Page 29 of His Heart

“I’m going to take care of you, Bee,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about her, okay?”

I nodded and sat up, wiping beneath my eyes. “I just wish she was different. She’s my mom. Why didn’t she love me enough to be a good mother?”

Liam touched my cheek. “Bee, it’s not because of you. It’s her. She’s messed up. And she doesn’t deserve you.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” he said. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat. Maybe tacos will cheer you up.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Tacos aregood.”

“See? That’s my girl.” He grinned. “Besides, I have something special planned for us tonight.”

“Oh yeah? What?”

He tapped my nose. “It’s a surprise. But it’s something to look forward to. Don’t think about her. She doesn’t matter anymore. It’s you and me, now.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He always knew how to make everything better.

* * *

The sun was settingas we drove out into the desert. Liam still had the pickup truck his parents had helped him buy back in high school. We had a to-go bag of cheeseburgers and fries in between us, the smell filling the cab. My stomach rumbled and I hoped we’d get to wherever we were going soon.

I was still a little rattled after the phone call from my mom. No matter how often Liam tried to assure me that I didn’t need her, it didn’t change the fact that she was my mother. Hearing her voice had reassured me that my worst fear for her—that she had died—hadn’t happened. But knowing she was repeating the same mistakes, just in a different place, was so disappointing. I didn’t know why I’d expected anything else. She’d been doing the same thing her entire adult life.

But I couldn’t help nurturing the hope that maybe someday, she’d get better.

Liam turned to me with a mischievous grin, and I tried to put thoughts of my mom out of my mind.

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing?” I asked. “Or are we just going out to eat cheeseburgers in the middle of the desert?”

He didn’t answer, just smiled. His blue eyes sparkled.

About ten minutes later, he pulled off the road and stopped. Without saying a word, he grabbed our dinner and got out. I followed and we both climbed into the bed of his truck.

Immediately, I looked up. The sun had set and the stars twinkled against the backdrop of the night sky.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

“So beautiful.”

I glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking up. He was looking at me.

We ate our dinner and chatted. We talked about our summer plans, and the coming year. Olivia had decided to go to ASU with us in the fall. Her parents were already planning a graduation party. It sounded like it was going to be fun.

Then we talked about the future. About a book we’d both read and what we thought it meant. About the places we wanted to visit, and whether we thought we’d be dog people or cat people, or something else entirely.

When we finished, Liam took the wrappers and stuffed them back in the bag.

“Do you remember the first time we did this?” he asked.

“How could I not?”

He smiled. “My life changed that night. From the first time I kissed you, nothing has been the same.”

“Yeah, for me too,” I said. He thought his life had changed? Liam had swept into my life and rescued me. He’d saved me from the hell my mom still lived in.

“I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

A wave of excitement poured through me, making my skin tingle and my heart race. Oh my god. Could that be…? It was so unexpected.

“I know we’re young,” he said. “So this isn’t meant to be something we rush into. If you say yes, we can finish school first and all that. But I also want you to know that you’re it for me, Bee. I don’t want anyone else, ever. You’re my life, and I want you to be with me for the rest of it.”

He opened the box and my breath caught in my throat. The ring was a simple gold band with a shimmery light blue opal. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“Brooke Summerlin, my sweet Bee, will you marry me?”

I met his eyes and smiled, my eyes filling with tears. “Yes.”

He took the ring and slid it on my finger, then leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. My eyes fluttered closed. We were young, but I knew it too. Liam and I were going to be together for the rest of our lives.

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