Prom Queen of Disaster (30 page)

“I plan on it,” he said.

It was perfect. We’d soon be heading off to the same college. We knew more about each other than anyone else. It was a feeling inside, the same feeling that had once broken my heart. It was love, unconditionally and forever, the superglue to mend each other.

THE END

The summer before college was unforgettable. My parents had paid for a European trip for Kaleb and I. We were given a camera and a scrapbook and told to go make memories. We traveled through Spain, France, and Italy.

We ate good food and met great people. No two days were ever the same; it was perfection. Several times throughout in different countries, I knew Kaleb was doing something, he was collecting.

“Zoey,” he said, as I sipped coffee out on the balcony of our hotel room.

I looked up from my journal. “You okay?”

“When we get back, I don’t want anything to change,” he said.

“What about good change?”

He chuckled and inhaled a deep breath. “That’s
just
it.”

“You’re acting weird,” I said, glancing back at what I’d written in my journal.

“I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you too.”

The balcony of our hotel overlooked Rome. He pointed outside. “Isn’t it perfect.”

“I don’t want to leave.”

“Zo,” he said.

I turned. He was on one knee with his hands behind his back. I threw my hand to my mouth and tried to stand on my wobbly legs. “Kaleb?”

“Zoey Jensen.”

“Yes?”

“You saved me,” he said. “You gave me a reason to fight. You helped me, and I don’t know where I would be without you.”

A strange heat washed over my face. I sat back down. “I’m—I’m—”

“Zoey,” he said. “Will you marry me?” He presented an open ring box.

I was silent. The worst time possible to be silent. I couldn’t speak. My tongue became numb up in my mouth.

“Yes,” I said softly. “Yes. I’ll marry you!”

“Yes?” His eyes flooded with tears.

I nodded.

He reached out and pulled me in his arms, lifting me. We kissed.

An inaudible sound came from a phone on the bed. Kaleb grabbed it and pressed it to his ear. “She said
yes
,” he said.

“Who’s that?”

“Your parents,” he said, handing me the phone.

“Mom, dad?”

“
Oh sweetie! I’m crying. I’m so happy for you
,” my mom said.

“
He’s a good kid,
” my dad said, chuckling. “
Hope you’re having fun
.”

He’d asked my parents for permission to marry me, just how he’d asked them to take me to prom. While we were by no means perfect, we’d found each other and fought through hate to fall in love. It was unbreakable.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I must thank Tonya Polk. Thank you for being there when the ideas came and telling me to
suck it up
. I needed that more than you’ll know.

Thank you for everyone who believed in me. If you’ve been following, you’ll see that I’ve gone through an identity crisis of sorts. You’ll have seen the good, the bad, and the plain ol’ crazy. I can’t say I’ve always been 100 per cent certain about myself, but im pretty damn sure I’m close.

Coffee and regular scheduled TV breaks are also part of the reason I got this book done, and in a timely manner no less. Coffee is the real MVP of the publishing industry.

About the Author

JOSEPH JAMES HUNT

Born in Lancaster, England during the summer of 1993.

A writer from a young age, stories have always played a huge part in HUNTs life.

Forever reading and writing, telling stories aloud.

Be ready to fall in love, find new fears, and exist in dreams.

www.ItsJoeHunt.com