Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

Huge thanks to MariahajilE for turning this around in a matter of hours. Wow.

My sister and Nic pre-read for me. Love you both.

Music: "Lasso" – The Band Perry

Mississippiward is mine. So are any leftover mistakes.


I was mistaken thinking it was the ripped jeans that made me love the Dan Posts. They look just as good with pressed khakis and a white Under Armour polo.

"You look pretty this mornin'," Edward says, staring at the white eyelet dress I decided to wear against my mother's wishes. She argued that it's too late in the year for a white summer dress. I argued that it's 81 degrees outside.

I won.

"Thank you. You clean up pretty nicely yourself."

My parents and Tanya left long ago, so I lock up the house and let Edward guide me over to his truck. Our small church is only about a half mile down the highway and I stay glued to his side in the beast on the way, gripping the hand he's not using to steer.

Our fathers are standing out front with the same group of men they've been standing around with for twenty years or more; some of them smoking, some of them laughing or talking, but all of them staring at us when Edward parks.

The urge to scoot over and depart from the passenger door is a strong one, especially with my daddy watching, but the urge to have Edward help me out is even stronger. So I go with it.

He puts an arm around my shoulder and we walk past them together, waving casually and saying quiet hellos.

Spying his mother in the fellowship hall reminds me of a conversation I had with my parents earlier this morning.

"I have to drive back tomorrow, so my parents are cookin' out today. I know I showed up out of nowhere, and you might already have plans. It's okay if you do, but if you don't, I'd love for you to come. You can invite your momma and daddy, too. There'll be plenty. There always is."

"I don't have any plans until later tonight, and you know I'm not gonna turn down food."

"Okay." I'm guessing he's got plans with his buddies. I'm not going to spoil that for him since he had no idea I'd be crashing his weekend.

"Let me see if my parents have plans. Your daddy's less likely to shoot if my momma's present."

As I watch him walk over to Esme, I wonder if he's ever going to believe that Daddy isn't mad at him. He's mad at me. Rightly so. He felt a few reminders were necessary, like the fact that he and Momma not only bought that Jeep for me but also pay my car insurance. If he ever receives another phone call like the one he got Friday night, that will end.

My father is a firm believer in letting the punishment fit the crime.

Esme looks up at me and smiles after Edward finishes asking her. She waves me over and hugs me when I reach her. "I'm so happy to see you," she says quietly. "What can I bring tonight?"

"I'm happy to see you, too. I'm sure Momma's got it covered, but you can check with her."

I wave Momma down, and the two of them chat and make plans until it's time for me and Esme to head for the choir room.

"I'll see you after," Edward says, dropping a peck on my hair before we walk away.

"He's happy you're home, too," she says.

"He's one of the nicest boys I've ever known," I tell her. I'm sure she has some idea of what's been going on the last couple of weeks, and I want her to know I'm not going to give him up again. "Kind and forgiving." Loving. Strong. "I'm gonna do whatever it takes to hang on to him."

"I don't think you'll have much trouble."

The sermon is a long but good one this week, one I'd do well to remember. Reverend McCarty reminds us that it isn't enough to call on God in prayer only in times of need. We need to be steadfast during the good times, too, and grateful for our blessings every day.

I've taken a lot of things for granted lately. My parents and sister are sitting a few rows behind Edward and his daddy. Daddy has his arm around Momma and she's leaning against his side, lazily fanning both of them with her bulletin. Some of the things my daddy said yesterday still sting this morning.

He's right, though. Calling home once a month and only to remind them to mail a check for my rent is really selfish and horrible. Tanya got in on the action and lit into me over never visiting, too. Happy Birthday messages on Facebook aren't the same thing as showing up with a Dairy Queen ice cream cake like she does for me every year.

I've eaten a lot of crow this weekend, and I'm deciding here and now to do better. With my family. With Edward.

After the service, Edward gives me a ride home and leaves for a while so he can change clothes. When he comes back, he's wearing board shorts and Reefs, and his momma and daddy are standing with him on my front porch.

