Burnout (Jack 'Em Up Book 0) (17 page)
We said hi to our friends and family after the ceremony then made our way outside. She tucked her hand into mine and lifted up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “We did it,” she said.
I fingered the tassel on her cap. “We did.”
I’d been wondering for weeks now, ever since the blowup with her parents, how we’d make this work. We no longer made a secret of our relationship, and they made no secret they hated it. But, they hadn’t kicked her out, and even tolerated my presence at her eighteenth birthday party . . . for that I was grateful. I had no idea when my dad was getting out of jail, and for now, all I had to my name was a crappy trailer to live in and my dreams.
Dreams that hinged on her.
I’d figured out these past months that, yes, I could make something of myself. I would. But I needed her. Like air. I would do anything to make her happy and make this work. Even let her go off to college if that’s what she wanted.
We meandered to my car where she snaked her arms around my neck. “Love you, Blake.”
I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of hearing that. “Love you, too, Princess Dee.”
A smile tilted up the corners of her mouth, but her eyes had lost some of their usual sparkle. She seemed . . . nervous. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
Her gaze slid down to my throat. “Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“It’s so stupid.” Her cheeks flamed bright pink.
“What? What’s stupid?” I used my thumb to trace her jaw.
She met my gaze, hope shining in her bright eyes. “I just . . . I wanted to ask you something.”
“You can ask me anything.”
She sucked in a breath. “Well . . . you know how I was gonna study physical therapy?”
I nodded, not sure I liked where this was going. Was she building up to telling me she was going away? Of course she was . . . there weren’t any big colleges around here.
“I got a scholarship. To UT in Austin.”
“You did?”
She nodded.
“That’s great! I’m proud of you, baby.”
She bit her lip. “Thank you. But that’s not what I wanted to ask you about.”
“Oh?”
“I was wondering if you’d consider applying to automotive school there. In Austin. With me.” Her words began to pour out in a nervous rush. “I’ve already looked into it, and there’s a good school for that not too far from campus. We could be together.”
I studied her, shocked. “You looked into all that?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Happiness bubbled up inside me like a helium balloon. A belly laugh burst free as I swung her off her feet and in a circle. “You are a crazy woman.”
Her laugh tinkled like a wind chime. “Is this a yes?”
“Of course, it’s a yes.” I set her back on her feet. “I was trying to think up a way to make this work so you’d be happy. This is perfect.”
“But will
you
be happy?”
“Baby, I’ll be happy anywhere, as long as it’s with you.”
Her expression shifted as love filled her face. A look I was coming to know well. “You mean that?”
How could she not know? I may be a mess, and I was still working on my issues, but she was the single most precious thing that had ever come into my life. I loved her beyond reason.
I swept in and pressed a kiss to her sweet lips. “Yes, I mean that.”
“Good. Because I have one more question.”
“Anything, baby, the answer is yes.”
Her grip on my waist tightened, her gaze holding me captive like never before. My heart slammed against my ribs as I waited for her to speak. When she did, my vision tunneled as my soul exploded with sweet joy.
“Will you marry me?”
Thank you for reading
Burnout
! Hope you loved it! As always, your honest review will be so appreciated! Curious what’s up for Blake and Delilah next? The rest of their story will be available this winter in
Crank
. (No worries . . . no serials or cliffhangers here!) And, please be watching over the next months for the rest of the series.
Torque
(Jesse and Rachel)
Throttle
(Trace and Tori)
Rev
(Micah and Jewel)
Also, if you haven’t already, please sign up for my
Angel Kisses Newsletter
to stay up-to-date on what’s next.
Happy Reading and Big Hugs!!!
xoxo
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