me with ease, his sculpted arms tightening around my waist. “We did it, Charls.”

“We did it.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Not true, Hunter Hansen. You can do anything you want.”

He lowers me to my feet, dipping his chin. “Right now, I want to kiss you.”

His lips find mine, until Jason booms in his ear. “Pay attention, dickhead. I’m next.”

“I’d rather look at her than you, idiot,” Hunter grunts before we both hoot out a laugh.

We watch our entire class take their diplomas, then cheer with the rest of our classmates as we toss our caps in the air.

“Whooo! It’s summer!” Julie throws her arms around Hunter and I, a bright smile lifting her cheeks.

“Can’t fucking wait!” Jason joins us, wrapping his arms around us all.

“Get the fuck off me. I can’t fucking breathe,” Hunter teases.

“If you can’t breathe, it’s because this blondie took away your ability to function.” Jason bops my nose with his index finger, a taunting expression glinting in his deep blue eyes.

“Yeah, Hunter becomes a fucking smitten little kitten when you’re around,” Julie pitches in.

“Smitten kitten?” Hunter and I echo with a matching incredulous look before we all bark out a full laugh. I glance around my friends, each of them vibrating with the same feeling that’s been growing inside of me in the last week. I haven’t felt this happy in so long. It’s officially summer, and I think it matches well with the phase I’m walking through.

Warm, comfortable, and ready for our next adventures. After this, we will all split up and go our separate ways, but I’m deciding here and now… I’m never saying goodbye to these people. I refuse to. I will do everything in my power to keep them in my life, no matter what challenges I still have to face.

Including Hunter.

My gaze crashes with Hunter’s, his hazel eyes sparkling against mine, our planned separation suddenly feeling less daunting than before. We’re gonna make this work. We still have the entire summer to figure it out, and I know we will find a way.

His smile mirrors mine, our vision blurring out everything around us again, until he snaps his head down, reaching for his phone in his pocket.

He reads the screen, and his face fall a little before he flicks his attention back up, then glances around the three of us. “Sorry, I need to take this.”

“I’m so happy for you and Hunter!” Julie squeezes my arm, but I’m fixating on Hunter’s back, trying to catch parts of his conversation.

“Yeah, me too.” My tone is flat, my heart picking up its pace. I hold my smile, but inside, a voice in my head is screaming. My gut roars with a sinister feeling, tensing my muscles.

“Are you okay, Charlie?” Julie lowers her head to force me to look at her, but I move past her, lasering in on my best friend. Hunter’s posture becomes more defeated with every second, the tightness of his shoulders showing his disagreement about something.

“I’m not sure.” I shake my head.

I know this feeling. I’ve felt it numerous times before, and the last time was when I woke up with Hunter lying next to me.

“Okay, yes. I’ll see you then,” Hunter say, before he finally turns back. His eyes snap to mine with the sharpness of a butcher knife, my heart dropping to the floor. With a guilty expression, he takes a few steps to stand in front of me.

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