Jake shows up not long after, followed by Angie and Ben and their baby, Cole. Esme and Momma fuss over the baby so much that Angie and I take over preparing the food.

Edward comes in to use the restroom, and on his way back outside, he stops to play with the baby in his momma's arms. Seeing him smiling and tickling a baby makes every one of us stop in our tracks and watch. There's nothing more attractive than a man that loves babies.

Angie agrees, whispering and teasing me about my ovaries after Edward has left the room.

"Hush," I whisper. "His momma is right over there."

"She was watchin' you two durin' that entire exchange. We all saw him look over at you. That boy's already down for the count."

"Hush."

It's too soon to think about things like babies and being down for the count. But she's right. He did give me a look.

When the baby starts to fuss, Angie takes him upstairs to my room to nurse him and the mothers take over the kitchen again. I find Tanya outside, sitting on the deck, watching Jake raise a crossbow and take aim at a deer target Daddy keeps at the edge of the woods. Edward shoots next, and I can't help but watch the muscles in his forearms when he draws back the string. He's a good shot, too, making kill shots more often than not. Angie comes out to join us in time to see her husband have a turn, as well.

Daddy grills chicken and bratwurst smothered in barbeque sauce along with a few burgers and some hot dogs. Esme brought homemade coleslaw and baked beans. Angie made deviled eggs and potato salad. Momma baked macaroni and cinnamon apples.

It's a spread.

Edward eats two plates of food and manages to try Momma's hand-churned peach ice cream with a piece of the pecan pie I made just for him.

We sit around talking after dinner as the sunlight disappears behind the trees surrounding us. Edward's phone vibrates in his pocket a few times until he finally pulls it out.

"Did you get a new phone?" I ask. I don't recognize the case he's holding.

"I did. That's why I was late yesterday." He taps out a message and shoves it back into his pocket. "My old phone ended up with some water damage."

"Water damage?"

I'm not sure how to feel when he tells me about the visit he paid Amber. In fact, I'm not sure what to make of Amber at all. Between what Jessica told me and this…

"Is that her texting you every five minutes?" I ask.

"It's just Brady." He sets the phone on the table and leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees and taking my hand between his. "He wants to know if we're comin' down to the lake tonight."

"I don't know–"

"Hear me out. Eric and Garrett are leaving for Alabama tomorrow. Brady is headed to Jackson. I'm skippin' out on the Fall Break trip to Panama City this year so I can work on my house. I won't see any of them until Thanksgiving at the earliest."

"It's fine," I tell him. "I can see you tomorrow."

It really is. I don't want to take him away from his friends.

"Is it because of Amber? Is she the reason you don't want to go?" he asks.

I'd like to say that she has nothing to do with it, but that would be a lie. "She might be a small part of it," I admit. "Then, there's Eric. He wasn't too happy with me Friday, and I can't imagine your other friends are, either."

"Eric was a six pack in when I picked him up Friday to head to the bar. Forget that Facebook post, okay? He didn't mean it." He backtracks almost immediately. "Well, maybe he did at the time, but he's not the type to hold a grudge." He squeezes my hand and looks down at our fingers. "And as for Amber, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her before. I'm not proud of the way I treated her. Somethin' like that's hard to bring up in conversation."

"I don't expect you to hand over a list. Lord knows I'd hate to hand you mine. I'm just not sure it's a good idea for me to go if she's gonna be there."

"It's gonna happen someday, Bella. This is a small town, and I'm not givin' up my friends because of her. We're gonna see her. There'll come a day when we'll see Ty while we're out. And if I'm lucky, he might pipe off again about me bein' a bad choice for you and I might finally get to bust him in the jaw."

"Edward." I shake my head, not sure what to say.

"I'm teasin'." He grins. "Mostly." The pad of his thumb brushes lightly across my wrist. "Please come with me." His version of puppy dog eyes leaves me tongue tied, so I nod. Slowly he leans forward, pulling me closer until our lips touch. "It's gonna be fine. You'll see."

