Lessons of the Heart (40 page)

James winks at me and shoves his hands into his pockets, another nervous gesture of his. “I’ve heard this a time or two from you.”

The need to reach out and touch him is so strong that I’m having difficulty fighting it. But then Cami, Justice, and Dez walk up to us, quashing the feelings like a bucket of cold water to my overly raging libido.

“Hey, Mr. Dumont. I hear congratulations are in order for the new job,” Cami says.

“Yeah, Boston. Wow, that’s so exciting,” Dez exclaims.

Justice turns to me and twists her mouth. “Britt, aren’t you going to Harvard?”

My cheeks flush and I nod. “Yes.”

The girls look back and forth between James and me. Can they read my thoughts? A knowing smirk comes across Cami’s face and her eyes twinkle with amusement. Then Dez and Justice share a look that confirms my suspicions. Let’s hope they never get into playing poker when they’re on their own.

“Thank you, ladies, for the kind wishes. I’m sad to leave here but I’m excited to open up the next chapter in my life.” James avoids looking at me, even though there’s no point.

“So you’ll be able to keep an eye out for our girl then while she’s there in the big city all by herself?” Dez asks.

Now it’s James’s turn to flush. “I’ll see what I can do. There’s a chance we may run into each other.”

I clear my throat, wanting to change the subject. “Well, I appreciate that very much.”

“Mr. Dumont,” someone calls from behind him. James turns around and waves to the person while smiling at them.

“Looks like I’m needed elsewhere. If you’ll excuse me, ladies.”

“Bye, Mr. Dumont,” we all chant in unison, making James shake his head while he leaves our little group.

Of course, the onslaught of questions starts immediately when he’s out of earshot.

“Whoa, seriously? You and Mr. Dumont?”

“When did this all happen?”

“How long have you been together?”

“Is he great in bed?”

“He looks like a good kisser. Is he?”

“Will you shut up!” I hiss, holding up my hands. “Look, we can’t say anything for at least another week because we don’t want to rub it in the school’s face.” I sigh and look around quickly since they’re not satisfied with that answer. “Okay, we’ve been together for a while. It’s a long story and I promise to tell you after graduation. We’ll get together and have a girls’ night out and I’ll give you most of the details.”

“Only most?” Cami pouts.

I laugh. “I’m not telling you everything. But just to tide you over until then, yes, James is a fantastic kisser. One of the best, if not the best.”

Dez sighs and brings her hands up to her chest. “That’s so romantic.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please,” Mr. Leonard says as a lull falls across the room. “Thank you. If we could get everyone to line up, we’ll start the procession outside. I just wanted to take this moment to say how proud I am of each and every one of you. It has been my greatest privilege to be your principal for the last four years. May you succeed in your endeavors of the future and I can’t wait to read about your successes in the newspapers and magazines.”

Claps and cheers erupt as we begin to line up in the order that was practiced earlier today. I smooth down my gown, admiring the look of my strappy sandals underneath. My hair falls in gentle waves over my shoulders with my cap secured to my head, courtesy of the bobby pins left over from prom. I wave to Penny, who’s standing a few rows behind me, and she gives me a thumbs up.

When the doors open, we walk toward the football field where our parents and loved ones have all gathered to see this moment. So many memories have happened at this school, ranging from my first serious boyfriend to getting straight A’s in all my classes to joking around with my friends after a football game. But the most significant memory will be the day that I ran into James. That moment changed my life forever. I experienced love at this school and it’s almost bittersweet to be saying goodbye.

As we file into our seats that have been placed on the field, I scan the crowd to look for my family. It doesn’t take long, mainly because Liam is standing up and waving his hands around like a fool. Whether or not it’s for Penny or me, I don’t know. Mom is sitting next to him, crying because her baby is graduating. Dad has his arm wrapped around her, half-smirking and trying to be serious at the same time. She waves him away when he whispers something into her ear and it makes me laugh. Even though I’ll be off living my own life, I will miss them.

Then I look at the faculty section and try to find James. That’s a little trickier because they’re on the stage facing us. Since they’re higher and not in stadium seating, I can’t see their faces. The one person I do see is the newly reformed Ms. Hathaway. Since her incident with Chase, her wardrobe has changed considerably. Gone are the days of short skirts and skin-tight shirts. She’s taken on a more simple style, mostly slacks and blouses. And she stays away from all the students and teachers unless there’s a gathering of them around. Apparently she’s learned her lesson the hard way.

The band finishes playing the school song and Mr. Leonard gets up to the podium to address the crowd. I sit and listen, taking everything in. This is it, my last day of high school. It just doesn’t seem real. From now on I’ll be accountable for myself and for my actions. People will treat me differently, as an adult and not a child. Am I ready for that? Am I really prepared to face the world and all that’s waiting for me?

I press my lips together and I realize that I am prepared to face the world, to discover new things and experiences. Then I think about what James said last night about me living on campus the first year. As much as it kills me to be away from him, I know that I would lose a piece of myself if I constantly cling to him. He’s the love of my life, but he’s also right about me needing to live on my own, discover who I am and what I want to be. I could change my mind a million times about where my path will take me, except for one thing. My path will always lead to James, regardless of where we are. We will always find our way back to each other.

After a few more speakers and a performance by the choir, it’s finally time to hand out our diplomas. I play with the cord around my neck, making sure that it’s even. I wasn’t shocked when they said I would be graduating with high honors but when they told me I was graduating third in my class, I couldn’t believe it. Luckily it also meant I did not have to give a speech. Thank God for that.

