Renegade Path

“Thank you, Mr. B.” Juliet blushed and glanced my way. “Sounds like I’ll be taking photos of Roman’s bike.”

“Excellent.” Mr. Broom let out a hearty laugh. Juliet introduced him to Dex and they shared a few words before he moved on to other students.

“I don’t think the school knows how lucky they are to have him,” Juliet said as she watched him stop to talk to his students.

“Probably not,” Dex said. “The good ones usually get shafted in favor of the ass-kissers. I’m sure it’s no different in education.”

Well, if that didn’t sum up my life experiences so far, I didn’t know what would.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Juliet

High school graduate.

Somehow it all felt so anti-climactic. The weight of my future and what it might hold pressed down on me as soon as I accepted my diploma. One thing I knew for certain, I wanted Roman in my life.

“Do you mind if I stop by my locker?” I asked him. “I think I left a few notebooks in it and don’t want them thrown out.”

Dex glanced at his watch. “I have a reservation for us for dinner—”

“You do?” I cringed at my shrill tone. But all week long, I’d listened to other students bragging about where their parents were taking them to dinner after graduation.

“Yes, peanut.” He turned and glanced at Vienna and her family busy talking to the principal. “Do you want to invite your friend and her parents?”

“No, that’s okay.” I grabbed Roman’s hand. “Just the three of us together would be nice.” I loved that the two most important men in my life got along so well.

I held Roman’s hand as we made our way through the school’s poorly lit hallways. It seemed so empty and foreign. Yesterday, I belonged. Today, I felt like an intruder.

When we reached my locker, Roman traced his finger over the scarred black metal. His lips curved. “This is where we met.”

A warm, happy sensation fluttered in my chest. “How could I forget? You were trying to break into my locker.”

He let out a rich, rumbling laugh. “Wish I knew who messed up my locker assignment so I could thank them.”

“We would’ve met anyway.” I squeezed his arm.

Dex sighed and shifted.

“Sorry, Uncle Dex. Didn’t mean to get all mushy in front of you.” I laughed and opened my locker. My stack of notebooks was on the top shelf. I grabbed them and stuffed the pile into my tote bag. Even though I had a perfectly clear view of my empty locker, I peered inside, checking the top shelf to make sure I wasn’t missing any stray items.

“You sad to be leaving high school?” Dex asked.

I closed my locker door and considered the question. “I don’t know if sad is the right word. It felt like it took forever but also like I was a freshman yesterday.”

Dex pinched his lips together, like he was trying not to laugh. “Hate to burst your bubble, but that’s a pretty accurate description of life in general.”

“I guess so.”

We left the building and headed to the back parking lot. Many of my classmates were celebrating by screaming and running around like animals. Dex’s bike was a few spaces away from my car.

“We’ll follow you, okay Uncle Dex?”

“Yup.” He gave Roman the address in case we were separated.

Roman was quiet as we settled into the car. “Was it weird for you to be here today?” I asked. How had that not occurred to me sooner?

He blew out a long breath before answering. “A little bit. I’ve been to so many different schools. But at this one, I was actually happy for a while.”

I reached over and slid my hand over his. “I want to make you as happy as you make me.”

He squeezed my fingers. “You already do.”

Roman

For someone who looked so rough around the edges, Dex sure had expensive taste. The restaurant he’d picked featured a giant fountain out front. The prices on the menu made my eyes bug out.

We were finishing dessert when Juliet excused herself. “I’ll be right back.” She brushed a quick, sweet kiss against my cheek.

Dex watched her with an amused smile stretched across his face.

I waited until she disappeared around the corner, then leaned forward to pull out my wallet. “Let me—”

“Put that away.” He drilled me with a stern stare and I jammed the wallet back into my pocket.

“I just—”

“I appreciate it. But I invited both of you.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, feeling stupid. I shifted my gaze to the large window next to our table. The fountain out front was now lit up in a rainbow of colors.

A couple, maybe a few years older than Juliet and me, stood in front of the fountain. The guy suddenly dropped to one knee and held out his hand to the woman.

Damn, this would be a nice place to propose. Since finding the ring, I’d been thinking of different ways to ask the question. Once I had the money to actually bring the ring home, anyway.