Hold the Forevers

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. So few people get to, and I’m not good enough. If I get to dance in college, that’ll be worth it.”

“Where’d you apply?” he asked as he found us a parking spot.

“All over. UGA, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, UNC–Chapel Hill, Virginia, Florida, LSU, Bama, and Kennesaw as a backup.”

“And where do you want to go with that long list?”

“Well, I’d need a scholarship to even think about going anywhere out of state. Luckily, there’s HOPE Scholarship for anything in state.”

HOPE Scholarship was my saving grace. Anyone who graduated from a Georgia high school with a 3.0 or higher received free instate tuition as long as they maintained the 3.0 GPA at the university. It was funded by the lottery system, and I wasn’t about to fuck that up.

“I’d love to go to UGA. All three of my sisters went there. Elle graduates from there in May. I don’t want to be the only Greer sister to not become a Bulldog. What about you? Where’d you apply?”

He laughed derisively. “Duke.”

“Fancy.”

“Nah. I’m legacy,” he said as he pulled into a parking spot. “There’s not another option.”

“There are always other options,” I said as I got out of the car and came around to his side.

“Well, it’s the only option if I want college to be paid for. I could use HOPE, but my dad would kill me if I didn’t go to his alma mater.”

“That sounds like a lot of pressure.”

Ash shrugged, as if he’d come to terms with this development. “Not a big deal.”

“I actually …” I swallowed and pulled the envelope out, so he could see it. “I got this letter today.”

“Whoa! Did you get in?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know! I can’t make myself open it.”

He took the letter from me. “Do you want me to do it for you?”

I bit my lip. “Would you mind? I know my mom would want to see it, but she’s not around that much right now.” I realized I was babbling and shut up. “Please open it.”

He made a clean tear along the envelope. He removed the papers from within. I watched him scan the papers and then look up at me gravely. My bottom lip wobbled as I braced myself for the bad news.

Then, he flipped the papers toward me, and a smile bloomed on his too-gorgeous face. “You got in!”

“I got in?” I shrieked. I snatched the papers out of his hands and jumped up and down. “Oh my God! I got in!”

Without thinking, I threw my arms around Ash’s shoulders. Tears came to my eyes as all my dreams suddenly materialized before me. Everything looked possible in this moment.

He slipped his arms around my waist. “I’m so happy for you.”

I pulled back slightly, suddenly embarrassed by my outburst, by throwing myself at him. We were still only inches apart. I swiped at the tears in my eyes, thankful I’d used my mom’s fancy waterproof mascara.

“Sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said automatically. His hand brushed aside a stray strand of my natural ash-blonde hair. “It was cute.”

I swallowed and took another step back to put more distance between us. “Well, I appreciate you helping me out. Celebratory ice skating?”

“I think yes.”

I stuffed the papers back into my bag and jotted out a text to Marley and Josie, letting them know the good news. We walked up to the ticket booth, and as I reached for the twenty in my purse to pay for my ticket, Ash handed over cash for both of us.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Celebratory, remember?”

“Right. Well, thank you.”

He handed me my pass, and then we acquired skates. I sat on a bench to lace up my ice skates, and then we stashed our belongings in a locker. Although I didn’t go ice skating often, my mom had always loved roller skating. So, I adjusted quickly.

By the time I looked up again, Ash was ice skating backward in front of me.

“Show-off,” I teased.

He winked at me and then held out his hands. I placed mine in his, a tingle running all the way through my body at that first touch. His eyes lingered on my face as he pulled me along the ice.

“So … three older sisters,” he said. “How was that, growing up?”

“Amazing and trying,” I told him. “I love my sisters. They’re my forever people, but it’s hard, being the youngest. My mom always says we’re her Little Women. Steph is such a Meg—the oldest, already married, with a kid. Eve is definitely our Jo, headstrong and a go-getter. She lives in Chicago as a reporter. Thankfully, Elle wasn’t sickly like Beth, but she’s our musician. She’s a music major at Georgia, playing violin.”

“Which makes you Amy.”

I laughed in surprise. “You’ve read Little Women?”

“Yes. Of course. It was assigned reading.”

“You do the assigned reading?”