After three-and-a-half long years, seven grueling semesters, and a-hundred-and-five painstaking weeks, I finally got what I had worked so hard for: my college degree. While the school didn’t give us our proper degrees at commencement, my whole family was still making me take pictures with the rolled-up piece of blank paper the dean had handed me as I walked across the stage.

The graduation ceremony had ended two hours ago, and faithful to my wishes, Mom booked a reservation at one of the best Italian restaurants in the state to celebrate. We had all eaten some exquisite food, and were now feeling very festive, taking pictures, swapping stories, laughing and just having a good time. My parents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, and grandparents had all come out to watch me graduate, and I had never felt more special in my life.

“Get in the picture, Rob!” Aunt Pam commanded my dad, who was standing off to the side, beaming.

“I will, Pam, but before I do that, I just want let everyone know… that my brilliant baby girl got accepted to a graduate program at the University of Florida!”

A roar of applause and whistles resonated throughout the private room that Mom rented for us. My face grew warm with excitement and happiness.

“That’s amazing, McKinley!” my cousin, Skyler, shouted from across the room.

“When do you start?” Grandma Janey asked me.

“I start next fall!” I exclaimed, smiling so happily, my cheeks started to ache.

Then out of nowhere, I saw Evie, Holden, Addison and Dacia enter the room, each of them holding a corner of an enormous sparkling cake. Everyone clapped and cheered even louder. Soon thereafter, an infectious chant started: “McKinley! McKinley! McKinley!”

The girls set the cake down on the table that contained all the cards, gifts and assorted decorations, then came over to hug me individually.

“I’m so proud of you,” Evie said tearfully in my ear. “Congratulations, girl. You did it.” She pulled back, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. I started to cry, too.

“Enough of this emotional stuff!” Addison teased. “Come look at your cake, McKinley!” She waved me over.

My insides fluttered with happiness. The message on the cake said: “Congratulations & good luck in grad school!”

“Girl, Las Positas won’t be the same without you!” Addison cried, coming in for another hug. “I’m going to miss you, roomie.”

We embraced. “Addison, I’ll only be thirty minutes away, so we can still visit each other on weekends,” I assured her to stop myself from outright bawling.

“I know those kids at Friendly Flippers are going to miss the heck out of you too, McKinley,” Dacia said, her cheeks pink from crying.

“Oh, I didn’t tell you!” I said. “I work there now. Not as an intern, but an actual legit employee!”

Dacia gasped with delight. “McKinley, that’s amazing,” she said, clutching her chest as if it was the most astounding news she had ever heard in her life.

I was on cloud nine and the way I felt, there was nothing that anybody could do to ruin my high. The only thing that bothered me, that I tried not to think about, was how much I wished I could tell Knight all this good news. I wished he was there right now and as much a part of the celebration as everyone else I cared about.

Cared about. I still cared about Knight Ramsay. And I knew from the very beginning that whatever feelings I’d developed for him hadn’t yet gone away.

My dad came over and wrapped his arm around me, his smile huge and proud. “I love you, baby girl,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead.

As happy as I was, surrounded by everyone I loved, and excited for the future, I still felt like something was missing…

And I hated Knight for making me feel this way.