"And Foster, maybe."
"Foster?" He asks, his eyebrows raising.
"We sort of had a moment when he was tutoring me."
"So you want to date me, Talon, and my best friend? Anyone else?" His voice does not give away what he’s thinking.
"No, and now that you say it aloud, it sounds selfish, stupid, and crazy."
Cole holds his hands up, "Blake, I just want clarification of what you're saying you want. No judgment from me, I swear."
"You don't think I'm crazy?"
"Not really. We're only eighteen. Now is when we're supposed to have fun, experiment, and do crazy things. We'll have plenty of time to settle down later. Can I think about this, and we talk about it again later?" He sounds sincere, which settles my nerves a little. Maybe this could work out.
I nod, “Sure. And if you wanted to do the same…” I trail off. It would only be fair to offer him the same arrangement that I was asking for.
He shakes his head, “There’s no one I want to be with but you.”
I wince, feeling guilty for even asking for any of this. I love Cole, and he’s more than enough for me, but somehow I can’t help but wonder.
Chapter 6
Ithrow my cap in the air and cheer with the rest of Springbrook High's graduating class. My emotions have been warring all day, swinging from relief to dread. My high school days, which haven’t been fantastic, are over. At the same time, I know big changes are coming, and that scares me. After scrambling to find my cap again, Cole swings me into his arms.
“Congratulations, baby, we did it!” he says before kissing me quickly. Then we’re surrounded by our families.
My mom hugs me tight, and my dad hands me a bouquet of roses. “We’re so proud of you,” she says with tears running down her face. As an only child, I was their only shot at this, and I’m glad I could make it happen.
Next, I’m pulled into Stacy Thorne’s arms and passed to Violet, Cole’s older sister. My parents move on to congratulate Cole. When the family surrounding us starts to dissipate, Emma and Olivia run up, squealing.
“Are you going to Carter’s party tonight?” Emma asks.
“We’ll both be there.”
The parents get us together for pictures, and it’s a whirlwind of faces and hugs and celebration.
“Foster, get in here. I need a picture of you, too,” Stacy calls out.
I turn to see his tall frame approaching and smile. I haven’t talked to or seen him much in the last few months. Cole and I haven’t revisited our conversation about the relationship dynamic I had proposed. I’m good with that and never pushed him on it.
Foster gives me a short hug before taking his pictures with Cole, but it’s enough to send my body into hyper-awareness. Talking myself into letting my feelings go is easier when there’s no touching. But when either of the guys touches me, I lose all my determination. Hence why I’ve avoided him and Talon completely.
I break away as more families and students converge. A lot of them are Cole’s teammates. I stare across the field, and a dark head of hair catches my eye. Talon stands off to his father's side, looking miserable at having to be here. I give him a small wave, and he winks at me, making butterflies in my stomach.
Someone clears their throat behind me, making me break eye contact and turn around. Violet, Cole’s older sister, stands there. She looks at Talon hungrily, “That guy is so gorgeous. We almost hooked up senior year. I might have to give him another try.” I forgot they were in the same grade. Her words spark jealousy in me, but I must shake it off. I can’t care if he hooks up with someone else.
After the chaos of families, friends and so many pictures, I finally have a minute to breathe with just Cole.
He pulls me in his arms and gives me a kiss.
“The end of an era, and now we move on to the next step of our lives,” he says.
I roll my eyes at him, “You sound like a dad.”
He chuckles, “No way. You ready for it?”
“No, you?”
