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“Don’t forget that’s under there, or she’s in for a surprise,” I said, pointing to the bed.

“Maybe that should be a thing. There are always Bibles in hotel rooms, why not have strap-ons too?” I snorted and helped her throw all of our crap in our bags (including the dildo and harness) so we could leave.

“Hey,” she said as we joined hands and dragged our stuff out of the room.

“What?” I asked.

“I love you,” she said. I kissed her cheek.

“I love you, too.”

The rest of the day we spent stopping at goofy tourist traps, eating more lobster rolls, and pulling over to make out and fool around in the backseat whenever we felt like it.

It was perfect. It was perfect and even though I knew it wasn’t going to last, I was holding onto every single second.

We would face our future together. Remember our past, and not make the same mistakes again. We were stronger together than we were apart.

And I loved her. I loved her more than I ever had before.

*^*^*

“Thank you for this, Cricket,” she said as we stood on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park the next morning to watch the sunrise.

“You’re welcome, Ladybug,” I said, tucking my arm around her and resting my head on her shoulder.

“This is everything,” she said as the sun peeked over the horizon and set the sky on fire.

“You’re everything,” I said. I was only looking at her. At her wonder as another day began.

She smiled.

“I knew somehow that we would get here in the end.”

“Fate?” I asked.

“Maybe. Maybe something else. It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

I turned and looked at the sky. It didn’t look real.

“No, it doesn’t.”

Epilogue

I finally found out when we got back that Fi had told her parents that she was going to do what she was going to do and they could either accept that and be in her life, or she would leave, just like her sister. That scared them, so they loosened the reins and she was finally able to breathe and live her life. My parents, not so much. But I had Anna.

“I could transfer, you know,” she said as we packed up my car to move me back into the dorms. The two of us had spent the rest of the summer in a blissful haze and I couldn’t admit how much it was hurting me to leave her.

“But then I’d know that I was the only reason you did and I’d feel guilty,” I said. I didn’t want to be the reason she transferred. Even if she asked me to transfer, I would do it in a damn heartbeat. It wasn’t the same, but I couldn’t explain why.

“Maybe I’ll just do it and show up at your dorm,” she said. I gave her a look. That was exactly the kind of thing she would do.

“I would not encourage you to do that, but if you did, I wouldn’t shut the door in your face.” She grinned at me and shoved the last box in my trunk before shutting it.

“Drive safe,” Anna said, giving me a huge hug. Lacey was there too. They both had become more to me than family this summer. I could never tell them how much it meant to me that they let me stay.

“You’re welcome anytime. Christmas, next summer, spring break. We’re here for you,” Lacey said.

“Thank you.” Anna and Lacey went back into the apartment to give me and Fi a moment.