All In (19 page)

…

The campus is beautiful. Dozens of red
brick buildings covered in deep green ivy pepper the quaint
property and a small central courtyard, filled with summer students
milling about is lined with cherry blossom trees and walking
paths.

“Do you love it?” I ask Lane as we
walk off campus and back onto the busy city street, our hands
entwined.

He takes a deep breath followed by an
even deeper sigh before answering.

“It’s great…I guess. It’s just not
Yale,” he says, looking down at his feet. “I worked so hard to get
in, and now because of one stupid mistake and circumstances beyond
my control I feel like all my hard work was for
nothing.”

I give his hand a gentle squeeze.
“Don’t give up just yet. We still have the Yale meet and greet to
see if something can be done,” I offer, hoping I’m not setting Lane
up for another disappointment.

He nods giving me a smile, but I can
tell it’s forced. “Let’s not worry about that today,” he says,
trying to change the subject and both of our moods. “I have a
surprise for you.”

“There cannot possibly be any more
surprises.”

“Just one more,” Lane says with a
twinkle in his eye, putting Yale and his lost scholarship behind
him, even if temporarily, and I know he’s doing it for
me.

An hour later, and at least a half
dozen stops along the way so I can browse the shops, we arrive at
Esplanade Park on the water’s edge. Red, white, and blue banners
and flags hang everywhere my eyes can see, and a huge stage that
resembles a clam shell with stars dangling from the ceiling rises
up in front of us.

“We’re going to the Boston Pops?” I
hop on my toes and tug at Lane’s arm like a child.

“See, Andrew wasn’t lying
when he told your parents what
you
would be doing,” Lane says with a mischievous
smile, making me laugh.

The fireworks are spectacular. Lane
and I watch them burst above us, his arms wrapped tightly around my
body, as we sway to the accompanying music.

We fight the crowds out of the park
and make it back to our hotel fairly quickly. My feet are tired,
and my shoulders are sunburned, but I’m happy. Happier than I have
ever been, and I know it’s because of Lane.

We step into our room to find
housekeeping has been there. The curtains have been drawn closed,
and the bed is made up with tiny chocolates resting on each of our
pillows. A small lamp in the corner casts a warm glow throughout
the room, and unlike last night when I was so exhausted it barely
dawned on me Lane and I were sharing a hotel room, tonight every
fiber in my being is well aware of that fact. Alone. All
night.

I stand in the middle of the room
awkwardly while Lane pulls out his wallet and sets it on the
dresser along with our room key, perfectly at ease.

“Ummmm…” I say, fidgeting with my
hands, not sure what to do with them as Lane walks over and stands
right in front of me. “I guess we should… go to bed?”

Lane’s eyes brighten. “If you insist,”
he says in that charmingly flirty way only he can pull
off.

I know exactly what to do with my
hands now. I pull back and swat at his arm, giggling. He captures
my hand before it makes contact and pulls me close until our bodies
are pressed against one another. My laughter fades when I see the
way he’s looking at me with such reverence it takes my breath
away.

“I love when you laugh like that,” he
says softly, tightening his arm around my waist, pressing us even
closer. He brushes his thumb across my cheek as I lift up on my tip
toes kissing his neck, his jaw, his cheek and finally his
lips.

“I just love you,” I
whisper.

Lane’s lips crash down against mine as
he lifts me up and buries his hands in my hair. My arms and legs
wrap around his body as he walks us backwards until the back of his
knees hits the edge of the bed. Laying us down, our kisses are
unrestrained like never before. “I love you so much, Lane,” I
breathe.

“I love you too,” he says over and
over as he kisses me again and again while we make love until the
first ribbons of pink and purple light from the rising sun start to
flitter in through the muted cream curtains.

Lane

On our drive back to the ferry dock to
meet Andrew, I can’t stop stealing quick looks at Ashley. She’s
dangling her feet out the car window as her hair blows in the wind
and a carefree smile plays on her lips.

