Page 63 of It Starts With Summer

Chuckling softly, I swiped through his notes, searching for this fabled five-year plan.My heart raced with anticipation as I found the document and began to read.There it was, outlined in clear bullet points: buying a house, moving for graduate school, proposal ideas, and wedding ideas.I blinked in surprise, feeling touched that he’d put so much thought into our future together.

“Wow, you really did put it all here,” I said, looking up from his phone to meet his gaze.Ravi’s brown eyes were warm and filled with sincerity.I scrolled down further.“So, what is this for years four and five?”

“Potato!”he said, snatching the phone back from me before I could see the full details of his plans to buy a home in Eagle Ridge.

“You hyper-focused on planning our lives five years into the future, didn’t you?”

“It’s not that detailed.Just rough ideas.”Ravi was so obviously lying that I had to laugh.

“And you didn’t stop to think maybe I’d say no?”

Ravi gave me a questioning look as he pulled into his parents’ driveway and shifted the car into park.“I suppose there’s a slight chance you’ll decide you find me irritating before then, but most likely, your addiction to my cock will outweigh all of that.”

“Plus, I love you,” I said.“More than anyone in this whole damn world.”

“Plus, you love me.”Ravi beamed at me as he cut the engine.“All right, come on.You must be excited to watch the chaos as Jiya finally introduces her fourth girlfriend to the family.”

“Can’t be worse than her third girlfriend.And Remember the goth girl, who showed up in a corset and leather pants?”

“Oh, I don’t know.I think she’s testing my parents.Supposedly, this one’s dream in life is to be a mortician.”

“I swear, Jiya is doing this just to make me look good,” I said, grinning.

“Yes, if my parents didn’t already love you, they would have been sold when Esha brought home the girl with a pierced neck.”He climbed out of his side of the car, and I waited, because Ravi liked to open the door for me.

“How did that piercing even work?”I asked as he helped me out, giving me a quick kiss.

“No one knows,” Ravi whispered, leading me up the steps to his parents’ row house.“Honestly, the piercing would have been fine on an adult.But who the hell gives a teenage girl a piercing like that?”

The scent of savory spices wafted through the air as we stepped into Ravi’s family home.The warm, welcoming atmosphere enveloped me like a comforting embrace.Ravi’s family had fully accepted me as one of their own, and I’d never felt more supported or loved.

“Ah, Parker!It’s so good to see you again!”Ravi’s mother, Prisha, greeted us with open arms.She pulled me into a tight hug, and I couldn’t help but notice how her affection reminded me of my late parents.

“Thank you,” I replied, feeling a familiar warmth in my chest.“It’s always wonderful to be here.”

As we settled in around the dining table, laughter and conversation flowed effortlessly among us.It almost felt like I was part of a movie scene, where everything just seemed too perfect to be real.But it was real, and I couldn’t have been happier.Jiya’s new girlfriend was alarmingly normal for a teenage girl who dreamed of becoming a mortician, and the family made me feel as welcome as ever.

“Okay, everyone,” I announced, grinning from ear to ear.“I have some big news to share.Ravi has plans to marry me!”

Ravi’s eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly interjected, “Parker, hold on!It’s nowhere close to year two of my five-year plan yet.”

But his protests fell on deaf ears as his family erupted in cheers and congratulations.His sisters began chattering excitedly about wedding preparations, while his father raised his glass in a toast to our future together.

“Ravi,” his older sister Esha teased, “you better not make us wait too long for your wedding.”She shot me a wink, and I felt my cheeks heat with a blush.

Ravi choked on his drink, while the rest of his family erupted in laughter.I reveled in the moment, feeling completely at home with these people who had embraced me as one of their own.

“Maybe we should save that conversation for later,” Ravi said, his voice hoarse but his eyes shining with mischief.“But trust me, Parker, I have the perfect wedding idea.”

“Is that a promise?”I wasn’t sure if I should be worried or excited.

“Absolutely.”From the way he was smiling, I had the sinking suspicion I was going to be treated to a very geeky wedding.And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As the evening wore on, filled with laughter, good food, and wonderful company, I knew without a doubt I’d found something truly special in Ravi—and in his family.And as I looked forward to our future together, I felt incredibly grateful for the path that had led me here.

And maybe, just maybe, I’d finally found lasting happiness.