I keep putting letters in Vanessa’s dorm mailbox. I have no fucking clue if she’s even getting them, but it makes me feel better to know that they’re there for her. I start sending flowers every day too—wanting her to know she’s always on my mind, that I haven’t stopped thinking about her even if I haven’t seen her in person.
As much as I’ve wanted to show up at her door, I haven’t.
I read and reread the contract she signed with my father, stunned to learn that she only agreed to breakup with me if my father guaranteed I was allowed my share of the family company on top of my inheritance from my grandfather—both to be given to me as soon as I walk across the stage and graduate.
She knew I was going to walk away from the family company, but Vanessa thought I deserved what I’d rightfully earned, so she made sure I’m to get it. I could throttle her if I didn’t love her so damn much. She means more to me than my family’s various businesses. I don’t want it. Not any parts of it.
But I couldn’t throw her sacrifice away, so after pouring over the papers, I knew I had to wait until after graduation. The way the document is worded, there’s nothing that says we can never get back together—not that I’d listen anyway if that were the case—so after my diploma is in my hand, I’m getting my girl … and then selling off the shares I’ll get of the McCallister empire.
My father will fucking love that—curse my name and hers, but he can’t stop me from doing what I want with my half of everything. Guess he should’ve read the fine print better.
“Dude, are you ready?”
Jude appears in the doorway of my room. He’ll graduate next year, but he’s going to be in the stands since he has so many friends graduating.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I chant, sticking my cap on my head and giving him a goofy grin. “I’m ready.”
Ready to get my girl back. The diploma is a small bonus compared to that.
The graduating class this year is massive. We’re seated on the turf of the football stadium, the stands filled with family and friends. I’m sweating in unmentionable places as speech after speech is given. I start to nod off at one point and the chick next to me rams her elbow into my ribs. I don’t know whether to be grateful or annoyed.
When names finally start being called, I grumble out a, “Thank fuck,” earning me a glare from the girl. “What?” I ask innocently.
She rolls her eyes in answer.
When Cole’s name is called, I cheer loudly, whistling to get his attention. He marches across the stage and accepts his diploma with a grin. The guy is joining the NBA, but he still wanted to finish school.
Murray is the next friend to walk.
Then it’s Vanessa’s turn. I yell so loudly that I’ll probably go hoarse. She looks out into the sea of graduates, but I know she can’t see me. I can’t wait for this to be over so I can hunt her down, say what I have to say, and kiss the fuck out of her.
The row I’m in stands, making our way to the stage.
Then my name is being called, and after four fucking years, all my friends are about to learn my actual name. The one I loathe more than anything. The same name as my father’s, passed down for generations but one I won’t be passing down to my son if I have one.
“Edmund Olivier Arthur McCallister.”
Edmund. Fucking Edmund. What kind of name is that anyway? I’ll forever be grateful my mom started calling me Teddy—and not Eddie—when I was young. Teddy is a whole lot cooler than Edmund.
Edmund doesn’t slay dragons, he is the dragon—and not the good kind either.
Teddy … well, hopefully he gets the girl.
I take my diploma, enduring the rest of the graduation. When I toss my cap off, I have only one goal in mind, finding Vanessa, but I know it’ll be nearly impossible in this crowd.
I move through the crowd, toward where the H’s were seated hoping she hasn’t made a mad dash for the exit. Murray intercepts me, throwing an arm around my shoulders.
“Edmund?” He shakes me and I laugh. “Your name is fucking Edmund? Dude, how have you kept this shit under wraps for so long?”
I laugh, extracting myself from his grip. “Money talks, my friend. Take this for now.” I shove my diploma holder at him.
“Where are you going?” He calls after me as I slip away.
“I gotta find Vanessa,” I yell back, the crowd swallowing me.
I’m not sure I’ll find her, it seems like an impossible task, but then I spot her curly dark hair cascading down her back, the loose gown unable to hide her curves.
Marching up to her, I grab her hand. She gasps at my touch, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Teddy?”
Taking her cheeks in my hands, her skin smooth and soft against my palms, I kiss her like I’ve been dreaming about for weeks.
Mine, my blood seems to shout through my system as I kiss her.
She kisses me back, her body melting into mine.
My girl.
“Y-You can’t do that,” she stutters when I release her mouth. “We broke up.”
“Babe, I know.”
“If you know then why are you kissing me?”
“No,” I laugh, “I mean I know why. What you did. What my father made you do.”
“Okay,” she drawls, “then you know I signed a contract, and we can’t be together.”
“Unfortunately for my dad, he must’ve been in a hurry, because the way it’s worded nothing is preventing us from being together now that we’ve graduated, and do you really think I would’ve let that stop me anyway?”
“But—”
I place my forefinger over her full lips. “You mean more to me than anything, Van. I would give everything up for you, don’t you get it? Loving you is the greatest thing I’ve ever done. I’m not going to let that go easily.”
I let my finger drop, taking in every inch of her face and committing it to memory. I didn’t realize it standing in the admin building the first time I saw her, but this girl is the girl. There’s no one else for me. One day I’m going to get down on one knee and ask her to marry me, I’m going to wait at the end of an aisle for her, and then if the fates allow it, we’ll have kids. The idea of a child that looks like the both of us fills me with a feeling I’ve never experienced before. But those things can all come in time, right now I need her to come back to me.
I take her face between my hands again, afraid if I don’t keep touching her, she’ll vanish. “I would’ve shown up at your dorm the second I realized what my dad made you do, but I didn’t want your sacrifice to mean nothing. There’s nothing he can do now to stop me from getting my inheritance from my grandfather, or the portion of the family businesses you secured me, and he definitely can’t stop me from getting you.”
“I can’t believe this.” She blinks up at me, tears filling her blue eyes. “I got your letters,” she admits, biting her lip. “I love them.”
“What do you say, Van? You want to try out this thing called life with me? For real this time? No agreements, nothing standing in our way. Just you and me?”
A single tear falls from her right eye. I swipe it away with my thumb. I hope she never cries because of me ever again, at least not sad tears. Sniffling, she nods enthusiastically, throwing her arms around my shoulders. I catch her, holding onto her and burying my head into her neck. Inhaling her scent, I feel grounded like … like I’m home and I realize I’ve never understood before what that word truly means, but that’s what Vanessa is for me.