I couldn't be prouder of her, and I'm happy that I'm right beside her as she carves a bright future.
There'd never been a question of where I was heading for college. I wanted to be exactly where she planned to go. I almost lost her once. I couldn't chance that happening again, so I also applied for Carlisle University. And fortunately, I got accepted. I still have a year to decide on a major, but I'm already leaning toward architecture.
It wasn't hard to make the decision, knowing that the university is just a couple hours away from Holy Oaks. I'm still close to my family, just as I initially intended.
I'd kept it a secret at first, wanting to make it a surprise, holding off until graduation. And when I finally showed Sawyer my admission letter, she let out a squeal and launched herself at me.
We'd celebrated the news by having dinner with our families. Mom, who'd just finished rehab, was there, too. It had been a little awkward for her, considering it was the first time in years she'd gone out to socialize with other people. But Sawyer and her family made sure Mom was comfortable, treating her like they would do any other acquaintance, not even attempting to walk eggshells around her. Which I knew for a fact she'd been grateful for.
The road to her recovery hasn't been easy. Days are good, for the most part. But there are some bad ones too, and those are the times when she struggles. But just like Aria said, Mom is determined to stay completely sober this time around. My sister has taken over my role as her "guardian," monitoring her and making sure that she never relapses.
But it doesn't mean that I'm not helping out anymore. It's still my job to look after them and make sure they're doing fine. That's why I come home almost every weekend and make it a point to call a few times a week, just to check in.
Aria thinks it's overkill, but Mom doesn't have any complaints. She's always the one on the phone, enthusiastically recounting about the AA meetings she never fails to attend and how helpful her sponsor is to her.
Slowly, and with determination, she's working on becoming the mother she was before Dad left us. A year ago, I wouldn't have believed this was ever possible. That Mom would be able to recover from her addiction and live her life fully. It still doesn’t feel real sometimes.
But Sawyer always reminds me that it is, that I'm truly living this reality. And my kind, compassionate and supportive girl had a lot to do with it. She was there when Mom got out of rehab, making sure she was settled comfortably back home, coming over when she needed company. Until now she talks to Mom over the phone and always pays a visit whenever she's back in Holy Oaks.
She's there for Aria and Ethan too, making herself available whenever they need someone to talk to. And sometimes, in Aria's case, someone to complain to about her "annoying older brother."
I never asked Sawyer to develop a close relationship with my family, but she did, anyway. I'm glad for it and thankful for her. I'll always be thankful for her.
"Are we already there?" Sawyer breaks into my thoughts just as I pull the car to a stop. Without waiting for an answer, she takes the blindfold off her eyes. Then she blinks and gazes outside. "We're at the beach...in Holy Oaks," she slowly says when it dawns on her, turning to me with a confused frown on her pretty face. "Parker, what are we doing here?"
"Wait here." I climb out of the car and pop open the trunk, grabbing the six-pack can of Corona I stashed in there earlier before getting back inside and setting it on the dashboard.
"Happy anniversary, baby."
"Anniversary? But it's several weeks away. What..." She stares at the six-pack for a beat, and I watch until it finally hits, her face lighting up with a laugh. Jesus, she's fucking beautiful. "That's right. It's been a year since I got drunk in this very car." She narrows her eyes at me. "So that's why you brought it back instead of your new car when you went home last weekend."
"I thought it was only right that we'd properly celebrate the night that started it all."
Her eyes soften, shining with emotion as she murmurs, "The night that brought us together."
The night that I'm so damn glad had happened. We wouldn't be here right now if it didn't. I'd still be the dumbass secretly pining after her, doing nothing about it. Maybe she and Liam would've broken up just the same. But she still wouldn't have been mine.
I'm fucking glad things ended up working for the best.
The girl sitting in the passenger seat is proof of that.
"Should I get drunk, too? But you'll have to carry me up to my dorm." A smirk curves her pretty lips before turning into a grimace. "I bet my roommate is going to be there with her boyfriend again. It's bad enough to deal with them sober. But drunk? I'll probably blurt out something I'm just going to regret."
Sawyer and her roommate don't get along—and for good reason. Erica Raley is a piece of work; she's a slob, raids closets without permission, and possesses the decency of a gnat—Sawyer's words not mine. I can't count the number of times my girlfriend has ranted about walking in on her roommate having sex. If I tell her that the girl also shamelessly flirts with me whenever her back is turned, she'll probably blow a gasket. It's the only reason why I don't bother. I don't want to stress her with something that I can easily handle on my own.
"You can always spend the night with me. My bed is bigger, anyway." Reaching for the six-pack, I pop a can open
