Through the Lens

Epilogue

Summer had flown the coop and with his bags packed, I watched Ethan load up his car. His mother was inside while I stood and watched him close the trunk.

"You're really going," I said with a pang of loss.

His thumb caresses my chin before bringing me close to kiss me. My mouth was already swollen from his hungry kisses. We'd spent much of our summer together. And now he was leaving for school a couple of weeks early. "I don't have to go. I can tell the coach I'm not interested."

Ethan's former life as a football star had been noticed by the coach of the Penn State. When he'd found out that Ethan would be attending, he'd requested for him to come out for open tryouts. That said a lot about just how good he'd been.

"No, you should totally go. I'll be fine. I'll miss you like crazy, but I'll be fine," I lied. Being with him had become addictive. I now understood why Madison and Bradley had wanted alone time when they'd gotten together. The idea of spending the last two weeks without him was daunting.

"It's only for a backup position. And it's not like I need the scholarship he's dangling in front of me."

Pressing my mouth to his, I said, "It's okay. It's a good opportunity. Don't pass up free money."

"I'd pass it up if it meant I would lose you," he groaned into my mouth.

Pressing myself into him, I gave him something for him not to ever forget. "You won't lose me." More likely, it was the other way around. "We'll see each other soon."

With a fisted handful of my shirt, he said, "God, what I wouldn't do to take you upstairs."

Laughing, I said, "You're mom is back, so you know that's not happening." He stepped me back into the mammoth of a vehicle. He ground into me, filling me with the promise of all he could offer.

When I didn't relent, he asked me for the hundredth time, "You have the email right?"

"Yes," I said while nodding. His skills fogged my mind for a second. When he took a slight step back, I could finally think. He'd forwarded me the reservations he'd made at some fancy hotel in Philadelphia. Both of us in dorms with roommates wouldn't be the best place for what we had in mind for our reunion. We would meet there the second Saturday after classes began. He'd wanted to have us meet earlier, but I wanted to have some time to acclimate to my new school. More than that, I wanted him to have time to see if he couldn't forget me. Insecurity or not, Ethan was hot. Girls would be on him like wet tee-shirts. Scratch that, they would probably wet their tee-shirts to get him. I wasn't foolish enough to believe love would conquer all. "Are you sure we should do it that day? If you make the team, you'll have a game that day."

"It's a home game in the afternoon. I'll be there at eight. I'll be dying to see you Jess. You'll be lucky I don't show up at your dorm the day you move in."

What I didn't voice was the nasty devil on my shoulder telling me otherwise. "You better get going," I said after a final kiss.

"Don't be late," he said, back to his master plan. "In fact, you don't have to be wearing anything," he chuckled.

"You freak," I teased, playfully slapping at his chest. "I'm coming dressed for a strip poker." Which was my cool way of warning him that I'd be wearing layer upon layers of clothes.

Groaning he tugged me back to him. I'd slowly been stepping away afraid I wouldn't let him leave. "If you do that, be prepared for it all to be destroyed." Then his smile slipped and he got serious. "Jessica Shelby, I love you. Never forget that."

"I won't," I said. My voice cracked much to my dismay. And even with my doubts, I did believe with all my heart he did mean every word he said. "I love you, too," I said a wee bit more firmly. His smile came to life again after dipping from my show of pain.

And so I stood alone, while he got behind the wheel of his car and began to drive out of my life. His mother was already inside. She'd had come at some point and I think I'd vaguely said goodbye. Maybe I waved. We'd been so wrapped up in one another; I don't remember anything about his mother. And even though I had an awful foreboding that things were going to change, I held close that we would beat the odds. I couldn't worry about statistics and others' experiences. And even if we didn't make it, I would hold our relationship as one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I would cherish it always. Wiping a solitary tear, the only one I would allow myself, I smiled, my other hand in perpetual motion sending him off.

With a final wave at the drive, I blew him a kiss. One I hoped he would catch. To myself out loud, I said, "I'll always love you, Ethan Hart."

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Want more... This story continues with Broken Lens. (Its NA because they are in college)

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Other Books by Shannon Dermott

YA Paranormal Romance

Cambion Series

Beg for Mercy

Waiting for Mercy

No Mercy

Angel of Mercy

Have No Mercy

Book 5 (summer of 2015)

Remember Series

Remember

YA Contemporary Romance

Through The Lens

Broken Lens

Too Far (coming summer of 2015)

Adult Contemporary Romance

Mini Series

Assets

Liabilities

Equity

Profit & Loss (a companion novel) à spring of 2015