"I don't want to intentionally hurt her feelings."

"The way she did yours?" he asks angrily. "You're my girl, and those are my friends. I'm not gonna draw a line between you and them. Amber is gonna have to get over it. She may as well start now. Other people want you there."

"Yeah, right."

He picks up his phone, taps the screen a couple of times, and hands it to me. "Brady sent this text an hour ago."

Is sweet cheeks coming?

"That doesn't count. He just wants to see me in a bathin' suit again." I push away from the table and stand, carrying my plate with me to the house.

Edward does the same and follows me into the kitchen. "I do, too," he says. "I want you there with me."

In some ways, he's right. Backing down now isn't a good way to make a fresh start, especially when I promised him no more half-assing. And if we start drawing lines now, it will just mean they'll have to be crossed later. I don't want to come between him and his friends.

"Okay. I'll come."

"Thank you." He kisses the corner of my mouth, my cheek, the skin just beneath my ear… "I'll make it worth your while. I promise."

"I'm sure you will."

"Break it up, y'all," Tanya says, walking into the kitchen. "The parentals are on my heels."

"I'm gonna go and put a suit on," I tell him. He pulls me closer for one quick kiss before releasing my hand.

I'm halfway up the stairs when I hear his voice from the living room. "Bella?" His smile is nervous, and I know what he's going to say before he opens his mouth. "Um. Not–"

"The white one," I finish for him. "I know."

The white one isn't even here. It's in Oxford. With the blue one and my black one. The only suits here are old ones. I have a choice between camo or pink polka dots. The pink one is a string bikini with ruffles on it. The camo is a halter with boy shorts. It's definitely less revealing.

Camo it is.

He notices the strap peeking out from under my white t-shirt. As soon as we're alone in his truck, he pulls on the collar of my shirt enough to see down the front of it.

"Camouflage," he laughs. "Jesus. You must like pushin' my buttons, girl." Come to think of it, I do like pushing his buttons. When I'm sure we're out of my parents' sights, I pull the shirt over my head and toss it into the beach bag at my feet.

He shifts in his seat, trying to put some space between us. I'm not fond of this idea, so I scoot even closer and rest my hand on his thigh.

"Bella."

"What?"

"Don't do that," he laughs, catching my hand before I make it high enough to count.

"Why on Earth not?" Surely he must be as frustrated as I am. We've been together almost every minute of this day, only not together.

"Because." He kisses my knuckles and then rests our hands on his knee. "I'm not gonna let you seduce me in this truck again. I want you in my bed tonight."

Oh, good Lord.

I stop teasing and settle for holding his hand.

Instead of driving to Eric's, he goes to his parents' place. "This way, we can come and go as we please," he says, jumping into his daddy's boat. He helps me in with his hands on my waist and pulls me against him. "Let me see them."

"What?"

"The bottoms."

"There you go again. Tryin' to talk me out of my britches."

"Always." He pulls the Dawgs cap off and tosses it onto the seat next to him before gripping the hem of his t-shirt and tugging it over his head.

"Okay, then." I unbutton my shorts and let them drop. "Is this acceptable? Am I decent?"

"Turn around," he says, waving his pointer finger in a circle. I comply, tugging the boy shorts down as I move. "Hell no, it's not decent. Nothin' that makes your ass look that good can be considered decent."

He starts the boat and I stretch out on the seat across from him, letting him have the view he wants. He grumbles about the suit, but he doesn't take his eyes off of me until he spots the pontoon.

He steers us close enough for me to toss the line to Garrett to tow us in. Edward gives me a boost with his hand on my butt, and he only cusses at Garrett twice for actually touching me while helping me board the pontoon. As punishment, Garrett refuses to give Edward a hand. Before I can offer, Edward dives into the lake. He doesn't surface until he's reached the ladder.

