Page 94 of Rival Summer

It was as if oxygen had rushed back into my lungs, sweet and life-affirming. My hand found her cheek, almost instinctively, and she nestled into the warmth of my palm.

"It is more than that," I said earnestly. "You're the only thing that has ever truly made sense to me." Tears welled up in her eyes as I spoke. "When everything around me falls apart, when my world is spinning out of control, you're the one constant thing that I've always been sure about.”

Slowly, I leaned into her, closing the space between us. When our lips met in a kiss, it was like a reunion of souls, a remembrance of the perfection we’d been denying ourselves.

Chandler's breath caught, eyes wide with a mix of confusion and surprise as she pulled away. "Wait a minute," she whispered. "I thought you were in Illinois until Sunday."

"I was supposed to be," I admitted. "But I should have been here. Baseball is important—it's going to be my future, and I’ll figure it out. But you," I said, cupping her face gently, watching as her hazel eyes searched mine for certainty, "you are my home, Chandler. And honestly, I'd give it all up for you."

Then, slowly, she slid her arm around me, her head coming to rest against my chest.

"Wait," I murmured, just as I remembered something. "I got this for you." She sat up then, curiosity lighting up her featuresas I fished to my pocket, fingers closing around the small gift I'd picked up on my layover.

"I made it at the airport," I said, placing the delicate friendship bracelet into her open palm. "I didn’t have many options, so don’t ask me how many bracelets I had to buy and take apart to make one say what I wanted..." I trailed off, watching as her fingers traced over the beads that spelled out ”I love you.”

A glistening tear streaked down Chandler's cheek as she looked up from the bracelet. "I love you too, Boston."

I wiped her tear away and held her for a while, soaking up every moment of having her in my arms finally. She was mine.

"Hey," I said, breaking the silence. "You wanna go back inside the ball? I've got some dance moves that I can’t wait to show off." I gave her a playful wink, hoping to see the sparkle that always danced in her eyes when we were on the brink of adventure.

She laughed, and it was like music to my ears—the sound I'd been missing without even knowing it. "Let's go," Chandler giggled, her smile so wide it could outshine the moon.

I stood up first and reached out to help her to her feet, our hands lingering in the space between us. As we walked back toward the glittering lights of the ball, Chandler started chatting animatedly about the baseball awards I had won, recounting each with a pride that made my chest swell.

"Seriously, Boston, when they said your name—" she mimicked Caroline, nearly tripping over her own feet as she did. This night, this girl—everything felt like it was falling into place.

"Promise me one thing, though," she said, her tone shifting to something more serious as we neared the entrance.

"Anything," I assured her.

"Promise you won’t break my heart. We will do this together from now on—no matter how hard or tough it might be."

"Cross my heart," I replied, drawing an invisible X over my chest. "I’ll never let you go, I’ll never push you away. I’m all in when it comes to you. Now come on, let's show them how it's done."

And we spent the rest of the night on the dance floor, enjoying every moment to the fullest, as if every step, every turn, every shared glance was a testament to a love between us that had been waiting patiently to take center stage for most of our lives.

THIRTY-ONE

chandler

The next morningI slipped on Reese's jersey, which was way too big for me. But it was the only clean top I had left to wear. Willow was out, so I was doing laundry and cleaning alone. The clinking of dishes filled the quiet apartment. Sudsy water swirled around my hands as I scrubbed the last of the breakfast plates. The washing machine was running, too, whirring from the other room. In just a few days, I'd be trading in this lake town for textbooks and lecture halls.

The sharp ding of a text message jolted me from my terrible singing. I dried my hands on a nearby rag before sliding up the screen. It was Kristina.

Kristina

Okay, so. I have a confession...

Me

Spill it

Kristina

I went out with Papi Likes Butts

I blinked at the screen, my jaw nearly unhinging.

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