Page 3

Once I’m in the gym I grab my phone, and search out one of my besties, Sam. She sticks out in the immaculate, gold dress she’s wearing. The material looks like liquid gold as it shines under the lights. The second she sees me her brow arches and she’s heading toward me.

“Why are you late?”

I grab her arm and lead her to the back doors. “Bathroom now. And we need Riley for this one.” I quickly text Riley a message.

ME: 911. Facetime needed now!

Sam’s painted red lips turn to a frown and she picks up the pace until we’re practically sprinting to the bathrooms. Throwing open the door, she quickly checks under the stalls.

“Clear.”

I lock the main door and almost collapse against it. “Hawke is here. He’s wearing a suit.”

My best friend’s eyes widen. “Hawke Sheppard? The ex?”

A laugh escapes me. “The very one.”

“What a dick. Want me to go out there and punch him?” Sam pulls out her phone and the Facetime ringtone starts playing.

“I might take you up on that,” I respond right as our other best friend’s face fills the screen.

“What's going on?” Riley’s face is full of concern. Instantly my eyes start to water and I can feel my cheeks turning pink with embarrassment just thinking about what happened outside the building.

“The ex is back,” Sam answers for me and Riley’s mouth drops open.

For the hundredth time today I wish we were all together for our senior prom.

At the beginning of the school year Riley had been offered a scholarship to go to All Saints Academy and play hockey.

Even though we didn’t want her to leave us or our team as she had been a captain, Sam and I knew that the opportunity for Riley was too good to pass up.

Her talent on the ice alone deserved to be seen at a higher level.

“He brought a date to your prom?” she practically screams. My lips twitch.

I shake my head no. “He came here and waited outside to talk to me.”

“In a suit!” Sam adds, her eyes big while she shakes her head. “I think he picked up manipulation notes from your man, Ril.”

Riley laughs and the noise carries in the bathroom.

Her boyfriend Reign has been a pain in our asses for years.

Until this year, he was Riley’s greatest rival both on and off the ice.

Until last summer at camp when he became over the top obsessed with our best friend. “Oh my god. What are you going to do?”

“I ignored him, but what do I do if he tries again?” I ask them both, looking from one to the other. My mind is all over the place and my insides are humming with adrenaline.

“I guess see what he has to say. Maybe there’s more to the story.

Or maybe he’s just a selfish ass and realized he lost a good thing.

Either way, you owe it to yourself to find out.

Then you can let it go for good before leaving for school next fall,” Riley advises, her tone serious and laced with concern.

She’s right. I sometimes wonder if moving on from Hawke would be easier if I had answers.

Maybe then I could have the closure his abrupt departure never gave me.

I want to go into this summer without feeling sad.

I’m looking forward to leaving for college in the fall too.

We’re all going to Michigan and nothing makes me happier than knowing I’ll be reunited with my best friends.

Sam plans to take some time off from hockey, but Riley and I want to continue playing.

Up until five months ago, I really didn’t have a plan.

I had stopped caring and planning when my heart broke.

When my future with Hawke fell through, I realized I didn’t know what I wanted or what my future held.

I had been prepared to follow him and stick to the plan we made together.

That was no longer an option and I was scared.

I started applying for scholarships to any school I could think of that boasted a women’s hockey team.

By some miracle, I received a scholarship that allows me to attend any university I want.

I didn’t hesitate in deciding on Michigan, at the same time my two besties also let it slip that was their plans as well.

“Yeah, okay. You’re right.” I sigh and rub my temples, starting to feel the stress from the unknown.

“Now go have fun! You look beautiful, Em. I’m sure you broke his heart tonight just by breathing.” Riley smirks. She and Sam exchange some more gossip and news about our nights before the call ends. When it's just the two of us again Sam turns to me.

“I can still go throat-punch him if you want,” she volunteers, and I laugh.

Running my hands over my dress, I sigh. “No. Riley has a point. I want closure. I want to go into this next chapter of our lives not holding back or being scared to open my heart again.”

Sam nods her head, her hand gently gripping my arm. “He came to you. It's not like you have anything to lose. Plus, I need my wing-woman when we hit campus this fall. Lord knows Riley is locked down tight.”

We both laugh. “No truer words, my friend. Alright. I’m going to do it.”

Sam wraps her arms around me, giving me one last hug for encouragement.

There's a line outside the door when we leave the bathroom and manage to give a halfhearted apology. I part ways with my friend and head toward the front door again. This could be another stupid mistake. Hell, he might not even be here anymore. That thought stops me cold. I’ve been getting myself worked up and for all I know Hawke could have already tucked his tail and bailed.

It's not like I gave him room to hope. It’s been long enough that if I was him, I would have left.

My lungs seize and I have to breathe in and out a few times.

My fingers tense before reaching for the door handle and yanking it open.

Hawke isn’t where I last saw him, and for a second my stomach plummets. My heart twists and tears burn my eyes. Once again, I feel like my chance was taken away.

“Em?” His voice calls my name softly, and I turn, noticing that he moved closer to the doors and is sitting on the ground, leaning against a pillar. Hawke’s eyes find mine and I notice the red rims around his. “You came back.”

I want to run from him, but my pride keeps me here. Hawke is on my turf. He’s in my town. I have nothing to run from. He broke my heart already and I have nothing left to give. I make myself walk over to him. He stands as I get closer, his hands forming fists at his sides.

