All Bets Are Off

Chapter Thirty-Seven - Ella Fordman: Unspoken Promises

The next five weeks passed in what I can only call bliss.

Okay, that’s a lie.

At any other time in the year, it would have. Phoenix was the perfect boyfriend that every girl could ever dream of. My life was perfect, Carter stayed the hell out of our way, and senior year was finally shaping up nicely. Everything was perfect.

But you know what?

Finals are freaking hard.

Aside from the constant studying until two AM, the toll it took on my appearance, and the fact that I basically lived on coffee and glazed donuts; it left little time for dates or anything social.

Which was why I was so thankful my parents had offered up the backyard for an end-of-year pool party in May.

We graduated the following week, which I was still in no way prepared for, but to celebrate the fact we’d all gotten into our dream colleges, we were having a barbecue and pool party at my house a mere five days before the graduation ceremony. Prom had been the following week, which I’d had the time of my life with Phoenix at. If there’s one thing a dancer loves, it’s prom. A place with a dance floor, spiked punch, and a lover. It was like heaven for a girl like me.

And now somehow our final week had rolled around so quickly, and I’d barely had time for myself in the last five weeks.

After the whole debacle with accepting Alessandro and getting Phoenix a spot there, we’d been busy with studying, finals, finding accommodation to live in, and everything that came in between. Mostly, though, I was ready to start the next phase of my life—Phoenix standing faithfully by my side.

I cleared space on the table as, beside me, a shirtless Phoenix stepped through my back door and onto the patio, holding three large stacks of red solo cups in hand. I didn’t think I’d ever get over his figure, which, yes, leaves absolutely nothing to be desired.

He walked over, and I filled with the strap of my bikini, which was modestly covered with a t-shirt.

“Just here?” he asked, and I nodded as he set down the cups.

He turned around, and pulled the shades up from his clean-shaven face as his face broke up into a grin. He sidled closer. “Hey,” he murmured, putting his hands on my waist as he pulled me closer.

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread on my face. “Hi.”

“You okay?” he asked, and I couldn’t help but marvel in the luck that brought me to Phoenix. The way a lock of his hair hung across his forehead, and his face was carefree, and the sunlight glinted off his shades and his lips were the perfect, kissable shade of red.

“Sure,” I responded. “But a shirtless you is very distracting.”

He leaned closer, his lips a dizzying two inches from mine. “Oh, really? Well, I—”

“I’m here!” a voice called, and I turned around just in time to see Candice emerge from the house, a bunch of saran-wrapped plates in her hands. She wore a pair of denim cut-offs and a bikini top, and was balancing three different plates. Phoenix detached himself from me and ran over to help her. “And I brought crème brulee, mini cheesecakes, chocolate cupcakes, and a caramel slice. Thanks,” she said as Phoenix took two large platters off of her hands. She blew a strand of hair off her face and started towards me before putting them down on the table.