Chase

Five months later

“Ginger Noelle Fielding.”

I stand up and cheer for Gin as she walks across the stage to get her diploma. Once she has it in hand, she moves her tassel to the side, finds me in the crowd of graduating seniors, and smiles.

We made it. Not that there was any doubt that we’d graduate, but the year started out rockier than planned. I never thought I’d graduate from high school with a serious girlfriend I plan to stay with, but it’s Gin, so there’s no other way it could’ve gone.

We’ve been together for seven months now, and I can’t imagine a life without her. Going to different colleges will be a challenge, but we’re determined to make it work.

When it’s time for the students in my row of chairs to stand and line up by the stage, I look through the crowd in the bleachers for my family. I can’t find them—the place is packed.

They’re out there somewhere, though. My mom’s been crying over this day for the past week. Cassie and Alyssa brought extra tissues for her. Cassie’s already started packing her stuff to move into my bedroom, because when I leave for college next month, she and Alyssa will finally have their own rooms.

I get to the front of the line, and when one of the school board members says, “Chase Paul Matthews,” there are hoots and hollers from the crowd. I take my diploma, move my tassel, and walk back to my seat, the finality of it hitting me.

In a month, I’m leaving Roper. I have to be at Penn State two months before classes start because I’ve got football camp. I would’ve loved an entire summer with Gin before school starts, but we’re getting a month, which is something.

Julia’s taking both of us on a three-week trip to Europe in a few days as a graduation gift. Michael’s coming too. I was so shocked by her generosity when she told us that I couldn’t even reply for a minute.

I spend more time at Gin’s house than my own, and her mom is amazing. She makes dinner for us if we’re there, unless it’s Saturday. That’s still our night to cook. I’m gonna miss her and Michael when I leave.

After every graduate’s name is called, we all throw our hats in the air in celebration. We’re no longer high school students. The first thing I do is find Gin, who puts her arms around me in a tight hug.

“You’re officially dating a college guy,” I say, kissing her neck, then her cheek, then her lips.

“Lucky me,” she says in my ear.

“Love you.” I close my eyes and take in the faint coconut smell of her hair.

“Love you back.” She cups my cheek.

Julia and Michael find us at the same time my family does. My dad gives Gin and Julia the cool greeting he always does—he blames Gin for the changes in me this year and thinks Julia is a snotty rich person.

I can’t wait to get the hell away from him. My mom gave him an ultimatum a couple months ago—quit drinking, or she’ll leave him. He’s been sober so far—I think—but I don’t have faith it’ll last.

My dad is who he is, and he won’t change. He’s selfish and mean. I didn’t even want him here today, but my mom said it’s important to her, so I gave in.

We all pose for photos, and then Mom and Julia need to go so they can get ready for the graduation parties they’re hosting. Mine will be another thing I do for my mom’s sake. I don’t want to sit around with extended family and friends from our neighborhood making small talk.

“Great speech,” I tell Raj.

“Thanks.”

He’s our class valedictorian, and I know how hard he worked to earn it. He’s been stressed the entire semester about his math grades. Even though he never says it, I sense that Raj feels a responsibility to honor his late parents in everything he does. Same with his adoptive ones. He’s going to be premed at Washington University, and then he wants to go to medical school to become a surgeon.

Lauren is going to community college and working. Michelle’s going to University of Missouri to study journalism. I never would have gotten to know any of them if not for Gin, and I consider all of them friends now. Even though Lauren still scowls at me, Gin assures me she and I are good. Lauren scowls at pretty much everyone.

“You guys can come by my party if you want,” Raj offers.

Gin looks up at me before answering. “We might later. We’re doing Chase’s first and then mine.”

“What other parties are you guys going to tonight?” Michelle asks.

I wrap an arm around Gin and pull her against my side. “We don’t know yet.”

We do know, but that’s something we decided to keep to ourselves. Gin and I aren’t going to any other parties tonight. We’re driving to St. Louis, where we got a hotel room for the night.

After seven months of heavy make-out sessions, we’ve decided we’re ready for more. Tonight we’ll have sex for the first time, and I think I’m more nervous than Gin is.

I know it’ll be different with Gin. Everything is. But I want to make sure she knows it’s different. And with it being her first time, I want it to be perfect.

I want her to be mine in every way. She can set me on fire with just a look. Make me hard with whispered promises. Even her laugh turns me on.

The hottest thing about Gin is that the sexy part of her is just for me. She doesn’t flaunt it. Hell, other people have no idea how hot she really is. It’s not the way her ass looks in jeans that makes me crazy, but the things we share that no one else knows about. The parts of her I’m the only man to ever see and touch.

I can’t give her that part of myself. I’ve been with a lot of girls before her. But she’s the only one I’ve ever loved.

It won’t be easy to stay together while living states apart. She was hesitant to even try a long-distance relationship at first. But I told her it was that or I’d become a New York City bum just to be near her.

I was only half joking. I don’t want to start over in college, free to sleep with women with no strings. I can’t possibly give up my best friend, the first person I want to tell everything.

We’ll figure it out. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that having someone in my life whose happiness means more to me that my own drives me to be better.

It’s ironic that the first girl to tell me no ended up becoming the only woman I want. Or maybe it’s not. Gin isn’t willing to settle, and I love that about her. It’s probably got something to do with seeing my mom settle for so long.

I hope like hell she’ll leave my dad, but I know I can’t force her to.

Gin and I pose and smile for more photos, most with people who aren’t close friends. Some are with my teammates. Most of those friendships never recovered from the Sweet Sixteen fallout, but a few did.

“I’m starving,” Gin says on the walk back to her car.

“We’re eating as soon as we get there. My mom went a little overboard with the food.”

She smiles. “Overboard sounds perfect.”

I watch as she takes off her graduation cap and shakes out her fiery red hair. I’m already thinking about getting my hands in it tonight. I’ll have to stop myself from getting rough with her, though my desire is pent-up to a point I feel shaky sometimes.

There’ll be time for that. I’ve never been with anyone enough times to know them inside out. I want that with Gin. After seven months, I already know quite a lot about her.

Her inner thighs are ticklish. She loves having her neck kissed, especially on the sides. Her nipples are so sensitive I can get her close to coming just by playing with them.

Thinking about her is making me hard, and I can’t hide that well with this damn red robe on, so I shift my thoughts to our vacation.

“Are you all packed yet?” I ask her as she drives us to my parents’ house.

She laughs. “Not even close. How about you?”

“Just about.”

“Are you still crazy excited about tonight?”

This time, it’s me who laughs. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”

“You’re nervous.”

“A little,” I admit. “But mostly just wound tight. You’re my fantasy, you know? I hope it’s as good for you as I know it will be for me.”

She pats my knee, bringing back my hard-on. “I have no doubt, babe.”

I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Is it bad that I never want you to be with another guy? Ever?”

Gin glances at me and smiles. “No. I don’t want you to be with anyone else ever again either.”

“You’re the only one I want.”

After a deep breath, she says, “Then let’s go enjoy these graduation parties so we can get to tonight.”

I squeeze her hand, ready not just for tonight, but more. Gin saw me at my worst in the past. She knows I’m trying to make amends be a better man now. I know the best is yet to come, not just for me, but for us.