The Hopeless Romantic ✔️

Epilouge.

"Make sure you call me every day." My mother squeezed me tightly, her lingering perfume surrounded the air around us. "And tell me how it goes with the doctors."

I hugged her back, wrapping my arms around her. "Don't worry, mom. I will." I said with a smile at how much she could worry about one person.

We let go and she fixed my hair in a motherly way and I knew she wanted to savor every moment before I left. I heard the car trunk slam shut from across the road and I glanced over to see Jace, who was making sure everything was secure. He looked handsome like he always did with his summer shorts on and a tank top because it was so hot.

He smiled as he turned around and saw me with my mom who wouldn't let go. He jogged across the road and stood beside us. "The car is all packed."

I jumped for joy because I was excited. I had never been on a road trip before and when Jace suggested it to me after we got back together and I immediately said yes. It was going to be a fun way to spend the summer. We weren't sure if we would be going to college, the thought of studying for another four years made my stomach turn. We would be trying to sort out my health problem in the process of deciding what we wanted to do. Jace and I had some money saved for this trip, it was going to be amazing. We were going on an adventure to the rest of our lives.

"Have you got your toothbrush, underwear?" Mom asked, suddenly worrying about everything.

"Mom!" I gasped, going red from embarrassment as Jace was right beside me. Jace laughed as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Sorry," Mom cupped my cheek, "a mother will always worry."

I smiled as mom let my face go and I looked around the quiet street. The sun was shining, burning into my skin and there was no breeze. It was hot and I was dying from the heat already. That was why I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and nothing else. "We should hit the road." Jace said as he let me go.

"We have to wait for Gwen," I said, looking further up the street, "she should be here soon."

Jace nodded. "Okay, I'll wait by the car." He kissed me softly on the cheek, which always sent tingles down my spine.

I would never get over how someone like me got someone like Jace. Looking back, it was funny how we ever came to be. We barely knew each other and we didn't say two words to each other and I remembered being so nervous whenever he spoke to me or when he showed up at my door unannounced.

At the start of the school year, I wanted to get out of this town and I wanted to leave the past behind me. I wanted to forget everything that happened here until Jace came into my life. I looked at my house and remembered Jace having pizza with my mom and I and how he comforted me when I fell to the ground on the pavement I was standing on.

We had been through so much together and I never thought I would he here, going on a road trip with the man I had come to love and I never thought I would in a million years. If someone told me all about my senior year of high school, I would have laughed and told them that they were lying.

Right on cue, Gwen's mom pulled up on the side of the street with Gwen in the passenger seat. She rushed out and gave me a huge hug. "I'm so sorry I'm late. My siblings were being so annoying."

I laughed and squeezed her tightly, not sure when I would see her again. "It's okay, I'm glad you made it."

Our mom's started talking as we let go. "Are you all packed?" She asked me, looking over at Jace who waved at her.

"We are," I told her, "everything is all packed up." Gwen was taking a gap year before she headed off to college. She would be working and earning money and taking a break from studying. She was staying in town and we promised we would talk all the time and Skype when we could.