I can barely concentrate on the road
thinking about the way Ashley felt in my arms last night. Her sun
kissed shoulders, long legs, and soft lips flash behind my eyes.
This girl has me tied up in knots, and I love it. Noticing I can’t
take my eyes off her, Ashley pulls her legs in, leans over and
whispers in my ear. “I love you.”

Her words, just like last night,
ignite a fire in me. I want nothing more than to pull the car over
and kiss her, hard. “You’re gonna have to stop telling me that,
otherwise I might not take you home at all. Keep you all to myself.
Forever.”

“Well, if that’s the case…” she says,
twisting her body and tucking her feet under so she’s perched on
her knees. “I,” she says, coming closer and brushing her nose along
my jaw. “Love,” she whispers, nuzzling her lips against my ear
lobe. “You,” she breathes quietly before fully assaulting my neck
with her mouth.

That’s it.

I whip the car over to the side of the
old country road we’re on, throw the gear shift into neutral, and
pull the emergency brake. I un-click Ashley’s seatbelt lightning
fast and pull her onto my lap. Her tanned legs straddle me as I
bury my hands deep in her hair and return her advances kiss for
kiss. Each of us pushing and pulling and wanting and taking every
bit the other is giving.

“I. Need. Air.” Ashley pulls away from
my mouth, her back pressed against the steering wheel. I shift
slightly and take a few long deep breaths myself. Dusk is setting
on the quiet tree lined road and the only things I hear are the
sounds of crickets in the distance and Ashley and my heavy
breathing.

I watch Ashley, her eyes closed and
her chest heaving, and I wonder if oxygen is really all that
necessary. I want to kiss her again. I reach up, wrap my hand
behind her neck and slowly draw her to me.

“I could stay with you like this all
night long,” I whisper against her lips, savoring every second we
have left of our trip.

Her eyes flutter open then go wide
with panic. “It’s dark,” Ashley says, rolling her body off mine
abruptly, and putting back on her seat belt. “Lane, we’re going to
miss the ferry.”

Crap. No more kissing for
me.

…

“Cutting it pretty close there, sis,”
Andrew says when we meet him on the main deck of the ferry, ours
the very last car to arrive.

“Um, we had some overheating
issues…took awhile to cool it down,” Ashley says, giving me a sly
smile.

I wink at my girl. “She’s right. It
was super hot.”

“All right, that’s enough lover boy.
That’s my sister you’re drooling all over,” Andrew says with mock
disgust in his voice, but a genuine smile on his face.

I pull Ashley into my arms and lean us
against the railing. “So, how was your trip?” I ask
Andrew.

“Let’s just say it got pretty crazy.
So, obviously it was awesome,” he says with a mischievous grin. “Oh
and I think I own a bed and breakfast in upstate New York. Betting
got deep at the private poker table.”

“Okaaaay.” Ashley eyes him. “I’m going
to assume you’re kidding.”

He pulls out a set of keys from his
pocket and jingles them in front of our faces. “Nope.” He
laughs.

Ashley shakes her head but is clearly
amused by Andrew. “Only my brother.”

“Blame Chad. He bet me to go big or go
home. What else could I do?” Andrew shrugs. “I’m thinking winter
break we party at the B&B? You guys down?”

I laugh. Andrew is one of a kind.
“Sure man, count us in.”

“Speaking of Chad, he said he’d try
and come out to the island for the meet and greet. He’s a car buff
too, can’t wait to check out your ride. You’re coming right?”
Andrew asks me, changing the subject to one I’m not all that
excited to broach.

“I’m not sure—” I say before Ashley
cuts me off.

“Yes, he’s coming,” she answers. “I
think he should talk to Richard. Maybe he knows someone who can
look into getting Lane’s scholarship reinstated.”

Andrew’s face looks as skeptical as I
feel about this idea. “You never know,” Andrew says with a shrug.
“Just don’t open with the fact that Lane rearranged his son’s face
when you make your introductions,” he says, half joking, half
serious.

