In one motion, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me in closer. Before I know it, her lips are on mine. They are familiar yet wrong. They have always felt wrong.
I instantly push her away without noticing how close we are to the edge of Brian’s pool. On my push, her heel slips, and she stumbles backward. I try to catch her, but I’m too late. There is a huge splash as she falls back into the pool.
All I can do is stand there in shock. I can’t believe that just happened.
“My dress!” she screams at me as it floats up around her. It’s soaked. She’s soaked.
I never meant for this to happen, but it was a happy accident.
With the loud splash, everyone comes running out of the house.
“Oh, my God!” Gretchen screams and runs to help her out of the pool. “Todd?” She looks at me like ‘how could you?’
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” I’m not sure what to say.
“Ding dong, the witch is dead,” Blythe says with a laugh as she grabs my arm. “Nicely done. She deserved that,” she whispers to me. “I know, I know, it was an accident.” She winks with a smile.
I merely smile back. It honestly was an accident, but I definitely don’t regret it.
“Where’s Ashley?” I ask, noticing she’s not out here.
She gestures toward the house. “Talking to Casey. Maybe we can get him out here and accidentally throw him in, too, drown both rats at once.”
“I like the way you think.” I raise my eyebrows with a smile as I head back into the house.
“I can’t believe this happened!” Rebecca screams through tears as Brian’s mom brings her some towels.
I feel a little bad, but not as bad as I probably should. Right now, I need to find Ash.
ASHLEY
Casey steps closer to me. “I’m sorry, really. I didn’t know we were coming here. I mean, I knew I’d see you, but I had no idea she was actually going with you guys. Honestly, I didn’t know until we pulled into Brian’s driveway.” He steps even closer.
“Stop. Just stop.” I shake my head. “You should not have said yes, not after everything. Casey, you knew it wouldn’t be good, even if we weren’t all going together. You knew Todd would be there. It’s his senior prom, and you know we’re together. I love him. Him. You know that. Why did you do it?”
He looks down at the ground and places his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know. At the time, it seemed like a good idea.” His eyes stay on the ground.
“Casey, it will always be him. Even when he’s not here and away at school, it will be him. There will be someone for you, but not Rebecca,” I say with a stern, motherly tone and laugh at how passionate I feel about that. “But there will be someone. I know it. I know you are a good person, and I feel lucky that you let me in enough to see that. But I will always choose Todd. A thousand times, I choose him.”
Casey’s bright green eyes lock with mine, and he gives me his flawless smile with his hands still stuffed in his pockets. “I get it, Ashley. I do.”
I smile up at him. “Good.”
TODD
I started to walk in during Ashley’s speech, but her words grabbed me and stopped me in my tracks. I’m standing off to the side, hiding behind the doorway to the living room, listening to every word. I think I just fell even more in love with her.
I clear my throat to make my presence known and pretend I’m just entering the house.
“Um … Casey, I think Rebecca needs you outside.”
Casey turns in my direction. “Thanks, man,” he says with a small smile then starts to walk toward the back of the house, but before he passes me, he stops. “Hey, I’m sorry.” His eyes study mine, and there’s a moment of silent understanding between us. “For everything.” Then he turns and walks away.
I watch him for a second and smile to myself at the chaos he’s about to unknowingly walk into.
“What are you smiling about?” I feel Ash’s arms wrap around my waist from behind.
“Let’s just say there was a little accident outside.”
She pulls her hands away and comes around so she can read my expression. “What happened?
“Never mind that.” I take her hands and pull her close so she has no choice except to re-wrap them around me. “So you’d choose me a thousand times?” I smile down at her.
The smile that breaks onto her lips is unforgettable. “You heard?”
I wrap my arms around her. “I did.”
She looks down at the ground to avoid my gaze. “It’s true,” she says on a whisper.
I touch her chin to guide her eyes back toward mine. “I feel the same way.” I lean down to kiss her. It doesn’t matter what else happens tonight; the night is already perfect.
“Hey, hey, save it for later,” I hear Ryan’s voice, but we both ignore him. “There’s mass hysteria out there, and you are both in here making out?”
We stop to look at Ryan who’s holding a wet towel, and his ruffles have definitely deflated. He looks defeated.
Ash looks at me with raised eyebrows as if to ask, “What’s going on?” I just give her my best innocent smile and then we both turn back to Ryan.
“Yup,” we say in unison and go right back to where we left off.
“Nicely played,” Ryan says as he walks back outside.
As we kiss, I think about all we have been through this year. We finally figured it out—all that really matters is us. We can conquer anything together. Together, we are stronger, better, and we will always be …
Unbreakable.
EPILOGUE
TODD
Ash and I are finally alone in our hotel room. This night couldn’t be more perfect. Holding her in my arms, seeing her in her gorgeous dress. Though, I do like it even better now that it’s on the floor.
The contours of her body drive me crazy. Her hip bones are like tiny mountains to conquer as I slide my fingers over them. I love seeing the pleasure spread across her face as my fingers tease her, lightly gliding over her most sensitive areas. I know her body so well—the places that make her laugh, the places that make her smile, and the places that drive her just as crazy as she drives me. I could lie here forever with her, but I need to tell her. I want her to be the first to know.
“Ashley?” I say softly.
She’s in pure bliss right now with her eyes closed, which gives me a sense of peace that nothing else in the world can give me. I love making her as happy as she makes me.
On the third time I say her name, her eyes open, and her warm, brown eyes meet mine. There is an energy that surges through me every time our eyes meet.
“I want to tell you something.”
“Now?” she says with a smile. “This is so nice; can’t we talk later?” She closes her eyes again.
I pull my hand away from her stomach, knowing this is the only way I will get her full attention. Then I slide up so my face is now resting on the pillow next to hers.
She opens her eyes again and turns her body to face mine. We’re both lying on our sides.
“Hi,” I say as I run my hands over her loose curls and place them behind her ear to get them out of her face.
“Hi,” she says back with a warm smile.
“Guess what? I want you to be the first to know. It’s important to me, and you’re important to me, and—”
Her finger comes up, and she gently places it on my lips to silence me. “You got in?” she asks, the genuine excitement on her face making my heart soar.
I nod my head since her finger is still over my lips.
Then she bolts up so she’s sitting. “You got in?” she asks with more excitement.
I smile and nod again, sitting up to match her.
“Oh, my God. You got into the theater program! That is incredible!” She wraps her arms around me. “Congratulations.” She presses her lips into mine as she pushes me down onto the bed.