Page 94 of Dear Roomie
“So I’ll tell you what I told her, not because I think you are owed this information, but because I’m not ashamed of how I feel about her. I’m all in. I love James with my whole heart, but what our relationship looks like is entirely in her hands. I’m never going to push her for more than she is comfortable with, and when she says she’s ready for something, I’m going to take her at her word. Is that enough to put your mind at ease, sir?” I can’t keep the sarcastic sneer off that final word.
Mr. Clarke’s eyes widen a fraction as he seems to look at me in a new light. His posture relaxes, and his whole demeanor shifts as his shoulders sag and his face calms.
“Call me Reed, son,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder again, but this time in a way that feels more friendly than imposing.
“I’m sorry, but what’s happening,” I ask, dumbfounded.
“I’m sure Ophelia has told you, but due to the nature of my work, I can’t be around as much as I would like to be. I missed the signs when things started to go bad with Tanner. Hell, I didn’t even know things had gone bad until I saw how miserable she was at that engagement party. I felt like the most sorry sack of shit dad in the world. But in the same breath that she tells me about all the heartache she was going through, she tells me about another man, the roommate who stole her heart, and her whole face lit up talking about you. Then, a littlewhile later, she calls and tells me she’s dating the roommate, and I knew I had to see it with my own eyes, to make sure you weren’t going to hurt her even more than she’s already been hurt.”
“I don’t appreciate being tested,” I tell him.
“I know, but I won’t apologize because I’m not sorry. One day, you’ll have a kid of your own, and you’ll know exactly the lengths a father would go to protect his kid.”
I bite the inside of my lip to keep myself from saying more.
“Let’s get going. The ceremony will start soon,” he says.
I nod and let him guide me back toward the stadium. We join Grandma Anne in the stands, and she gives us both a strange look as we approach but shrugs it off without saying anything on the matter.
Commencement isn’t the most thrilling of events. Even as the sun sets behind the large screen in the west end zone, the air remains hot and humid. Speaker after speaker drones on, giving the graduation class words of encouragement for their futures and highlighting the groups who have excelled academically. I don’t pay a bit of attention to the words said; instead, I search the rows on the field until I find the woman who holds my heart. It isn’t too hard—she painted her cap, and I would recognize her style anywhere. Seeing Chelsea’s wild mane of fiery hair next to her might have also made things easier.
The hours drag by. Individual names aren’t even called due to the sheer number of students graduating. Eventually, the school’s president declares that the class is officially alumni, James switches the tassel over to the opposite side, and fireworks shoot into the night sky.
Students and spectators alike start to stream out of the stadium. I send a quick text to James to let her know where to meet us and lead her family to the designated spot. Only a few minutes pass before a blur of gold and black throws herself at me. I wrap my arms around her as she catches my lips in a blistering kiss.
“Hi,” she says as she pulls away, her face glowing from the force of her smile.
“Hi,” I mumble back like a love-sick fool with my brain completely short-circuited. “I’m proud of you.”
“We all are,” Reed says from behind me, and I release her, dropping her feet back to the floor.
She rolls her eyes but turns toward her family, still smiling with the radiance of the sun. Chelsea and Evelyn came with her; Chelsea has a large group of gingers in tow, but Evelyn is completely alone. I walk over to her while my girlfriend stays locked in a final conversation with her dad and grandma before they leave.
“Congratulations,” I say to Evelyn, causing her round eyes to widen.
“Thank you.” She regains her composure rather quickly. “You’ve got a little something…” She gestures to my face with her hands.
I reach up and rub the back of my hand across my face, which comes away with a streak of red lipstick. It’s going to take more than my hand to get that off, but if this is the consequence of kissing my woman, I’ll take it happily.
“I’m happy for you,” she says, and after a beat, she adds, “and Jamie. I mean…I…I’m just glad you guys figured it out.” Her cheeks grow pink, and she drops her gaze to her feet.
“Thanks. What’s next for you after this?”
“I’m actually getting my master’s here next fall.”
“So that means the only one we’re losing is Chelsea,” James says, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“But I’m still here tonight,” Chelsea adds as she joins our circle. “So let’s go party like we never can again.”
The girls mutter their agreement, and we head toward Cutter’s.
Chapter 37
James
The crowd at Cutter’s is as rowdy as I’ve ever seen it. The tiny bar is packed like it’s game day, with graduates and their families alike, but the air buzzes with a different type of energy. People are partying like it’s the last chance they’ll get, and for many people, it will be—at least in Athens. It’s a strange mix of nostalgia, melancholy, and euphoria all packaged together to create an almost manic atmosphere. It’s the end of an era; the so-called best days of our lives are officially behind us. Tomorrow starts the next adventure, where we are thrust into the real world without a parachute. So tonight, we do the only thing we can—we drink.
“Shots for the graduates,” Karis yells over the chaotic thrum of music and conversation. She squeezes between the over-packed bodies, holding a tray with three full shot glasses and two empty ones. “Courtesy of the ugly bastard at the counter. Gage says congratulations, by the way.”