My row stands and we start making our way to the side of the stage. I twist my fingers in front of me, anxious and nervous all at once. Crossing that stage is closing a door in my life. But when one door closes, another opens. And I’m excited to walk through it.

Mr. Leonard calls my name and I can hear the embarrassing sounds my family is making. My cheeks flush with color as I walk across the stage, giving them a small wave. I look to my right and finally I’m able to see James sitting in the second row behind the podium. He gives me a wink and I beam at him. I take my diploma from Mr. Leonard, shaking his hand before walking around him and switching my tassel from one side to the other on my cap.

As I retake my seat, I silently watch my friends and classmates do the same. We’re graduates. Adults. Creators of our own destinies.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduating class of 2016.”

Hats fly into the air. Loud cheers drown out any noise not coming from the field where we’re standing. Confetti and silly string cling to my hair as they fall around me. I join in with the noise makers and hug everyone around me. The crowd erupts in laughter and joins us on the field to partake in the festivities.

Am I going to miss this?

Probably.

Am I looking forward to the future?

I catch James’s eye and blow a kiss to him.

With my future directly in front of me, I know it’s going to be one crazy, exciting adventure.

One Year Later

“S
O WHAT ARE YOU PLANS
for the summer?” Tracy asks me. She has been the best roommate ever for my freshman year and I’m sad to see her go back home to Louisiana.

“I’m moving into James’s place and getting a really cool summer job.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “Starbucks?”

“Probably. There isn’t a whole lot to choose from, being a lowly undergrad and all,” I say, laughing a little.

“But you’re going to write me often, right?” she asks while sitting on her suitcase so she can zip it.

“Definitely. And you’re going to send me pictures of your backpacking trip through Europe?”

She smiles and hugs me. “You’re number one on my list.” We hug for a few more moments before breaking away. “I’m going to miss you.”

Tears well in my eyes and I blink them away before they can fall. “I’ll miss you too. But hey, we’ll see each other in a couple of months. I mean, we’re both still in the pre-med program. We’re still going to have classes together.”

“But it won’t be the same if we’re not living together. Are you sure you want to move in with James?”

I nod. “Absolutely. He promised me that we’d revisit the issue after my freshman year so I think we’re both ready to move on to the next step.”

Tracy sinks into her chair and sighs. “You two are so cute together. And the story of how you came to be is just the most romantic in the world.”

I sit across from her on my bed with my legs crossed beneath me. “It took a lot of work, but it was totally worth it. James is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Even if it meant I kept knocking you down on your ass?” I hear a familiar voice call out from the doorway.

James walks in, dressed in his casual jeans and t-shirt, which clings to every inch of lean muscle on his body.

“Is that your way of saying you swept me off my feet?” I ask, patting the bed next to me.

He sits and laughs. “No, that’s my way of saying you don’t pay attention to your surroundings.”

Tracy laughs with him. “I can second that motion. I think I’ve been to the campus clinic more times with her than I’ve been to my own doctor my entire life.”

I scoff at the both of them. “I am not that clumsy. And it was one time we had to go to the clinic. One time!”

“Yeah, but that one time was because you were running across campus and looking at something over your shoulder and didn’t see the
giant
tree in front of you.”

“Geez, you get one lump on the head and all of a sudden you’ve been labeled a klutz for life.”

James smiles and kisses my forehead. “Just promise me that you’ll be more careful when there’s a scalpel in your hand.”

I stand and grab my bags at the end of my bed, wanting to end this conversation. “Well if you two are quite done with the Britta bashing, I think we should head out.” I turn to Tracy for one last hug. “Drive safe and call me when you get there.”

She squeezes me back and brushes a tear away from her face. “I will. Bye, James. It was nice to see you again.”

They shake hands and wave goodbye as James helps me with the last of my things. We’ve been slowly moving my stuff into his house over the past week, leaving only the basic necessities, which are all packed in these bags now.

“You know, it’s a good thing I found a large two bedroom house to rent because with all your stuff, there won’t be any room left.”

I shove his shoulder as he loads the suitcases into the bed of the truck, shutting the tailgate and fixing the cover on top. Climbing into the passenger’s seat, I wait for James to slide in next to me.

Grabbing his neck, I pull him gently toward me, needing to feel his lips on mine.

“Hey,” I breathe.

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ears and smiles. “Hey. Did you miss me?”

I sit back and buckle my seatbelt. “Always. But I didn’t give you a proper hello up there so I wanted to make sure I did that.”

A mischievous smile appears on his face as he reverses out of the parking spot. “I can think of a better way to say hello when we get back to our place.”

Our place
.

Finally we have a place to be together, and alone. Where we can be ourselves and worship each other and make dinners together while dancing to the stereo playing in the background. We’ll lay on the couch and he’ll read to me while stroking my hair or I’ll massage his shoulders after a long day at work and take care of his every need.

“What are you thinking about?” James asks as he pulls into the driveway.

“Oh, I’m just daydreaming about what we’re going to do tonight.”

We drop the suitcases to the floor as we enter the living room. Suddenly I’m scooped up into his arms and he walks us back outside with me clinging to his neck and squealing in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to carry you into our house,” he says. We cross the threshold and he gently places me down in the living room.

“You’re crazy. I thought only newlyweds did that?”

“We’re kind of like newlyweds, just not official yet,” he says.

My heart doubles its beats at the thought of being his wife. Yes, we’re young but what’s the point in waiting when you know what you want?