Brady leans over the Yeti, pushing ice around for a moment or two. He hands Edward a Red Stripe and turns to me. "No more Summer Ale, sweet cheeks. Sorry." He winks. "We've got some kind of blue wine coolers, Budweiser, Red Stripe, Bud Light Lime, Coors, Busch Light…"

"I'll have a Bud Light Lime."

He digs one out, shakes the ice from the bottle, and hands it to me. Amber sits up in her lounger, glaring at me and watching me twist the cap. "Those are mine," she says.

"Amber." Brady shakes his head in disapproval.

"Alrighty, then." I hold the opened beer out to her. "Here you go." Momma says it's better to let people make asses of themselves rather than do it for them. I can see her point. Amber's doing a fine job of making herself look bad. She doesn't need any help from me.

She takes it from me silently and sets it on the deck before reclining in her seat.

"Here, Bella." Leah hands me a Bud Light Lime from a smaller blue Igloo that's doubling as a footrest for her and Sam. "These are mine. I've got plenty."

"Thanks."

Edward shoots her a grateful smile and pulls me down onto his wet, cold lap despite my protests and efforts to get away from him. "Be still," he whispers in my ear. "You're keeping me warm."

"And now my butt is cold, thank you very much," I laugh. "I think I might skip swimmin' tonight. Your teeth are chatterin'."

"This is probably the last weekend it will be warm enough to swim until spring. There's no skippin' allowed." He stands, shifting me into his arms, and walks to the back deck.

"Don't you dare throw me in that lake, Edward Cullen." I cling to his neck firmly. There is no way I'm letting him toss me into the water.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he says. Then, he jumps in and takes me with him.

It's chilly, but once the initial shock is over, the water feels good; cool, calm, and soothing. And Edward never gets more than a few inches away. His hands are warm and sure beneath the surface.

Everyone is nice. Except Amber. I don't blame her. Not really. Her feelings are genuine, even if the way she chooses to execute them leaves a lot to be desired.

Brady flirts and makes jokes. Eric asks about school. Leah keeps offering me beer until my toes are warm and my knees feel like jelly. Edward sits behind me on the deck and wraps a blanket around us both. When we've dried some and the conversation starts to die down, we say our goodbyes and head for shore.

There's a text from Alice waiting for me when we get back to his truck. They're having a party tomorrow. Nothing fancy, just a few friends at Peter's place. She wants to know if I'm coming, and if I'll have a plus one. It's a delicate way of asking if Edward and I have straightened things out. I don't mention it until he's helping me out of the truck back at his place.

"My friends are havin' a party at Peter's apartment tomorrow. His building has the better pool. I know Oxford is two hours out of the way for you…"

"My first class isn't until 9:40 Tuesday mornin'," he says, stepping closer and placing his hands on my butt.

"You could stay the night."

"I don't think we'll be gettin' much sleep if I stay the night with you," he says, backing me up against the beast.

"I'm okay with that." In fact, I'm counting on it. I can catch up on my sleep after classes on Tuesday.

"What time do you want to leave tomorrow?"

"Noonish?" I suggest. "That will give me a chance to have breakfast with my parents and Tanya and say my goodbyes. According to Charlotte, Peter is going to fire up the grill around five. That means it will probably be closer to six, because he likes to visit with folks. He gets distracted easily."

"So, Peter's fond of standin' around the grill, shootin' the shit instead of cookin'."

"He's also fond of walkin' around our apartment naked. Consider yourself warned."

"The only naked body I want to discuss is yours." He tugs on the waistband of my swim shorts, walking backward toward his porch with me in tow.

"Really? You want to talk?"

"No," he answers, sliding his key into the lock. "I want to strip you down and make you holler."

It isn't the after effects of beer making my knees warm now; it's his voice, and the promise in his words, and the way he pushes my shorts down with his thumbs as soon as we've crossed the threshold.

I manage to get his shorts untied around the same time he unhooks my halter. We leave a trail of wet bathing suits, kissing and groping on our way to his bedroom. I climb onto the bed, and he follows.

