“Hey, beautiful, where were you just now?” Emmett runs his thumb over my anklet again and smiles at me. I’m not sure if the goosebumps covering my body are from his touch or from the breeze.
“I was just remembering when you gave me that anklet. That was the best day of my life.”
Em leans over to me just inches from my mouth and whispers, “Oh really? I thought the first time we…” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “…was the best night of your life.”
My cheeks heat at the thought of our first time together. Of course, my mind then goes to thinking of the last time we were together too. I love that after all this time, he can still make me blush.
I roll my eyes at him. “Yeah, that was all right,” I whisper back at him while closing the distance and placing a sweet kiss on his lips. Well, what started out as sweet soon turns passionate. I will never tire of Emmett Hanks’ kisses. I want to spend the rest of my life getting those kisses.
Pulling back breathless, Emmett laces his fingers with mine. “I’m gonna miss those.”
Emmett and Zach are headed off to college at the University of Pennsylvania. Our parents had gotten them a two-bedroom apartment outside of campus. I still have to finish my senior year of high school, and then I’ll join them. Zach and I are what are called Irish twins, born within the same year. People often confuse us for regular twins since we turn the same age each year, but people never understood why we were in different grades. I don’t think my parents planned to get pregnant with me so soon, but, hey, if you’re going to have sex, you might as well be prepared for anything, right?
It’s only a two-hour drive from Annapolis to Philadelphia, so Emmett and I can easily make the drive to each other, but I hate the thought that I’ll have to go days without being with him.
Fighting back my tears, I cup his cheeks. “There will be no shortage of those, Em, not now, not ever. I will just have to save them up in a jar, and every time we see each other, we can open the jar and make up for lost time.” I kiss his cheek on each side, then his forehead before placing my lips against his. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold back my tears, because I’ll miss those kisses too. I just want to be strong and not show how much his leaving is breaking my heart.
“I love you, Cupcake. Forever and always,” he breathes as his lips touch mine.
He started calling me Cupcake when we discovered how good of a baker I am. If it wasn’t for lacrosse and the gym, I think Emmett and Zach would weigh five hundred pounds because they’re always eating the sweet treats I bake.
Our kiss is quickly interrupted by a throat clearing. We both turn toward the noise to see Zach walking out onto the porch, carrying the last two duffle bags.
“You about ready, man? I think you’ve had enough time sucking face with my sister,” he says while making a gagging face.
I stick my tongue out at him.
“I’ll never have enough time for that. You’re just jealous after Melissa broke up with your sorry ass,” Emmett responds. Rising from the porch swing, Em grabs my hand and pulls me up, then walks down the steps toward his Jeep.
“Nope, not even in the slightest, dude. I’m single and ready to mingle with all those college girls away from their families and ready to throw themselves at anything with a dick. And I just so happen to have a dick ready and waiting for them.”
I roll my eyes at my brother. “Real classy, Jacobs,” I mutter under my breath. Emmett laughs while Zach pulls me into a hug.
“You might not want to admit it, but you’re going to miss me, sis.”
He’s right—I will miss him terribly. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze tightly, tucking my face into his chest. This is becoming too real. They’re leaving me. We’d agreed we would say our goodbyes here instead of at the apartment in Philly. We were there just last weekend setting most of it up. All they have left is the rest of their clothes.
“I’ll take good care of him, Dani, I promise,” Zach whispers in my ear before kissing my forehead.
“All right, let my girl go so I can get in there or we’re never gonna hit the road,” Emmett interrupts, tugging on my hand to pull me away from my brother and back into his arms.
Waving him off, Zach finishes loading the bags in the back of Emmett’s Jeep. Zach’s Jeep was left at the apartment when we drove back the other day. I can feel the tears starting to fall as Emmett pulls me to his chest. This is harder than I thought it would be.
He cups my cheeks with his hands, and his thumb brushes away my runaway tears. “No tears, Cupcake. I’ll see you next weekend when you come visit. Okay? We got this. You are going to kick ass during your senior year, and then this time next year, you will be coming with me. Zach will have to find a new place to live, because I don’t think he wants to be living with us when we have free rein to have sex anywhere, at any time.”
A giggle bursts through my tears as I remember the one time we thought we were home alone and Zach walked in on us on the couch. He was absolutely mortified and couldn’t look me or Emmett in the eye for a week.
Wanting to avoid him seeing my tears, I turn my head and look at the ground.
“Look at me, baby girl.” So I do. “We can get through this. Having you as my girl for the past four years has been the greatest gift ever. We’re not going to let these silly two hours tear us down. It’s only preparing us for forever.”
The tears falling down my cheeks go from sad to happy, but the smile on Emmett’s face turns to a frown when I start to shake my head. Smiling back at him, I put my forehead against his and whisper, “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I haven’t been your girl for four years…I’ve been yours my whole life.”
Emmett lets out a breath and kisses me as if I’m his air. Holding on to him tighter, I can hear footsteps approach, belonging to our parents and Haylee, Emmett’s younger sister and my best friend. Reluctantly pulling away from him, I know it’s time for them to leave. There are hugs, kisses, and tears by all, and I walk with Emmett to the driver’s side with his hand still in mine.
“I love you, Emmett Adam Hanks,” I profess, wiping the last of my tears away.
“Good, I was hoping you did,” Em jokes. “Forever and always, Danielle Kathryn Jacobs.”