Page 69

“Don’t fall,” I whisper.

“Wouldn’t dare.”

I fall quiet, letting my eyes scan the room.

Grads fidget in their gowns, laughter bubbling between nerves, names echoing one by one as they cross the stage to polite applause and camera flashes.

There’s something tender about it all. This messy, beautiful ritual of endings and beginnings.

I watch from the sidelines, not quite in it, not quite outside of it either.

I feel a swell of something I can’t quite name.

Pride, maybe. Relief. A flicker of disbelief that I made it here at all.

And then…

“Naomi Clarke.”

She walks up like she owns the place. Poised, powerful, head high and stride flawless. My chest swells as she takes her scroll, the overwhelming surge of emotion that’s been building all morning, and it’s only then I realise my hands are cold. My legs are shaking. My heart is a drumbeat in my ears.

Then it comes…

“Eleanor Carter.”

Shit the fucking bed.

I step forward.

The lights hit first. Warm, bright, and almost blinding. The hush in the room wraps around me like a second gown. I take the stairs, each one deliberate. No wobble. No stumble. The weight of the moment presses against my shoulders, but I carry it.

I walk to the centre of the stage and glance toward the crowd.

Brenda’s beaming, hands clasped to her chest like she might burst. And God Mia, she’s cheering, actually cheering. Her blazer sleeves pushed up to her elbows, eyes wide with pride.

I used to picture this moment. Standing on this stage, looking out at a sea of faces, searching for familiar ones. I imagined my parents sitting there, straight-backed and serious. I imagined David clapping dutifully, one hand on Mia’s shoulder.

But they’re not here. And somehow… I don’t want them to be.

Because in their place are the two people who matter most. Brenda, who never stopped believing in me, and Mia, who’s been my reason every step of the way.

They’re here. Fully, unapologetically here. And that’s enough. That’s everything.

Just when the emotion rises hot behind my eyes…

“WOOOOO! GO ON, ELLIE!”

The shout ricochets through the hall like a firework.

I turn— stunned —and there they are. Near the back.

Kieran, Luca, Ryder, and Theo, crammed together like a pack of overgrown teenagers, whooping like they’re front row at a concert.

Kieran’s cupping his hands around his mouth, grinning like he’s been waiting for this exact moment.

Ryder’s waving his baseball cap like a man possessed.

I laugh, and the dean chuckles as he hands me the scroll, like he’s seen a hundred graduations but never a moment quite like this.

My fingers wrap around the certificate. My cheeks are flushed. The world feels large and close all at once.

I shake the dean’s hand, scroll firm in my grasp, heart hammering against my ribs.

And as I walk off stage, cheeks warm and vision blurred, I know, without question…

This moment? It’s mine.

And God, it’s never felt better.

The crowd spills out of the hall like champagne.

Bubbly, chaotic, and fizzing with adrenaline.

Umbrellas pop open as the drizzle turns heavier, gowns flapping in the wind, families calling out names across the steps.

Laughter echoes off the stone. Everyone is hugging everyone.

Cameras flash. Someone’s baby is crying.

The scent of wet leaves and hairspray clings to everything.

I don’t know where to look first.

Naomi’s beside me, arm looped through mine, velvet soaked at the hem already, curls half-loose from all the hugging. She’s buzzing. Absolutely glowing. Her cheeks are pink, eyes wide, already waving at someone across the street.

I love her like this.

But it’s not her I’m scanning the crowd for.

It’s him.

And then I hear it. Laughter, low and unmistakable.

It cuts through the noise like a melody I know by heart.

I turn, and there they are, moving toward us like they own the pavement.

A band reunion disguised as a graduation crash.

Underdressed in the most on-brand way. Leather jackets, untucked shirts, trainers soaked through.

They’re grinning like they’ve just got away with something illegal.

Kieran slows as he gets closer, and it hits me like a tidal wave. That look. The one that always finds me first. His eyes sweep the gown, the curls pinned at the nape of my neck, the navy satin dress he’s only seen in photos until now.

And I swear, I see it land on him.

Like this moment, this one right here is getting folded up and tucked somewhere beneath his ribs.

He stops right in front of me, rain dripping from his hair and catching in his lashes.

His white shirt clings to him, sleeves rolled to his elbows, almost translucent from the drizzle.

Like the weather’s determined to torture me even more.

His jeans are soaked at the hems, and his hands stay buried deep in his pockets, like if he reaches for me now, he might not stop.

“Hey, you.”

My cheeks flush. “Hey.”

“How the hell did you lot even get in?” I arch a brow.

He grins, soft and mischievous. “We have our ways.”

Of course they do.

He takes a step closer, eyes locked on mine like I’m the only thing left worth noticing. “You were incredible up there.”

I huff a quiet laugh. “Thanks to you lot shouting like I just won the lottery.”

“You did,” he says, voice low, meant only for me. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Before I can respond, Luca swoops in behind him.

“Well, if it isn’t our two favourite brain boxes,” he says, flashing a grin. “Officially clever and officially fit. Dangerous combo.”

Naomi snorts. “You’re such a menace.”

“You’re welcome,” he replies, and pulls her into a hug anyway.

Theo appears next, somehow producing two crushed bouquets out of nowhere. He hands one to me, one to Naomi, like a magician revealing his last trick. “For academic excellence and general hotness,” he declares. “Accept these humble offerings.”