"I'm gonna kiss you from here…" His lips move against my knee. "…to here." He uses the back of his knuckle to trace his plan of attack. "Then, I'm gonna start all over again from here." He kisses my other knee, uncurls his finger, and slowly moves it against my flesh.

True to his word, he moves his lips slowly over every inch of my thigh, occasionally adding teeth or tongue, until I'm squirming to get closer and begging him. Through it all, his hand is steady, giving me more by adding another finger, but he won't speed up or add his thumb. All the while, he's kissing, licking, and tickling my leg, taking his time.

By the time his mouth joins his hand, I'm so wound up that all I can do is grip the pillow under my head and hold on, the same way he's holding onto my hip with his free hand.

"Oh, damn," I mumble, trying not to shift against his face or be greedy.

He moves up my body, dropping kisses along the way. "I made you cuss." He grins when I push on his shoulder, indicating that he should lie down. "Is this my reward?" He watches me climb over him and catches my butt in his hands to help line us up. "Fuck," he mutters, tightening his grip and meeting me halfway. "I think you like being on top." My hands settle on his chest, and I stare at them, unable to answer even though I do. Like it, that is. "I wish you could see your cheeks right now. They're burnin', even in the moonlight."

He's in one of his dirtier moods tonight. Oral seems to do that to him. I'm not complaining, though. I might not be able to say the things he says, but that doesn't mean I can't like them just as much.

He sits up and I wrap my legs and arms around him, bringing us even closer together. "You're as pretty and sweet as an angel, but you move like a she-devil," he whispers against my lips. "I'm probably gonna burn in Hell for the thoughts that ran through my mind in church this mornin'."

"You should've been inside my head the mornin' after I ran into you at County Line."

He grins and pushes harder. "Oh, yeah? Did you have dirty thoughts about me?"

"I did."

"Dammit, Bella." He tries to slow, but I keep moving.

"You're the one that decided to tease me by goin' commando after our little dip in the lake."

The next thing I know, I'm flat on my back. He follows, thrusting hard and deep, killing any words that might have been on my lips and reducing me to moans and prayers of a different nature. And he keeps his earlier promise, making me holler his name a few times before all is said and done.

We're sweaty and spent, lying on our backs with our sides touching, when he speaks again.

"I don't want to take you home."

"Then don't."

He turns his head to stare at me. "You know I have to."

"I spent most of yesterday afternoon bein' yelled at and told to act like an adult. So, I told my father that I'd be happy to if he planned to treat me like one." I turn onto my side and prop myself on my elbow so I can look at him. All of him. Sweaty and naked because of me.

I'd like to stay the night.

"I understand where you're comin' from." I can tell from his tone that I'll be sleepin' in my own bed tonight. It's hard to keep the disappointment off my face. "Don't do that," he says, lifting his hand to brush his fingers over my cheek. "I've been there. My momma treated me the way Chief treats you. It's why I rented this trailer until the house is done. I just don't think this is the weekend to stretch your daddy's patience any thinner."

"You're probably right."

Edward is right. When he drives me home an hour later, Daddy is in a much better mood than I've seen all weekend.

It seems like Tanya has forgiven me, too. She comes into my room to make sure we're square and stays to ask about my night. This is the first time we've spent alone since I've been back, so I fill her in. On everything. Starting with my visit from Amber after the snake bite and ending with Edward kissing me goodbye on our porch an hour ago.

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Stop that." We both know she's plenty smart, especially with math, my worst subject. She just never cared about any of the other stuff enough to do more than what was required.

"Edward Cullen wasn't at County Line that night by some cosmic coincidence or serendipity or any of that stuff. He was there because I mentioned that I might take you there. That day he asked about you?" She nods, smiling with narrowed eyes. "I may have thrown him a few bread crumbs, but he chose to follow them."

"Were you plannin' all along to abandon me with him?" I ask with a smile.

