Nearly half an hour later, I finally had my turn to cross the stage and get my picture taken shaking hands with some important dude.
I knew it wasn’t a big deal, but something in me swelled with pride anyway when I heard my family cheering from the audience. It made me realize I’d come a long way from the potty-mouthed boy who’d gotten fucked up by his mother when he was thirteen. I had grown and matured into something worthy, something worthy enough to get the woman of my dreams. And it was all because this one girl had taken a chance on me and sent me a single friend request.
Seeking her wheelchair out where she sat back with her department, I blew a kiss in her direction and I swear I saw her catch it and press it to her heart.
Things felt good and complete when we were finally released from the gym. The campus was too crowded to meet up with everyone who’d come to see us graduate, so we had decided to celebrate in the back reception room at Forbidden, and Pick had Italian food catered in. Colton wouldn’t graduate for another week—the little nerd was still complaining about making salutatorian—but it’d been easier to have one big party for the three of us at once, so we’d had it after the college graduation.
Sarah and her family were already there when I arrived. I hadn’t gotten to actually talk to her face-to-face all day, so I swept to her immediately and pulled her from her chair first thing to give her a big hug and kiss before letting her back down.
“Congratulations,” I said, pressing my forehead to hers. “We did it.”
Grinning back, she stroked my cheek. “Yes, we did. I’m so proud of you. I was so sure you’d get out of walking through somehow.”
I mocked fake insult and gasped. “I told you I’d do it.”
“Yes,” she murmured. “Yes, you did.”
“Hey, hey. Enough from you two,” Reese called, interrupting us before we could kiss again. “I need to make a speech before you start making babies with your eyes.” Lifting her glass, she moved to the front of the room until she was standing by the buffet table. “Here’s to Sarah and Brandt for making it through their bachelor’s degrees, and Colton for high school. Good luck, Sarah in finding a job that actually matches your major, and Brandt, good luck with graduate school. And Colton, we already know you’ll rock your salutatorian speech. We love you guys!”
She took a drink and everyone followed, cheering us on. Sarah sipped from her own glass, and I looked around at our family and friends who’d come to celebrate with us. My brothers and sister and their spouses and children sat at one table. Mason and Reese along with their two and Pick and Eva’s four took up another. Then Knox and Felicity, Quinn and Zoey, and Asher and Remy’s families filled in the third table. All of them looked pleased and proud of us.
Taking Sarah’s hand, I said, “Look at all this support. We’re pretty lucky, aren’t we?”
She gazed around her, smiling softly. “Yeah. We are.”
Figuring this was as good a time as any to give her my graduation gift, I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out a key that dangled from a piece of ribbon with a bow on it.
“Sarah Arnosta,” I murmured, kneeling next to her. “I have loved you for nine years and have adored every minute we’ve been together. But it’s not enough anymore. I want more. I want everything.” Pressing the key into her hand, I said, “Will you do me the great honor of moving in with me?”
Her lips parted as she looked down at the key. “Wha...” Her gaze flashed up, surprise wide in her eyes. “What is this?”
“It’s a key to a new apartment Pick helped me find.” Taking a deep breath, I went for the gold. “I could live there alone and still be perfectly content, sneaking into your room when Mason isn’t looking, or...we could have it all, and just...live together. That’s what I’m voting for, by the way.”
Sarah laughed, but then her eyes filled with tears. “Oh my God, Brandt. I can’t...this is...yes, ohmigod, yes! I’ll move in with you. Are you sure?”
Chuckling, I pulled her in for another hug. “I’ve never been more certain of anything than I am of this. I’m ready to start the rest of my life with you, right now.”
Sarah’s tears rolled down her cheeks as her smile grew. Then she waved her key frantically. “This is the best graduation gift ever.”
I shrugged ruefully. “It’s not a very typical one, that’s for sure.”
“No, it’s better. Better than anything money could buy. It’s priceless.”
Well, I guess that made sense, since she was my priceless.
I shouldn’t be here.
I had been telling myself variations of that very sentiment all day, starting with, I shouldn’t go as I’d dressed for the wedding all the way to What the hell am I doing? as I’d entered the church. And here I was now, still filled with a torturous regret as I sat alone at a round table during the reception and watched a bunch of white people trying to dance to the “Cha Cha Slide.”