Naomi raises a brow. “Are these from a garage?”

“No!” he says, wounded. “Tesco. The expensive aisle. I had to fight someone for that one.”

Ryder just grins, hands in his pockets as usual, eyes warm and proud. “Congrats, both of you,” he says. “We’re proud as hell.”

It’s ridiculous. It’s perfect. All of them talking over each other, teasing, hugging, completely themselves. My people. The family I found when I didn’t even know I was still looking. And they showed up.

Of course they did.

“Radiant, you were,” Brenda says, suddenly beside me, her hand smoothing down my arm. “You’ve come through fire for this, Ellie. And you did it with grace.”

That gets me. A lump rises in my throat, fast and hot. All I can manage is a small, wobbly smile. The kind that says more than words ever could.

“Thank you for inviting me, love,” she says, pulling me into a hug that smells like lavender and lemon drops. “I’m so incredibly proud of you. And your parents would’ve been too.”

My throat tightens. I nod against her shoulder. “I’m so glad you came.”

We pull apart, and I glance out at the crowd. Families still mingling and taking photos, mums crying into tissues, dads clapping each other on the back. For a moment, something aches deep in my chest.

“I thought about asking them,” I murmur, half to myself. “I kept going back and forth about it. And then I just… didn’t. I wasn’t ready to make it their day too.”

Brenda doesn’t flinch. Just nods, steady. “You’ve been through enough, love. You needed this one for you.”

“I still feel a bit guilty,” I admit. “Like maybe they should’ve been here.”

“They’re your parents,” she says, looping her arm through mine. “They love you. And things will work themselves out. There’s still time for that.”

I exhale slowly, grateful for her steadiness. “I hope so.”

She squeezes my hand. “I know so.”

Brenda cups my cheek, brushing a thumb across it like she used to when I was small. “Go and celebrate properly, yeah? You deserve to feel it. And don’t worry about Mia, she’s coming home with me tonight. Already sorted.”

Before I can say a word, Mia appears at my side, practically bouncing.

“Brenda says she’s got popcorn and a film marathon ready,” she announces, eyes wide. “And I get to stay up as late as I want.”

Brenda lifts a brow. “Within reason.”

Mia grins and slips her hand into mine. “Seriously, Mum. Go have fun. You looked so happy on that stage. This is your night. You deserve it.”

God, this kid. My heart squeezes as I pull her into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and passing her my flowers. “Thanks, bug. You behave, alright?”

She pulls back with a dramatic scoff. “I’m an angel.”

Brenda snorts. “That’s one way to put it.”

I laugh—heart full in a way I didn’t realise it had space to be. I watch them walk toward the car park. Mia chatting animatedly, Brenda nodding along, umbrella bobbing in rhythm. My little girl and the woman who stepped up when no one else did.

And that’s when Naomi appears at my side again.

“Okay, hear me out. Cocktails, rooftop bar, and someone better be taking photos because I didn’t wear this dress to be ignored.”

She does a little spin—the velvet catching the light—and I swear half the crowd turns. She’s electric. Flushed cheeks, pinned curls, eyes alive with that post-triumph glow.

Ryder gives her a look I can’t quite place. “Yeah, that’s not a dress you ignore.”

Naomi smirks. “I know.”

He leans in, voice low. “Keep wearing things like that and I might start writing you poetry.”

“Please don’t,” Theo groans, already fumbling for his phone.

Naomi just winks, looping her arm through mine. “You coming, graduate?”

But my eyes are already drifting elsewhere. Back to Kieran.

Still standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets, looking at me like I’m the only person in the world. His grin is soft, a little crooked, and my heart does that stupid somersault again. It’s not flashy. It’s not showy. It’s quiet and steady and clear.

And suddenly, rooftop bars and cocktails feel distant. Not wrong—just not mine. Not tonight.

“I think I’ve got other plans,” I say softly.

Naomi follows my gaze and smirks. No teasing this time. Just that look. The one that says finally .

She leans in, voice pitched just for me. “Go get your own rooftop moment, babe. You earned it.”

And then she’s gone. Heels clicking, curls bouncing, dragging the chaos along with her. Ryder calls after her, “You’re buying the first round!” and she flips him off over her shoulder like a queen.

Theo whistles, clearly impressed by the velvet and the audacity. Luca grins at me and calls, “Wear protection, kids!” just loud enough to turn heads.

“It’s like watching the prom queen sneak off with the rockstar.” Theo laughs.

“You’re all absolute children,” I mutter, laughing despite myself.

Kieran lifts his hands in mock surrender. “Just a heads up, our place is off-limits for the next twenty-four hours. Enter at your own risk.”

“Oh my God,” I mumble under my breath, face heating. But I’m smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.

And then his fingers brush mine. Just lightly. Just enough.

I look up.

He’s closer now, his hand warm as it wraps around mine. Solid and sure. The crowd fades. The voices, the drizzle, the background noise of a hundred different reunions… it all softens into something hazy. Distant.

It’s just us.

And Kieran’s gaze is locked on mine, like he’s trying to memorise me from the inside out.

There’s no mask in it. No charm, no teasing.

Just fire. Want. Something deeper than either of us have dared to name.

And in that breathless, perfect quiet, I know I could fall into this, into him , and never look back.

Because whatever this is between us, it isn’t fleeting.

It’s already rooted. Deep, steady, and impossible to dig out.