“You know, this is the song my dad plays for my mother after he has messed up,” I said.
Will pulled me closer. “Oh, I know. My dad plays the same song, and my mother melts. Is it working?”
I giggled. “Am I melting? Or is it working?”
“Both!”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I do. I didn’t mean to push you away, Will. I love you, and I just wasn’t ready to talk yet.”
Will spun me around, and everyone started to shout out our names as we continued to dance it up on the dance floor.
The song ended, and One Direction’s “You & I” began playing.
Will smiled. “Something hit me so hard these last few days. It was the same feeling that I had last fall when we were apart.”
“What was it?” I asked.
Will shook his head slightly. “I never, for the rest of my life, Lex, want to be without you.”
The tears began building in my eyes. I bit down on my lower lip in an attempt to hold my emotions back. A small sob escaped my lips as I whispered, “That’s not even an option.”
Gently placing his hands on the sides of my face, Will wiped my tears away with his thumbs. “I love you, Alexandra Eryn Mathews. I love
you so much.”
I placed my hands on his arms as I looked into his sea-blue eyes. “I love you, William Gregory Hayes, more.”
He chuckled, and then he leaned down and began kissing me. This kiss was the one thing I needed to help me see that our love was stronger than anything Blake had done to me.
Will loved me, and I loved him. Our love was and would always be…perfect.
Lex and I stood at the bow of the ferry as we made our way over to Port Aransas. I was surprised all our parents had been open to the idea of us coming down for our own celebration. Colt, Lauren, and Taylor had graduated, and this was how we all wanted to spend our last summer together. While the rest of us were heading to A&M, Maegan would be going back to Baylor, and Taylor would be attending UT.
“I can’t believe how fast this summer is going,” Lex said.
I watched her beautiful brown hair whip around from the wind. She finally got tired of it and reached for my baseball cap. She pulled her hair through the hole in the back and made a ponytail as she pulled the cap down over her eyes.
God, I can’t believe she’s mine.
“I know. It is going by fast.”
I looked back to the cars—or trucks really. Luke, Colt, and I had all brought our trucks, and the girls had ridden down with us. I had been shocked that Libby ended up riding with Luke. Luke had intended on leaving for the whole summer, but after Lex’s incident, he’d stayed. He’d avoided Libby pretty much the first month of summer, but that had changed after the barn dance a few weeks ago. At least now, they could be in the same room and apparently the same car together.
I looked back at Lex. “Have you talked to Libby about Luke?”
She turned and looked at Luke’s truck. Luke, Lauren, and Libby were all laughing about something.
“She said they’re talking, but it’s nothing like what Libby wants. Luke is keeping a safe distance from her. I’m hoping things will change for them this week.” She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows up and down. “If you know what I mean.”
I scrunched my nose up and made a face. “Oh shit, too much, Lex. Yuck. That’s my sister, ya know.”
Lex started laughing as we headed back to my truck since the ferry was about to dock.
After getting in the truck, I grabbed Lex’s hand. “You ready to have an amazing week?”
Lex smiled so sweetly that I almost had to catch my breath.
“Yes! I have a feeling this week is going to change a lot of things. It’s going to be beyond amazing.”