Page 37 of Something to Someone

“Who the helldecided to have the ceremony outside?” I asked Natalie as we walked through the courtyard. “Because whoever it is, deserves a special place in hell. A graduation ceremony outside inMay?”

Natalie laughed, but it was lackluster. She was already using her program as a fan too, trying to cool herself off some way, somehow. Luckily, she’d warned me that it was outside, so I’d followed her lead when getting dressed that morning. She was wearing a white sundress, and I was wearing something similar in a darker blue. But it was hot enough that we were bound to be uncomfortable no matter what.

“Yeah, I agree. I just hope we don’t see?—”

“Natalie?” We both stopped, and Natalie tensed, closing her eyes and probably praying that she hadn’t just heard her name although we both knew she had. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at me before she turned around, and I understood the silent request in that one fleeting look. She was looking for support, and hell, that was all she would ever get from me.

“Hey, Mark,” she said. Natalie’s ex-husband approached with who I could only assume was his new girlfriend following closely behind.

Their divorce had been amicable a few years ago, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some sort of tension. Especially since this was the first time he’d brought this new girl around, and he’d been less than impressed that Natalie had begun dating his son’s best friend.

“How are you?” he asked and subtly gave me a tight-lipped smile. There was no love lost between the two of us. I was Natalie’s best friend, and they were divorced, so it was obvious where my allegiance laid.

Mark was an average looking guy. Dark hair and eyes, he’d aged well, but he was nothing compared to Theo who was objectively gorgeous with brown curly hair and a myriad of beautiful tattoos. Not that it was her intention, but Natalie seriously leveled up in every way.

“Hot. How are you?”

He nodded and reached behind him for his girlfriend’s hand. She stepped up with a nervous smile. “Good, I wanted to introduce you to Jessica. Jessica, this is Natalie and Caroline.”

Jessica extended her hand with a shaky “hi,” and Natalie, then I, accepted it. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Natalie said. “I’ve heard lovely things about you. Ryder has lots of good things to say.”

It wasn’t an all-out lie, but I knew that she wasn’t Ryder’s favorite. According to him, Mark and Jessica had been together for a while and were getting serious, yet she’d been reluctant to get to know him. But Natalie was trying to be nice which was just her personality.

They kept the conversation light and chatted for a few minutes. I nodded and smiled along, but my mind was everywhere else. Particularly on one of the men graduating who had sent me a cheeky picture of himself wearing nothing but his cap and gown that morning. It was a mirror selfie, with his tongue out and a cute little peek at his toned stomach underneath the bulky gown.

It was stupid. And I’d looked at it about a million times.

“Let’s all sit together,” Jessica said, and I tuned back into the conversation. Natalie threw me a pleading look, but Mark jumped in before I had a chance.

“Yeah,” he said. “That would be great.”

True to her kind nature, Natalie agreed and let them lead us toward the rows of seats arranged in the courtyard.

“We don’t have to sit with them,” I whispered. “I can be the bad guy.”

Natalie smiled but shook her head. “No, it’ll be fine. I don’t want to be rude.”

“But that’s the thing,” I offered. “Youdon’t have to be rude. I’ll be rude for you. I have no issue doing it.”

“Care, I promise, I’m fine. I’m a big girl.”

We chose seats toward the center of the crowd and near a large tree that provided some much-needed shade. The campus was beautiful—with tall red brick buildings, impeccable landscaping, and trees that were older than the country itself. It was much more picturesque than the standard, unimpressive state college I’d gone to. No wonder Theo and Ryder enjoyed being on campus so much.

I sat at the end of the row while Natalie was pressured into sitting between me and Jessica. They continued their surface-level conversation while I watched guests file in and prayed for a breeze.

My phone vibrated in my clutch, and I carefully pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Ryder: Are you here? Where are you sitting?

Me: Sorry, couldn’t make it. Congrats, though!

It took seconds for his response to come through.

Ryder: Don’t make me cry on my graduation day. I’ll come out there and find you if I need to.

Me: We’re on the right-hand side of the stage about six rows back.

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