Page 80 of Forbidden Hearts
Emmeline
Huh?
I didn’t open it. I’m afraid.
Emmeline
Don’t be a chickenshit. Just open it! No matter what, you have other options.
She’s right. I should look.
I exhale deeply, pull my emails back up, and open it.
Dear Ms. Bettencourt,
Thank you for your interest in University of Texas.
Blah, blah, blah.
We would like to invite you to come to pursue your AuD at University of Texas.
I scream and dance around the room, my legs going up and down quickly as I spin in a chaotic circle. I got in! I got into one of my top schools. I could cry, and I know this is one hundred percent thanks to Professor Calloway.
She must’ve pulled some very big strings.
Needing to tell someone, I rush out into the living room and then take the stairs two at a time. When I get to Olivia’s room, I press the doorbell on the wall that will flash a light to let her know someone is outside.
She opens her door with a sour face, but I don’t care because I am overflowing with joy. I sign quickly.“I got in!”
“Where?”
“University of Texas! I got a spot for next semester.”
I told Olivia about how I left Iowa and wasn’t going back as well as how nervous I was about it. Normally, I wouldn’t have said anything to her about it, but I used it as a way to be relatable and to let her know that it’s okay to be afraid of things but push through them. She does it with her appointments and therapy, and now, she sees me doing it with school.
She jumps up, her frown now a bright, wide smile. We hug and jump around in circles. My relief is so unreal. If I hadn’t gotten in, I would have had to push a year back, which wouldn’t have been the end of the world, but it wouldn’t have been great either.
Liv leans back.“Texas is far.”
I nod. “It is, but so was Iowa.”
“I didn’t know you before.”She sighs heavily.“I’ll miss you.”
I am going to miss her so damn much. In only a few weeks, Olivia has become very important to me. She’s wonderful, smart, beautiful, and has the potential to do anything she desires.
“I will email all the time.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. I will visit too. We should celebrate.”
Her blue eyes, the ones that are just like her father’s, brighten.“Ice cream?”
I laugh.“Perfect.”
twenty
ASHER
