A Summer to Remember - By Jessica Gunhammer Page 0,44

she was out of her mind and things between her and I could never work out. Even if you left me, I would never be able to be with someone like her again. I can’t see myself being with anyone other than you.” He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “I love you, Ava, I really do, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get you to trust me.”

“I love you, too. Even if you’ll be leaving me in a few weeks.” The thought of him leaving always found a way to cross my mind.

“I really wish you would just come with me.” He rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb.

“I can’t. I’m already enrolled at Brant and I’m not ready for that yet. That is a big step to take and we’re still trying to work out this whole thing. I can’t just up and leave before we work out the kinks we have in our relationship. Moving is stressful and so is finding a job and new friends and a new school. It wouldn’t help our situation.”

“You’re right. I’m just really going to miss you.” He squeezed my hand.

“I’ll miss you, too. We just have to remember, if it’s meant to be, it’ll work itself out.” I was feeling more relieved after our conversation and more confident. This was right, for now. I was going to have to learn to trust Adrian more and enjoy what little time we had left.

“Then we don’t have anything to worry about.”

CHAPTER 24

It felt good to be waking up in his arms again. I was a little disappointed knowing that this would be the last day we’d be spending together before he was going to be working all week again. I loved hanging out with Lily but I always wished I had a little more time with Adrian. I felt like the time he spent working was wasting time we could be spending together but I knew he needed the money before the move.

Since he always made me breakfast in the morning, I decided it was my turn to return the favor. I had to carefully slip out from under his arm. I grabbed my pink robe off the hook behind the bedroom door and pulled it on.

“Where are you going?” he asked sleepily, barely opening his eyes enough to see me.

“I’m just going to the bathroom. I’m coming right back,” I lied.

“Okay.” He turned over and was out in a matter of seconds.

I tip-toed out of the room, closed the door quietly behind me, and went into the kitchen. I pulled some biscuits out of the fridge and pre-heated the oven. I knew biscuits and gravy were his favorite breakfast, so I had picked up the ingredients when I went grocery shopping last week. I put the biscuits in the oven, pulled a frying pan out of the cabinet, and started cooking the sausage. It didn’t take long before the smell of sausage lured Adrian out of the bedroom.

“Is that biscuits and gravy you’re making?” He yawned and stretched on his way over.

“How did you know?” I grinned.

“I would recognize that smell anywhere. And I may or may not have noticed we just so happened to have all the ingredients to make it.” He kissed me softly on the forehead.

“I guess someone might notice that.” I laughed as I dumped the sausage bits into the gravy. “Breakfast is served!” We dished up and took our plates to the couch.

“So what do you think about going to dinner with my parents tonight?” He stuffed a fork full of food into his mouth.

“Tonight?” I almost choked on my food.

“Yes, tonight.” He smirked at my reaction.

“A little short notice, don’t you think?” I wiped the gravy from the corners of my mouth.

“Well, I was going to tell you Friday night, but, yeah.” He paused to take another bite. “I already made plans with them, but I can cancel if you want me to.”

“No, that’s fine.” I could feel my stomach turning with nervousness. I suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.

“Don’t look so stressed out. They’ll love you.” He placed his hand on my knee. “I promise.”

When dinnertime rolled around I wore a black knee-length dress with a scoop neck and quarter-length sleeves. It was the most conservative thing I had. I put my hair up in a neat bun on top of my head and slipped on a pair of heels just before we went out the door.

We walked down the