Happily ever hookup. (Book #2)

1 "You ready for this?"

Edited and tweaked 6th May 2020.

Hunters P.O.V

I sigh into the phone. I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my entire life.

My whole insides are shaking, anxious excitement making my stomach turn over and over making me feel kind of queasy, but in a good way.

With a little help from my parents and Devon, who weirdly has become like the younger brother I never had, I'm surprising Emily at her college graduation.

She doesn't know I'm even here, which will be one hell of a shock in itself.

"Tara, I realise that Emily's upset and I can't apologise enough, but I'm working," I tell her, even though she's heard this a million times in the past few weeks.

I've considered telling her the truth, but my sister's a worse liar than Emily and she's sure to click on to something.

I only told her about Emily's surprise prom the day of, and even then Tara almost slipped up a few times.

"It's her graduation, Hunter. You know she doesn't have anyone else but us."

I feel a pang of pain shoot through my heart but do my best to ignore it. She might be upset for a couple more hours but hopefully, she'll be ecstatic and so relieved to see me, she'll forget about how I lied to her.

"Please don't make me feel more guilty than I already do" I plead as I enter my parents' house. They've been hiding me away for the last few days, with Tara away at college with Devon and Emily at our apartment, it was the safest place without being found out.

"You should feel guilty."

"And I do" I reply with a roll of my eyes. "I have to get back to work Tara," I say making an excuse to get off the phone as I round the corner to the living room.

"Fine, but don't blame me when Emily kicks your ass to the curb for being an asshole" She hangs up the phone without another word and it makes me laugh.

My parents are sitting on the sofa, beaming with pride, Devon is lounging on the chair tapping away on his phone. When I enter, he sits forward, placing his phone on the coffee table in front of him.

"You ready for this?" he asks with a smile.

More than ready.

I nod as my eyes land on the black, velvet ring box sitting on the table.

**********

I stay low, making sure I'm unseen by both Tara and Emily. When the dean of Connecticut University called out her name, I was so happy for her I wanted so badly to start cheering to my heart's content, but I refrained knowing I had spent almost two months planning this one day, nothing can mess it up now.

I see Devon, carrying out the plan in the audience, handing out confetti shots to random people. I hope they play along and help me.

I watch as my parents clap and shout at the top of their voices, proud and relieved that they love Emily as much as I do.

Since her father can't be here and her mother is still MIA, my family and our friends are here supporting her.

According to Emily, her Aunt Karen and Uncle Stephen have travelled from Chicago to be here but so far I haven't seen them.

I can see the fake smile Emily has forced onto her face and it hurts to know I'm the cause, but I really, really wanted to surprise her with this, hopefully, it'll be worth it.