March. Age eighteen.

I loved the beginning of spring. The weather was warm, but not too hot, and everything began to bloom. Citrus trees spilled their fragrances into the air and the mountainsides were covered in wildflowers. Liam and I sat at an outdoor table on campus, enjoying the weather. He was intent on studying for his physics test, and I was working on revisions to an essay on the women’s suffrage movement I had to write for my history class.

We only had about two months left before the school year would be over. Finals week was at the beginning of May. But we’d decided to stay in our apartment through the summer and both take a couple of classes. Liam wanted to get more prerequisites out of the way so he could apply to the school of engineering. And I figured if Liam was going to be in school anyway, I might as well take some classes too.

I eyed the paper I was writing. I’d been over it a dozen times. I probably needed to call it finished and stop tinkering. At this point, I was just wasting time, and I had a math test to think about.

My phone rang and I pulled it out of my backpack. Liam’s eyes lifted. I looked at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number.

I shrugged at Liam as I answered. “Hello?”

“Brooke?”

I sat bolt upright in my chair, my back stiffening. I recognized that voice. It was coded into my very DNA. My mother.

“Mom?” I asked.

Liam’s eyes widened and he closed his book, his face intent on me.

“Yeah, baby,” she said. “You still have the same number.”

Her words were garbled—hard to make out. She was wasted. On what, I couldn’t tell. But hearing her like that was a punch in the stomach. I hadn’t talked to her since she’d moved—well over a year ago. Deep down, I’d hoped losing me might finally make her get herself together. That maybe something would change.

“Yeah, I have the same number,” I said. “Where are you?”

I heard something muffled, and a man’s voice in the background before she answered. “Louisiana, baby. It’s beautiful here.”

“That’s great,” I said. “I’m sure it is.”

“You should come,” she said. “I’ve got it all figured out. Marcus has a big house and plenty of money. I don’t even have to work. I’ve got a bedroom all ready for you. It will be good this time, Brooke. I swear.”

I stared at the table, tears stinging my eyes. What was she talking about? Louisiana? Who the hell was Marcus? My stomach churned and I felt a little bit like I might vomit.

“Um, I can’t come to Louisiana,” I said. “I have school.”

“School?” She laughed. “You didn’t flunk out or something, did you? Aren’t you done?”

“No, Mom, I didn’t flunk out,” I said. Liam’s expression hardened. “I graduated from high school last year. I’m in college now.”

“I see,” she said. “A big college girl, too good for us uned… uned… uneducated tramps, huh?”

“That’s not what I said.”

She snorted. “Where the fuck did you come from? Are you sure you’re my daughter?”

Her words made my throat close up and I couldn’t choke out a reply.

Liam grabbed the phone from me. “Desiree, don’t call Brooke again.”

She said something to him that I couldn’t hear.

“You’ve done enough damage. Just leave her alone.” He hung up and put the phone down. “Come here, Bee.”

I got up and slipped into his lap, putting my head on his shoulder. He rubbed slow circles across my back. A few tears fell, leaving spots of moisture on his shirt.

“I’m going to take care of you, Bee,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about her, okay?”

I nodded and sat up, wiping beneath my eyes. “I just wish she was different. She’s my mom. Why didn’t she love me enough to be a good mother?”

Liam touched my cheek. “Bee, it’s not because of you. It’s her. She’s messed up. And she doesn’t deserve you.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” he said. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat. Maybe tacos will cheer you up.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Tacos are good.”

“See? That’s my girl.” He grinned. “Besides, I have something special planned for us tonight.”

“Oh yeah? What?”

He tapped my nose. “It’s a surprise. But it’s something to look forward to. Don’t think about her. She doesn’t matter anymore. It’s you and me, now.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He always knew how to make everything better.

* * *

The sun was setting as we drove out into the desert. Liam still had the pickup truck his parents had helped him buy back in high school. We had a to-go bag of cheeseburgers and fries in between us, the smell filling the cab. My stomach rumbled and I hoped we’d get to wherever we were going soon.

I was still a little rattled after the phone call from my mom. No matter how often Liam tried to assure me that I didn’t need her, it didn’t change the fact that she was my mother. Hearing her voice had reassured me that my worst fear for her—that she had died—hadn’t happened. But knowing she was repeating the same mistakes, just in a different place, was so disappointing. I didn’t know why I’d expected anything else. She’d been doing the same thing her entire adult life.

But I couldn’t help nurturing the hope that maybe someday, she’d get better.

Liam turned to me with a mischievous grin, and I tried to put thoughts of my mom out of my mind.

“So, are you going to tell me what we’re doing?” I asked. “Or are we just going out to eat cheeseburgers in the middle of the desert?”

He didn’t answer, just smiled. His blue eyes sparkled.

About ten minutes later, he pulled off the road and stopped. Without saying a word, he grabbed our dinner and got out. I followed and we both climbed into the bed of his truck.

Immediately, I looked up. The sun had set and the stars twinkled against the backdrop of the night sky.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

“So beautiful.”

I glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking up. He was looking at me.

We ate our dinner and chatted. We talked about our summer plans, and the coming year. Olivia had decided to go to ASU with us in the fall. Her parents were already planning a graduation party. It sounded like it was going to be fun.

Then we talked about the future. About a book we’d both read and what we thought it meant. About the places we wanted to visit, and whether we thought we’d be dog people or cat people, or something else entirely.

When we finished, Liam took the wrappers and stuffed them back in the bag.

“Do you remember the first time we did this?” he asked.

“How could I not?”

He smiled. “My life changed that night. From the first time I kissed you, nothing has been the same.”

“Yeah, for me too,” I said. He thought his life had changed? Liam had swept into my life and rescued me. He’d saved me from the hell my mom still lived in.

“I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

A wave of excitement poured through me, making my skin tingle and my heart race. Oh my god. Could that be…? It was so unexpected.

“I know we’re young,” he said. “So this isn’t meant to be something we rush into. If you say yes, we can finish school first and all that. But I also want you to know that you’re it for me, Bee. I don’t want anyone else, ever. You’re my life, and I want you to be with me for the rest of it.”

He opened the box and my breath caught in my throat. The ring was a simple gold band with a shimmery light blue opal. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“Brooke Summerlin, my sweet Bee, will you marry me?”

I met his eyes and smiled, my eyes filling with tears. “Yes.”

He took the ring and slid it on my finger, then leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. My eyes fluttered closed. We were young, but I knew it too. Liam and I were going to be together for the rest of our lives.