All The Glory (37 page)

The press had called it a shame, what had happened to Jason and his future as a possible NFL player. But we knew differently. We knew that what happened had happened for a good reason and there was no point in living with regrets. We had too much going for us to get bogged down in that regret garbage.

“You ready?” he asked me, slamming the door down on the moving truck.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He draped his arm over my shoulders. “You sure about this? I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want.”

“Yes, it’s what I want.” I reached up on tiptoes to kiss him. “I hate having to walk across the street to find you.”

He winked as he opened my door. “Up you go, roomie."

I climbed up into the truck and took out the map. “We’re off to see the wizard!” I exclaimed, going over our itinerary in my head again as my parents came out the front door.

“Here,” my mom said, handing me a tin foiled package through the window. “For your trip.”

I peeled back the layers and smiled at what I saw there. “Rice crispie treats. Sweetness.”

“We’re going to miss you,” she said, her eyes watery.

My dad put his arm around her waist. “We’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. You have each other.”

Jason climbed up into the driver’s seat. “I’ll take great care of her, I promise.”

“We know you will,” my dad said. He turned his attention to me. “You call us when you get there. And call along the way too so we don’t worry.”

“You got it,” I said, sending a text to Jason’s dad telling him we were leaving. He had to work out of town that week, so he was missing the Big Goodbye.

Jason started up the small van and backed down the driveway. “See ya!” he yelled, turning out onto the street.

“I can’t believe we’re moving to Seattle,” I said, grinning like a madwoman.

“I can’t believe we both got hired to work in the same place,” he said.

“I guess publicity has its benefits.”

Jason reached over and squeezed my hand. “We’re going to kick ass for those kids.”

“Hell yeah, we are.” I was one-half of the dynamic duo, the two teenagers hired right out of high school to run a program for inner city kids in Seattle, the Emerald City.

Jason and I had gotten this wild idea to submit a proposal to the city after reading about it online and had actually impressed them so much they flew us out to discuss it. And now we both had jobs that were guaranteed to last at least two years and money for moving expenses and an apartment.

“Last year this time I thought my life was over,” he said.

“Last year this time I thought your life was over too.”

“Good thing you didn’t give up on me,” he said. He looked over at me, like he always did when he said that. “I thank God every day for you.”

“Stop, you’re making me blush.”

“Blush? Just wait until I get you alone in that apartment.
Then
we’re going to see real some blushing.”

I couldn’t even look at him I was so happy and nervous at the same time. Today I was finally an adult. Our lives were once again changing in fundamental ways we could only partially comprehend right now.

The road spread out before us and the sun shone in the window, bringing out the highlights in Jason’s hair. I used to think he was in all his glory out there on the football field, running blindingly fast, catching balls that should have been impossible to catch; but I was wrong. Now I was really seeing Jason at his best — free to live his life in the service of others, fearless and compassionate, beautiful from the inside out.

Now
that
is glorious, all right. This is Jason in all his glory.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elle Casey
is a prolific American writer who lives in Southern France with her husband, three kids, and several furry friends. She writes in several genres and publishes about one full-length novel per month.

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OTHER BOOKS BY ELLE CASEY
 
NEW ADULT ROMANCE
Shine Not Burn
(2-book series)

By Degrees
Don’t Make Me Beautiful
Rebel
(3-book series)

ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Full Measure
(written as Kat Lee)

Just One Night
(romantic serial)

YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Duality
(2-book series)

YA URBAN FANTASY
War of the Fae
(4-book series)
Clash of the Otherworlds
(3-book series, follows
War of the Fae
)
My Vampire Summer
Aces High

YA DYSTOPIAN
Apocalypsis
(4-book series)

YA ACTION ADVENTURE
Wrecked
(2-book series)