Under the Stars

A hot tear spills down my cheek.

I’m not full-on crying. I’ll save the ugly tears for tomorrow when he’s gone. Instead, I find his blue eyes.

Dark brows quirk together, and he kisses my nose. “You’re crying?”

My voice cracks with a whisper. “Aren’t you sad?”

“I’m only going to college, Em. I’m not going to war.”

“But we won’t see each other for months.”

I don’t say what’s truly scaring me. I don’t voice the fear that I, a mere high schooler, couldn’t possibly hold onto him.

He’s traveling far away to where the girls are more mature, more experienced, more sophisticated.

“You’re right,” he nods. “It’s going to suck. Especially when I want to kiss you.”

He pulls me flush against his chest and groans deeply. Strong arms circle my shoulders, and I cling to him.

“But it’s not something to cry about,” he argues. “You’re my girl, Em. That’s never going to change.”

My eyes squeeze shut, and I inhale his scent, doing my best to hold it in my memory, trying to absorb every part of him.

There’s no way in hell I could even begin to argue. I am his, and he’s… my everything. Jackson Cane is every first I’ve ever had. My first real kiss, my first real boyfriend, the first time I had sex… made love…

“Hey.” He pulls back, blue eyes full of concern. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Blinking quickly, I try to find my bearings. “What?” I don’t know why he looks so worried.

“You are my girl, right?”

My chin jerks forward, and I have to cover my mouth. “You have to ask?”

Warm hands cup my cheeks, and he trails his thumbs lightly along my cheekbones. “So beautiful,” he murmurs. “My Ember Rose.”

His eyes move around my face, along my hair, down the side of my jaw like a caress.

“I’ll never forget this.” I’m ashamed at how desperate my voice sounds. “I mean… I just…” I’m such a baby.

He blinks a few times, and a smile curls his lips. With a nod, he pulls me against his chest, strong arms surrounding me. We stay that way a long time, listening to the crashing of the surf, the beat of our hearts. The seagulls cry, and the moon climbs higher. It’s all so perfect, but it’s all at an end.

Finally, with a sigh, he lifts me, helping me stand. We hold hands as he takes me into the gentle waves to clean up. I slowly restore my dress.

I feel so stupid. College girls don’t need to be cared for like babies. They don’t whine and cry about being left behind. They blow kisses and wink over their sunglasses. They sway their hips and turn the tables on saying goodbye.

My best friend Tabby is already one of those girls, and she’s my age.

I’ll never be one of those girls.

“Don’t cry, Ember Rose,” he says in a low whisper. “I never want to see you cry.”

I hold him a while longer, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. His hands slide up and down my back in a soothing motion.

After a while, they slide down my forearms to lace with my fingers. He steps back and leads me the way we came, stopping at the edge of the woods where I left my bike.

“Get on home before your momma wakes up.”

That sexy smile curls his lips. He shoves his hair behind his ears, and I step forward again, clutching the front of his shirt before I press my lips one last time to his.