Page 38 of Love On Time

“It’s okay, Cam, you don't have to come,” Cooper says, twisting around the seat to face her.

“But if you do want to check it out, I can drive you back home whenever you feel ready,” I add, catching her eye in the rearview mirror. “You won't have to stay the whole time.”

She flashes me a grateful smile from the backseat. I glance at Ivy, who is already staring at me with a smirk.

We finally pull up to the curb outside our houses. Suddenly, Ivy lets out a piercing scream from the backseat. Everyone jumps, our attention darting to her.

“Oh my God! I just got an email from UCLA!” she yells, clasping her palms against her chest.

Cooper and I automatically lock eyes. Our bodies go stiff as we scramble to pull our phones out of our pockets. We knew a round of early acceptance letters was scheduled to drop sometime before Christmas.

“I got in!” Ivy cries, tears welling in her eyes.

“Oh my God.” Cooper breathes next to me, staring blankly at his screen. “I got in too.” He looks over at me, his expression a mix of shock and pure adrenaline.

“No way!” Ivy shouts, unbuckling her seatbelt and throwing herself from the backseat to the front, straight into Cooper’s arms.

“Congratulations!” Cami beams, grabbing her brother's shoulder in excitement. “Mom is going to freak out!”

My fingers are trembling as I hesitantly open my mail app. The air inside the tiny car suddenly feels suffocating. A wave of nausea hits me. I need to step out, or I’m going to be sick. I throw the driver’s side door open and take a few frantic paces away from the car, desperate for space. My hands shake violently as I see the unread message from the UCLA administration office. I let out a jagged exhale. My entire future is riding on this single email.

Cooper, Ivy, and Cami all climb out of the car, standing by the hood and watching me in anxious anticipation.

I close my eyes, take one last breath, and tap the message open.

My knees completely give out. I drop straight onto the asphalt, burying my face in my hands. Cooper comes sprinting toward me, hits the ground right next to me, and throws a heavy, supportive arm over my shoulder.

“Drew? Man, talk to me,” he pleads.

“I got it.” I choke out through a sudden rush of tears. “I got the full-ride football scholarship.”

“Fuck yeah!” Cooper roars, pulling me into an aggressive bear hug that almost knocks us both over. Ivy and Cami come barreling across the asphalt, throwing themselves into the pile, joining our chaotic, middle-of-the-road hug.

“I am so, so happy for all three of you,” Cami whispers, crying proud tears against my shoulder.

But despite the immense joy flooding through me, a quiet, devastating realization hits me squarely in the chest.

Next year, Cami’s three favorite people are leaving her behind.

The Bensons took my mom and me out to dinner to celebrate. Sitting at that restaurant table, surrounded by the people who have been there for me through this whole journey, I felt like I could finally take my first real breath. For the first time in four years, the crushing weight has lifted from my shoulders. I didn't have to spend the rest of senior year agonizing over every single grade, or every worst-case scenario. I can finally just enjoy the time I have left here. And the best part? Knowing that very soon I would be able to take care of my mom.

It’s late, and the sky is painted pitch black by the time I climb out my window and cross the distance to Cami’s. I do my usual three quiet taps against the glass. A moment later, the latch unlocks as she slides her window open.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up.” She says with a small smile, stepping aside to let me crawl into the warm glow of her bedroom.

She’s wearing a simple white tank top and small pajama shorts. She heads over to her bed and looks over her shoulder, her eyes wordlessly telling me to follow her. She leans back, falling against the pillows, and catches the hem of my shirt to pull me down with her, wanting me right beside her.

“You know how happy I am for you, right?” She whispers into the darkness, her eyes searching mine.

“I know.” I sigh, “I… I just hate the thought of not being able to do this next year.”

“Then we need to make sure we make the most of the time we have left,” she says softly, reaching up to pull my lips down to meet hers.

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her flush against me as I take her lips into a deep, savoring kiss. Her small tank top rides up slightly, leaving a slice of her bare stomach exposed to the cool air. I gently trace light circles on her ribs with my fingertips, feeling goosebumps ripple across her skin. It’s driving me mad.

Slowly, she lifts her leg to wrap it around my waist, pulling me even closer until there's zero space left between us. A sudden flood of nerves sends a shock straight through my body. Cami parts her lips, deepening the kiss with a desperate hunger. A quiet, breathless moan leaves her throat as my tongue sweeps over hers, her body instinctively rocking up into mine. The subtle friction of her hips sets my blood on fire.

Pushing against my shoulders, she rolls me onto my back and slowly climbs on top of me. My mind goes blank as pure desire takes over. I trace my hands up her stomach, stopping right below the soft swell of her breasts, my heart hammering deep in my chest.