Being this close to Hawke after a year takes my breath away.

He’s still the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen and I hate that I compare everyone to him.

His dirty blond hair hangs forward, and it reminds me of all the times I’d push it back with my hands while kissing him.

He’s taller, his shoulders broader and the crisp white shirt he wears looks like it was painted on him.

It's not fair. After breaking my heart, he should be as miserable looking as I feel.

My hands shake and my stomach swirls, but I fight through it. “You said you’d explain. I think it's time we both found closure. I want to move on, Hawke. I want the pain to stop.”

The last words out of my mouth break on a sob and it sends him into action. Hawke invades my space, his hands curving around my hips, and his lips touch my forehead lightly. His presence is magnetic and so, so comforting.

“Do you want to talk here? I’m staying at the hotel in town. I’ll go wherever you want, sugar. Tell me what you wanna do.” His voice is husky and pleading. I don’t miss the way his grip on me tightens either, like he’s afraid that I’ll back out at any second.

“Definitely not here.” I shake my head. I do not want anyone at this school to see more of my humiliation.

It was bad enough when Hawke first left and I was reminded by some of the meaner girls in my school that I wasn’t good enough for him.

Some of the guys he played football with at All Saints even went out of their way to remind me that he left me behind for a reason.

They alluded to the fact that the sex must not have been good, but what none of them realized was that Hawke and I never had sex while we dated.

We did other things and had plenty of hot, steamy make-out sessions but that was always as far as he’d let it go.

He wanted to wait until we were free of high school and out of this town before he claimed me.

Right now, all of that feels like a lie.

Hawke has been at the University of Texas for over a year and he happens to be gorgeous.

I’m not naive enough to believe he saved himself for me.

Hawke nods his head and slides his fingers through mine, linking us together. “Come with me then?”

I follow him as we head to the parking lot, ignoring the looks of some of my classmates as we go. I could care less what they think about me right now. Soon enough we’ll be done here and most likely I’ll never see some of these people ever again.

He directs me to a car I’ve never seen before and opens the passenger door for me.

While we were dating, I never opened my own car door or walked through a door without Hawke opening it for me.

It wasn’t like I expected it or required it.

I can open my own door whenever I want to, but he said he was raised to show this level of respect to women.

Still, I can’t help rolling my eyes at the chivalrous gesture now. Not when despair and longing war inside me. “I can get my own door, Hawke.”

A tight grin pulls his lips while what looks like pain flashes in his eyes. “I know you can, sweet. You also know what this means to me to do this for you.”

It means he respects me. Treasures me. At least that’s what it used to mean to him before he left town and ghosted me.

Emotion holds my throat in a tight grip, making it impossible to speak.

Hawke doesn’t press further and soon he’s rounding the car and getting in the driver’s seat and driving away.

When I started the night, I never thought I’d be skipping out on my senior prom.

Not that I’m super sentimental, but it was considered a rite of passage in a way.

My fingers run over the light material of the dress I saved money for in order to wear tonight.

I had wanted to look nice while I celebrated the end of high school with my friends.

Never did I imagine that Hawke would show up.

He parks at the hotel and after helping me from the car, he once again takes my hand and leads me inside. No one even blinks at a couple of teenagers walking through the lobby to the elevators. I barely cover my laugh as it almost spills out.

Hawke’s eyes glance at me in the elevator. “Something funny, Emms?”

“We’re clearly coming from prom and no one even questioned us being at a hotel or that we could be underage.

Must be nice to have money.” My eyes flicker over to him.

My words about money hit their mark of course because Hawke’s shoulders instantly tense and his jaw clenches so much that I can see the muscle on his jaw twitch.

“Money isn’t everything, but it has its uses.”

Sure it does. I want to rail at him, yell and scream out my anger and hurt. I want him to visibly see how much his betrayal hurt me beyond repair, but I force myself to tamper it down. The only thing that will give me peace is answers and to get those I need to find closure with him tonight.

By the time the elevator dings and the doors open for us, Hawke is practically dragging me to his room, his arm banded so tightly around my waist I know there will be prints from his fingers tomorrow. His key to the door buzzes and flashes green and then I’m just about thrown into the room.

“What the hell? Why are you rushing us?” I gasp, teetering on my heels.

Hawke runs his hands through his hair. “I’m not supposed to be here. The less people or cameras that catch us, the better.”

My brow lifts. “Is that part of your explanation that you promised me you’d share?”

His chest heaves and he takes a few deep breaths. I watch mesmerized as he pulls his black tie loose and flicks the top buttons of his shirt open. “It is.”

“Good. Well start. If this gets over in enough time I fully intend to go back to the school and maybe salvage some of the night and have fun. And you can go back to Texas where you belong,” I quip as I stroll over to the bed and sit down on the crisp, clean, white sheets.

I hear him inhale sharply as if my words hurt, but I refuse to look at him. As much as I want his truth, I fear it. I don’t want my resolve to crumble when I’ve been working diligently to build myself up stronger since he left.

“Can you look at me? Please, Em. I need you to see my truth.” His voice deepens and I swear the emotion I hear in it is enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I glance up and am caught in his gaze instantly. The pain I see there reflects my own and for the first time since he’s been gone I doubt the anger I am holding against him. I breathe deeply right as he says the words that change everything.

“I never wanted to leave you, Emmarys.”