"No. I didn't figure I'd have to. He is Edward Cullen." We both laugh at me for being the dummy that tried to turn him down. "I'm glad you came around. I can tell you just from lookin' at him, it was obvious that he was miserable when you were gone."

"I was pretty miserable, too."

"I know. I was keepin' up with you through Charlotte."

Another reason Facebook is the devil; it wants you to be friends with your relatives' friends. It's one big spying network. "You're just as guilty as they are." I nod my head at the door, indicating our parents. "I'm not a child."

"We were all worried, Bella. You lit outta here like your ass was on fire. Edward was scowlin' around town. Momma and I suspected it might've had somethin' to do with that visit from Amber, but we couldn't be sure. I was gonna give you one more week and then show up with a birthday cake and a few whacks upside the head for you."

"Even without the talk with Jessica, I don't think I'd have been able to stay away much longer."

I'm anxious the next morning and spend so much time texting back and forth with Edward that Momma says to invite him to breakfast. And Edward never turns down food.

I like his casual, driving attire: board shorts, a blue t-shirt, flops, and his Dawgs cap. In a way, I wish we could stay and hit the lake here instead of settling for a tiny pool back in Oxford. The end of summer always stinks, but I'm irrationally sad knowing Edward was probably right last night.

No more swimming in the lake with him for a while.

We'll just have to find other ways to entertain ourselves. I wasn't kidding with my offer to help with his house whenever I'm able.

After breakfast, I stay close to Momma in the kitchen, offering to help her clean up so I can have a few minutes alone with her. She tells me not to worry too much over the events of this weekend. Or the last couple of weeks.

"Everything will turn out in the end," she says, hugging me tightly. "You know your Daddy will cool off. You're the baby. It's harder for us to let go." Her words squeeze me as tightly as her arms do.

"Thanks, Momma."

An hour later, she stands on the porch waving until I follow the beast onto the highway so Edward and I can make our way north.

The ride is mostly interstates, trees, and glimpses of my favorite country boy in the side-view mirror of his truck. He waves me past him when the exit signs for Oxford appear. I take him to our place first so he can leave his truck and ride with me to the party.

"These are nice apartments," he says, glancing around at the buildings after getting into the Jeep with me. "Which building is yours?"

"The olive unit." Ours is furthest from the pool area. It's a good thing, because there's almost always some kind of party going, weather allowing. The lot is crowded, and I can tell the pool area is, too, even though I can't see it from here. There are enough people wandering around in bathing suits with alcoholic beverages in hand. "These are decent apartments. Wait until you see Peter's place. Campus Creek is much nicer. They've got fancy stone barbeque pits and really nice pools, and they're newer. This place was the best we could do on three months' notice."

Peter's apartments are also closer to campus. "This is The Square," I explain to Edward, driving through town. "It's the center of everything here."

The parking lots at Campus Creek are full, too, and I have to park a ways from the pool area and nowhere near Peter's apartment.

Charlotte notices us first and calls out from the corner of the patio that our group has secured. Peter waves a bottle of Budweiser in the air in greeting.

They're all staring. I step closer to Edward and tighten my grip on his hand. "Hey," he says softly. "I think I'm supposed to be the nervous one right now."

"I'm not nervous." My friends can wait. This is important. "I'm happy you're here."

He smiles, tugging me forward with our joined hands. I'm surprised to see Jasper in the crowd and even more surprised when he walks up behind Alice as she bends over, searching through a large beach bag. He grips her waist and pulls her butt against him.

Well.

I guess they hit it off.

"Is that –?"

"Jasper," I confirm. "And that's my roommate, Alice, he's mountin'."

I introduce Edward as my boyfriend, and he sweet talks my roommates and talks football with Peter and Jasper. He stands his ground, maintaining that Ole Miss sucks and we should just accept it. He takes a lot of picking as a result, but I admire him for sticking to his guns and being a good sport about it.

Alice and I sneak away once Edward feels at home. She brought the bathing suit I asked for via text this morning and a couple of beach towels.

