Lola swallowed, eyes welling with tears.
“I love you more than anything,” he said with feeling, turning her around and showing her with his lips, with the passion of his kiss, what Lola meant to him.
***
Sebastian’s birthday and graduation party were on the same day, at the end of May. It was double the festivities. Lola had reservations about being there, but only because her former residence was right across the street.
She looked at her shimmering pink strapless dress in the mirror above her dresser, touched her upswept hair. Silver sandals glimmered on her feet. Lola felt pretty, feminine.
Blair and she had gone dress shopping specifically for the occasion and treated themselves to manicures, pedicures, and haircuts and ‘dos. Lola couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something so fun, but as always, it had been darkened by the knowledge it wasn’t her mother with her.
Lola spritzed herself with lemon vanilla body spray and put sparkly earrings on. She smoothed her dress, feeling like a princess, or like she was going to prom. Lola hadn’t gone this past year; had had no reason to. She’d actually forgotten about it, its importance fading with her life in turmoil as it had been.
Next year, she promised herself. Lola’s senior year would make up for her junior.
A knock sounded at the closed door. “Lola? Ready, honey?”
“Come in.”
Lola turned; strangely nervous about revealing her appearance, and took in her aunt’s look of awe. “Wow. You look…you look so beautiful, Lola. You got all the good parts of your mother and father.”
She blushed, please with the compliment. “So do you, Blair. Jared’s going to be drooling all over you.”
“He better.” Blair wore a teal off the shoulder dress and black heels. Her auburn hair was pinned to the side with a glittering black clip.
The closer it got to the time to leave, Lola got more anxious. Her nerves were on edge. Lola felt bad she wasn’t looking forward to it. She owed it to her friend to be there for him. Lola paced the length of the living room, glancing out the window every few minutes.
“I can’t do this,” she said, closing her eyes. For some reason, the thought of seeing her old house in daylight was scarier than her seeing it under the gloom of clouds.
“Do what?”
She spun around and sucked in a sharp breath. Jack stood inside the doorway, wearing khaki shorts, a blue and white buttoned down shirt, and brown sandals. His clothing was nothing especially spectacular or noteworthy, but at the same time it was. He took her breath away.
Every time Lola saw him was like the first time she realized she was in love with him.
Jack stared at her, not speaking, his eyes going up, then down, the length of her. His expression went blank, but when he raised his head his eyes smoldered at her. Lola felt faint, hard a time swallowing.
“I’ll just…be outside,” Blair said and left.
“You cut your hair.” His ebony locks had been shorn, now styled short and messy. Jack’s eyes were greener somehow, his eyelashes thicker and longer without the hair hiding them.
Jack’s features were sharper, more angled, and breathtakingly gorgeous. Not a single bruise lingered on his face, not a cut or scrape marred it; there was nothing to take away from the beauty of his features.
Lola felt a smile curve her lips. He no longer had a reason to hide.
“Had to make myself presentable.” Jack took a step into the living room, another.
“I like it.”
He cocked his head, studying her.
Lola clasped her hands in front of her, self-conscious with his electric gaze on her. Those eyes didn’t miss a thing, not one fine detail.
Was it the artist in Jack that allowed him to see so much in a person, to look past the exterior and into the person’s soul; to know Lola with just a glance? Or was it because it was him, and it was her, and no other reason?
They were connected, inexplicably and forever.
Jack stopped before her. Lola craned her head back to meet his gaze. He lifted a hand, trailed it down her cheek. “So soft,” he murmured. Lola inhaled his scent she loved so much, closing her eyes.
He dipped his head into the crevice between her shoulder and neck, his breath causing shivers down her arms. “You smell so good.” Lola trembled, each nerve ending on alert.
“You look stunning, Lola. Beautiful.”
Jack lifted his head, cupped her face between his hands, and kissed her. Lola’s stomach dipped. It was a soft, slow kiss, full of tenderness.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips.
Lola opened her eyes; saw the green depths of his focused on her with such intensity, such longing. “I more than love you,” she told him, smiling at the flicker of surprise in his eyes.