My Protector

Chapter 79: Accepted

Loren's POV

One Year Later

I sat in the middle of the apartment floor listening to the bustle of the New York traffic outside of our apartment staring at a thick envelope from Harvard Medical School.

"I don't know if I can open it" my nervous voice shook as I carefully picked up the envelope.

"You can do it!! Look at how fat the envelope is, only acceptances come in fat letters like that!!!" Emma encouraged from beside me.

After the last night that Killian and I had spent together, I left early that next morning before he could even wake. Without a second thought I booked a flight to move in with Emma in her apartment here in New York, leaving everything behind in Seattle. In my defense though, none of the things there were rightfully mine. They just belonged to a life that I wanted so badly to forget.

"Okay okay fine. And if its not an acceptance-"

"It is" Emma smiled confidently.

I slipped my finger nail under the paper and tore open the envelope, pulling the fat stack of papers out. I looked down and across the crimson sheet, the words CONGRATULATIONS were written out in gold letters.

And that was all I needed to know that all of my hard work had paid off. Nothing else mattered anymore, I was going to my dream school and I was going to become a physician.

I laughed as happy tears ran down my face. Emma grabbed the paper from me and squealed as soon as she saw the golden letters.

"I knew it!!! My best friend is the smartest girl in the world!!!" She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight. "This calls for a celebration."

We both returned to our rooms to prepare for a night of celebration in the city that never sleeps. As I was curling my hair I heard Emma pick up the phone.

"Guess what babe" She started.

She was talking to Adam. A small piece of me started to remember Killian but I quickly shut it down. It had been almost a year since I last saw him.

"Our girl is going to Harvard!!!!" I chuckled as I listened to Emma's excitement.

I stepped back and fluffed my curls out, taking one last look at myself in the mirror. Walking out of the bathroom Emma was already standing at the kitchen counter wearing a black sequined dress and high platform heels.

"Ready?" She smiled when she saw me and I nodded.

A few hours later we were stumbling and giggling our way into one of our favorite bars to end the night. We sat in our favorite booth that overlooked the city and ordered champagne to complete our celebration.

"Cheers, to the future Dr. Richards." Emma smiled and we clanked our glasses together. I sipped down the bubbly and sat back in the booth letting the surreal feeling settle.

"I couldn't have done it without you Em" I spoke honestly. I couldn't thank her enough for taking me in and pushing me to submit my applications when all I wanted to do was lay in bed.

Emma smiled at me and looked up at two gentlemen who were approaching our table.

"What are we cheers'ing tonight, ladies?" The one with the blonde hair smiled as he stood at the end of the table.

"My best friend just got accepted to Harvard Medical School" Emma smiled at them and winked at me.

"Well that is very worthy of a celebration" the man next to him applauded. "Mind if we join?"

"Uh-" I started and hesitated to move over in the seat

"We would love that!" Emma flashed another charming smile and moved over in her seat.

The two men ordered rounds of shots and later offered to bring us back to their place but Emma faithfully declined and I followed suit, claiming that I didn't feel well. They left us their numbers which I then left on the table, uninterested in love at this point.

Once Emma and I returned to our apartment, I noticed a large box at our door.

"What is this?" I mumbled as I looked at the box, my name plastered over the front.

"Maybe some more goodies from Harvard!" Emma giggled. If I had a quarter for the amount of times that she said Harvard tonight, I would be rich. She loves pointing out the fact that I wasn't just going to medical school, but Harvard medical school.

We carried the heavy box inside and set it on the kitchen table, opening it immediately.

Inside was a huge crystal vase filled with an arrangement of various beautiful flowers. Next to it was a black paper bag, a bottle of expensive looking champagne inside of it.

Emma looked in the flowers and bag for any sort of note to say who it was from but there was nothing. She looked on the box and again, nothing.

"I wonder who this is from?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

I stared at the blush pink roses and knew exactly who.

***

Do you guys know who the flowers are from? 🤍

And that's it for book 1. 🤍 I am so grateful to those of you who have stuck around to the end of this book. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.