"Have you gone country?" I ask her, locked away in the privacy of Peter's bedroom so I can change.

"He's very… determined."

I laugh. "Most country boys are once they set their minds to somethin'."

"I'm beginning to see that."

Edward, Peter, and Jasper hit it off despite Edward's poor taste in football. Charlotte and Alice ply me with margaritas and quietly talk me out of all the details of my weekend thus far. By the time I'm done, Charlotte is smiling and not even trying to hide that she's checking out my boyfriend right in front of me.

"He's even better in person," she says. "Think he might walk around the apartment naked?"

"Charlotte," I warn. "I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."

Both of them laugh and tease me, and when Edward comes over, they ask him about school and his house. I only catch Charlotte winking at him once.

I shouldn't be surprised that Edward fits in well with these folks. He was the most popular kid in high school for a reason. He was nice to everyone. He may like himself, but he likes others just as much, if not more.

Nothing has changed in that respect. He pays attention to the conversation around him, jokes with Peter, and challenges Jasper to a water volleyball match.

He fits right in here, as well as I fit with him down home.

We stay long past sunset until the pool water chills and only stragglers are left. Charlotte decides to stay at Peter's for the night. Since I quit drinking a couple of hours into the evening, I offer to give Alice and Jasper a ride.

Edward grabs an overnight bag from the beast when we get back to my apartment. The party is still going on over at our pool. Jasper and Alice decide to check it out.

Our apartment is cold and dark, having been deserted for most of the day.

"Come on in," I tell Edward, leading him through the door. "This is the kitchen." I flip light switches and guide him through our humble abode. "That's the living room. Bathroom." I point.

At the end of the hall, I pause. "Um. This is my room."

He opens the door, tosses his bag in the corner next to my closet, and then sits on the edge of my bed, toeing off his shoes. It doesn't take long for us to strip, and as my neighbors shoot off every type of pyrotechnic available in the parking lot, Edward keeps his word.

Neither of us gets much sleep.

The alarm clock wakes us at 6:30. We both have classes today and from now on. I could kick myself for squandering that week we could've had at the end of August.

After I turn it off, he pulls me underneath him, settling between my legs and easing inside. We move together slowly, making it last, since it will be days until we can feel this again.

"I love you," he says, burying his fingers in my hair. "I want you to stick with me." He cradles my head in his hand, running his lips over my jaw and sinking deeper when I change the angle of my hips. "Nine months. We'll graduate in nine months, and then we'll figure out our next steps together, okay?"

If I try to talk, I'm going to cry. So I nod and pull him closer, desperate to show him that I mean it. When his lips find mine, I kiss him over and over again, trying to erase that moment in my parents' living room when I refused him. "I love you, too," I tell him.

We make plans over breakfast. We'll Face Time, text, and talk until we can see each other Saturday. He's rushing to get out the door at 7:30 so he can make it to his first class on time, but he stops long enough to put his bag and cap on the floor.

He wraps me in his arms, and his goodbye kisses last long enough to make both of us late for our first classes. We hit the highway at the same time, and he waves when I make the turnoff for school.

I blow him a kiss he can't see, making a promise I intend to keep for a lot longer than a school year.


A/N- I can be a complete space cadet at times. I can't believe I forgot to thank y'all. Thanks to Nic for rec'ing DH for FotW at TLS a few weeks ago. And thank you for voting it into the top 5!

Also, lovely Michelle (allthingsHHH) rec'd it at Bookish Temptations. The alerts went crazy after your review. Thank you, sweetie.

Thank you so much for your feedback and reviews. I'm glad y'all seemed to like the EPOV. We'll hear from him again soon. :)

Attention TGAG readers! I've decided to write a futuretake for The B Sides (that's EPOV, in case you forgot) for Fandom4LLS. A $10 donation will get you a compilation of stories from some of my favorite authors. A lot of them, actually. And it's a great cause. Please donate if you can. I'd love to see them reach their goal.

Thanks for reading. See you soon.

-MSC