“Wait. What?” I say a little more
loudly then necessary.

Ashley throws a narrowed look at
Andrew over her shoulder. “Thanks for that.”

“Let me get this straight, the family
friend you want me to talk to is Gregory Chase’s dad?” I ask
incredulously, dropping my arms from around Ashley’s waist. I’m not
mad, I’m shocked. “That’s crazy. I think it’s been well established
Gregory and I do not like each other. At all.”

I thought it was a long shot before I
knew it was that jerk-off’s father I’d need to convince to help me,
but now, it just seems like a colossal waste of everyone’s time to
even bother.

“But maybe…”

I take Ashley’s hands in mine. “Baby,
you don’t really think he would let his dad help me, do you? So you
and I can be together at Yale?” The question is rhetorical because
the answer is obvious. “Ash, Greg wants to get you back, so he
won’t let that happen. Ever.”

“That’s not true. At the beginning of
the summer it might have been, but he’s with Hailey now. I saw them
at the club last week.”

“I saw them too,” Andrew offers,
backing up Ashley. “Then again, you never know with Greg. He always
wants what he can’t have.” Exactly my point.

“But, Lane, it can’t hurt to try, and
I really think he’ll help.” She stares at her feet, looking less
sure by the second. “What’s the dream worth if it’s not worth the
gamble, right?” Ashley says quietly, giving me my own
advice.

Damn.

I put a finger under Ashley’s chin and
raise it so she’s looking at me. “Baby, that’s why I love you so
much, you always see the best in everyone, even me.”

I rub my thumb along her jaw. I’m
certain Gregory Chase’s father will never help me, but if it’ll
make Ashley happy, I’ll try. I’d do anything for my girl, and
frankly I’d do anything to make Yale a reality, even if it means
talking to Gregory’s dad. Chance or no chance.

…

“If it was good enough for a first
date, it should be good enough for those fancy pants ivy leaguers,”
Grandpa says with a wink, handing me the same tie he loaned me for
Ashley and my disaster of a first date. I seriously hope this thing
isn’t cursed.

I pull it over my head and tie it
snug. “Thanks, Grandpa.”

“You’re welcome, my boy,” he says, and
I can see how proud he is of me and it makes it hard to
swallow.

I give him a smile, because what else
can I do? I grab my jacket and shrug it on. Nerves make my
movements jerky and stiff and I have to keep reminding myself it’s
just a meet and greet. I’m accepted to Yale just like everyone else
who will be there, and Ashley will be by my side.

“Alright, here I go.” I try to sound
excited, but the words fall flat even to my own ears.

“Now you and….and… that pretty girl,
have a wonderful first date,” Grandpa says, making me
wince.

It’s been one of those ‘days’ today,
when his Alzheimer’s makes him forget, even moments later, who or
what he was talking about. I’m not sure he remembers I’m not
actually going to Yale anymore, and while part of me is sad, the
other part is relieved since I don’t want to disappoint
him.

“I love you, Grandpa,” I
say, giving him a quick hug, knowing even if he doesn’t remember
how much I love him and appreciate him,
I
always will.

Irene loops Grandpa’s arm around hers
and pats his hand. “Have fun and good luck,” she says to me with a
smile.

I muster up half a smile back and a
nod before shutting the front door behind me.

I’m gonna need more than luck; I’m
gonna need a miracle.

When I arrive at Ashley’s house twenty
minutes later I park in the very back of a long row of cars. Better
for a quick escape. I adjust the sport coat I broke down and
bought, take a deep breath, and raise my fist to knock on the door.
Before my knuckles can make contact, the door swings open and I’m
relieved to see Ashley’s smile.

“Hi,” I say, stepping inside, my eyes
nervously darting around the entryway, having flashbacks of the
last time I was here.

Ashley gives me a light kiss. “Don’t
worry,” she says, taking my hand and smiling up at me, calming my
nerves. Somewhat.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask.
“Aren’t you like, banned from me?”