Page 50 of Wanted You More

I barely register the response from family and friends in the crowd or dodge the caps being tossed in the air and falling back down. Maybe that’s a good thing, or I’d be cowering in the fetal position dodging caps like they’re bullets. All I do is follow the rest of my class as we slowly make our way off the stage and outside, where our families come to meet us.

It’s not long before Dad pulls me into his arms and presses a kiss against the top of my head. “I’m so proud of you, Austen. I wish your mother could be here to see this.”

My throat thickens with emotion. “I wish she was too,” I tell him, cringing at the raspiness to my tone.

Wolfe comes up beside me and gives me a one-armed hug, looking as awkward with the public sibling affection as I do.

I mess up his combed hair. “You better not have gotten a bad picture of me.”

“All pictures of you are bad,” he teases, nudging me with his shoulder. There’s a sadness in his eyes when he lowers his voice and says, “It will suck not having you at school anymore. Who else is going to annoy me about eating?”

It makes me smile. Dropping an arm around his shoulder, I tug him into me. “I guess you’re going to finally have to make friends to talk to, dork face.”

Dad chuckles.

Ben and Elizabeth walk up to me after Wolfe moves over by Dad. It’s Ben who gives me a quick hug. “You’ve come a long way, kid.”

Elizabeth’s hug is a lot longer. In my ear, she whispers, “He did want to come.”

He.

Noah.

When she pulls back, there’s a knowing glaze to her eyes. “I don’t know quite what happened, sweetie. But I know it was something. Just know that it’ll be okay. Everything works out how it’s supposed to in the end.”

That doesn’t mean anything to me. Because what if I don’t like the outcome?

I force a smile on my face. “Thanks.”

She brushes my arm. “We’re all very proud of the young woman you’ve grown into. You’re going to do amazing things with your life. Never forget what power you have.”

I doubt I’ll make much of a difference going to the local state college, but I appreciate her belief in me. It’s definitely more than I have in myself.

Toying with the silver charm bracelet I barely take off except to shower, I say, “I hope you’re right.”

***

The beach isn’tas busy as I thought it’d be, which eases some of my anxiety as Marybelle and I walk through the sand to find a good spot.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” I tell her as we lay our towels out beside each other. “Are you sure you have to go so soon?”

Thanks to her family connections, she got some low-paying intern gig for a fashion designer in California. She says she’ll be helping dress celebrities, but I don’t know how true that is. There’s only so much her family’s status can help her with, and I doubt being treated as any more than a regular intern who fetches coffee and takes notes. As much as I want to tell her that to keep her here, I refuse to trample any dreams she has.

Marybelle has never been one for busy work, but that doesn’t mean she can’t do it. I think she’ll make an amazing designer one day, so maybe she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Even if it’s fetching lattes instead of buying them for herself.

“I have to get my apartment set before I start. I wish I could stay longer.” She peels off her coverup to reveal the tiny bikini underneath that shows off her killer body. “I can’t believeyouare going to college. You hate school. It’s not too late to tell them you’re not attending and move to Cali with me. Imagine the trouble we can get into.”

I snort, leaning back on my elbows and adjusting my sunglasses. “I’m pretty sure that’s why my dad begged me to stick around and at least try college. Plus, what would I do in California? I’d be just another barista earning minimum wage and struggling to keep a roof over my head. Pass.”

Marybelle ties her hair back. “You should have tried getting into one of the schools near my apartment. That way we could have roomed together.”

There is no way Dad would have gone for that, even if I begged and pleaded. The savings account in my name set up by the victims’ fund won’t be accessible to me until twenty-one, and I know Dad wouldn’t dip into the big savings for me to travel clear across the country to get up to God knows what with my bad influence of a best friend.

So, I say, “We’ll visit each other.”

She reaches over and brushes my hand with hers. “Of course. I’d be lost without you. We can’t be like other girls who lose touch after high school. We’re meant for bigger things.”

My brows pinch at that choice of words—ones I’d heard from someone else only a few weeks ago. “Elizabeth told me the same thing about doing big things the day of graduation. Noah’s mom,” I clarify, shaking my head. “I wonder what that means.”

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