Page 210 of Finding Olivia (Trace + Olivia 1)

I looked down at the list in my hand, reading through all the things that just a year ago, had merely been dreams of mine, and now I had accomplished all of them.

Everything was crossed off except for the very last thing.

With a smile aimed at Trace, I drew a line through the last item on the list, the most important one.

Things I want to do

1. Get drunk

2. Fly in a hot air balloon

3. Go to the carnival

4. Go to a concert (even if it’s someone I’ve never heard of)

5. Go to a party

6. Lose my virginity

7. Dance in the rain

8. Go roller skating

9. See the ocean

10. Learn to paint

11. Get a dog… or a cat… or a rabbit. Any pet will do.

12. Sing in front of real people. Avery doesn’t count.

13. Make more friends

14. Shoot a gun

15. Smoke

16. Get a tattoo

17. Learn to pole dance

18. Go skinny dipping

19. Pierce my belly button

20. Fall in love

I never meant to fall in love with Trace, but I did, and by some miracle, he fell in love with me too. We had some crazy adventures along the way, and I wouldn’t change any of it for the world, because all of those crazy things defined us. All the laughs, all the tears, all the kisses, it was all us, and it would always be that way, because I had found someone worth loving through the good and the bad.

I handed the piece of crinkled up paper to Trace and he smiled as he read it over.

“Well, what are we going to do now?” He asked, with his signature cocky grin, that I had learned to love. He threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me fully against him. Both our legs were stretched out, my left flush against his right.

His lips pressed tenderly against the top of my head.

I stared out at the setting sun, squinting against the brightness, as it disappeared over the line of trees.

“I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

---