Page 73 of The One

Which high school?

She sent another message with the name of the school.

My stomach was suddenly in fucking knots.

It wasn’t just any school.

It was the high school we’d attended.

And it wasn’t located anywhere near West Hollywood, which meant Lainey had gone there for a reason.

To remember?

To reminisce?

I was sure there were many reasons.

Me

When she leaves, tell me immediately.

SEVENTEEN

Lainey

Fifteen Years Ago

Icouldn’t handle how hot Rhett looked in his graduation suit.

He’d gone with a dark gray one and a white button-down with an icy-blue tie that was the same color as his eyes. Most of his outfit was hidden under his long navy gown. I was positive if I put my face in his neck, I would smell a mix of his soap and the woody scent of his cologne—a combination that practically made me pant. It was certainly making me jittery, my legs pressing together in my dress, the tingling below almost too much to handle.

He’d shaved this morning, and from here—where I stood in line alphabetically with the T’s while he was up front with the C’s—I could see the smoothness of his cheeks with just the tiniest hint of dark whiskers trying to break through his skin.

Up until today, the tuxedo he’d worn for prom had been my favorite outfit on him. The black suit and matching bow tie andcummerbund, along with the red rose boutonniere and polished black shoes, had looked explosive on him.

But it didn’t compare to this.

This was business Rhett. A man who, in four years, would graduate from USC and then help run his dad’s hotel business.

A life that was waiting for us on the other side of college.

I couldn’t wait to spend those four years with him, and I couldn’t wait to come back here and start a whole different kind of life together.

As if he could sense me staring, he glanced over his shoulder at me, and the buzzing between my legs was now taking over my whole stomach.

God, he was so delicious.

His sexy grin. The way his eyes, even bluer than normal, felt like they saw right through me.

“This is ridiculous,” Penelope groaned from behind me.

Her complaining forced me to break contact with Rhett and look at her. “What’s ridiculous?”

“I don’t understand why we have to be lined up thirty minutes before graduation starts. We know we have to be here. We know we have to walk. We don’t have to be treated like children. So, there’s no reason why we can’t be herefiveminutes before it starts.”

“Because then half our class would be late to graduation.” I nodded toward a girl who had just arrived and was rushing to get in line. “See what I mean?”

“She’s one of the smart ones.” Pen rolled her eyes. “A lucky one who doesn’t have a sister like you, dragging my ass here even earlier than everyone else.” She grabbed my wrist and looked at my watch. “I feel like we’ve been here for hours.”