The Boy Who Lives In My Garage > jariana (COMPLETED)

twenty-four

I spend Waiting Hour One alternately playing games on my phone and staring down the long hallway, willing Justin to appear. During Waiting Hour Two, my phone battery dies, and I spend most of the time falling in and out of sleep with my head against my dad's shoulder. It's the start of Waiting Hour Three when my dad nudges me awake.

"Someone's coming."

I jump to my feet and rub the sleep from my eyes. Sure enough, footsteps and voices approach. But when the source of those sounds appears at the end of the hallway, it's Mr. and Mrs. Bieber. Just Mr. and Mrs. Bieber.

"How'd it go?" Dad asks.

"We were able to get a hold of our lawyer and the Traverse City Police Department," Mr. Bieber explains. "Pending an appearance before a judge, all charges will be dropped."

"That's fantastic," Dad says, letting out a huge sigh of relief.

"We were able to see Justin," Mrs. Bieber says. "To show him Jason's letter. To explain that we were heartbroken and acted irrationally." She pauses to wipe at her mascara-smeared eyes. "We've still got a lot to work through, but it's a start."

I bite my lip. All of this is great, but none of it is what I want to hear right at this second. "So, are they releasing him?"

Mr. Bieber nods. "The officers are finishing up some paperwork and getting his stuff back to him."

I grin. Now that's what I wanted to hear.

"He asked about you," Mrs. Bieber says.

"He did?" I ask.

"As soon as we explained how we got the letter, he had to know if you were okay and if you were in trouble for letting him stay at your house."

The fact that he was concerned about me while all of this was going on with him is incredible. It's tacky and cliché, but my heart really actually does skip a beat or two or seven.

Dad clears his throat. "Speaking of..."

Walking down the hallway toward us is Justin. He's wearing that absurd Michigan State University sweatshirt that I've never been so happy to see and carrying his backpack in one hand and his coat in the other. The second our eyes meet, he smiles. I take off sprinting down the hallway.

Justin drops his coat and backpack a split second before I throw my arms around him, taking him a few steps back with me. I'm laughing and crying and kissing him, and he tastes like the ChapStick in the black tube, and he's warm and safe and here, and I am deliriously happy.

He pulls back and glances down the hall, but both sets of parents have graciously turned away, giving us our moment. He uses one hand to wipe at my tears and the other to tuck my hair behind my ears, then rests both hands on the small of my back, holding me close. He looks down, his eyes searching mine. "You went to my parents' house for me."

"Yep."

"You found Jason's letter."

"Yep."

He toys with my Petoskey stone necklace. "You are a stupid, brave, and beautiful girl."

The only reason I stop smiling is because it's difficult to kiss and smile at the same time.

"Hey, you two," Mr. Bieber calls, and we pull apart. "We should get going. We've still got a long drive home."

Justin slings his backpack over one shoulder, grabs his coat, and takes my hand. We walk together toward our parents, still standing in the lobby. "Nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Grande," Justin says. "I'm sorry about the whole 'living in your garage' thing."

"Forgiven," Dad says. "We have increased our security, though, so from now on, you might want to try the front door. And I know the Trans Am is awesome, but so is our living room."

Justin laughs and squeezes my hand. "Got it. Thanks."

"Thank you for being so good to Ariana," Mom says.

He smiles. "Anytime."

"And thank you for your help," Mr. Bieber says to Dad.

They shake hands, and Mom and Mrs. Bieber shake hands. As they switch, my stomach twists. The Bieber's are going back to Traverse City. We're going back home. I've only seen Justin for a few minutes, and I'm losing him already. When we walk outside, the Bieber get into their SUV, and Mom and Dad get into theirs. Justin lets go of my hand long enough to put on his coat, and then he pulls me into his arms.

"I don't want you to leave," I say, choking up. "Not again."

"Hey. Every single time we've been apart, I've found my way back. You really think this time's going to be the worst? I'm going to have my cell phone. I'll call you and text you until you're so sick of me you file a restraining order." He pauses. "Wait, too soon for law jokes?"

I laugh and press my forehead to his. His nose is already cold, but his breath is still warm. "You better call and text constantly."

"I will. And I'll visit. We'll figure this out, okay? After all we've been through, we will make it."

One more kiss seals the promise.

"I love you," I say.

"I love you, too."

I smile. "See you later."

"No. See you soon."

A/N:

of course, I had to let him out y'all

AHHHH ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

I'm going to miss this story tbh

but I'm also excited about my new one!

so if you haven't already, please go check out my new story ''The League'' and leave a vote :)

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LOVE Y'ALL