Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“If I die,” I whispered a while later, “I want to go just like this—with you next to me, holding my hand.” June’s lips trembled. But she nodded, making me that silent promise. “Write our story, Junebug. Let our parallel-universe selves live the best lives they can. We deserve to have our happily ever after, even if it’s in another life.”
“I will,” she whispered, then her beautiful, brown eyes began to drift close. “I love you so much. Good night, Junebug.”
“I love you too, Jesse. Sleep tight,” she murmured, half asleep.
I closed my eyes too, content in knowing that I had at least several weeks left with the girl I had fallen madly in love with.
CHAPTER 13
June
Jesse and June’s Happily Ever After
The room looked strange now that all my things were packed. The wall opposite my bed was bare, free of Jesse’s many drawings of me, of us, of Ginger, and all of us Chemo Club members together in the movie room. They were some of my most-prized possessions and were tucked safely in a folder in my suitcase.
I exhaled a long sigh. We had all come here dying, with mere months—maybe even just weeks—left to live. But the ranch had become a place of healing, of laughter and love, and now we were all cancer free and graduating from high school and from the new treatment that had worked so well on us all.
I took my headscarf off the bed and ran my hand over my scalp, the feeling of hair growing back again making me smile. I’d gotten used to the smoothness. I moved in front of the mirror, finally recognizing the girl before me. She was a warrior, and she was perfect. Though I adored seeing my new dark-brown fuzz.
I fixed my headscarf in place and smoothed my hands over my dress. It was the sage-green one I’d worn my first day here—I knew it was Jesse’s favorite.
A familiar knock on the door filled the room. When I opened the door, my mouth parted seeing Jesse Taylor on the other side. Gone was the boy who lived in T-shirts and faded jeans, and instead, he wore a linen button-down and navy-blue shorts.
“Jesse…” I said as he leaned his arm against my doorframe. In the past several weeks, Jesse had begun building up his muscle mass and weight. In mere weeks, he would leave for preseason training at UT. I would follow after that, when the nonathletic freshman class arrived. Jesse had done it. He had taken his short window to get fit and turned it into gold.
We had made it. We were in remission, and we were going to UT.
I chuckled when I saw that, in typical Jesse fashion, he still wore that damn backwards Longhorns baseball cap that he never took off. Like me, his hair had begun to grow back; he had tufts of light-brown hair that I couldn’t wait to see begin to curl.
“Junebug Scott,” he said, voice awe filled. Jesse held out his hand and I took it. “Give me a twirl, darlin’,” he said, voice hoarse, and spun me around on the spot. “Beautiful,” he said, then pulled me to his chest. Bending me back a little, Jesse leaned down and kissed me.
“You’re in a good mood,” I said against his lips, which felt like such a redundant thing to say. Our entire group was practically euphoric. The only thing that had dampened our spirits was Dr. Duncan’s farewell talk, where he mentioned that at our age, we were 50 to 85 percent likely to relapse in the next five years.
Jesse and I had decided not to concern ourselves with that and only focus on what we could control and what was happening now. Cancer had at least taught us that living in the moment was the only way through this life.
Jesse kissed me again, and just like all the many times before, I melted against him. He wrapped the tail of my headscarf around his hand, keeping his mouth on mine. Smiling against my lips, he said, “Soon I’ll be able to do this with your ponytail.” I blushed so hard, I felt on fire. “Now, won’t that be kinky,” he teased.
A throat cleared behind us. “I heard that, Jesse Taylor. Now kindly release my daughter.”
Jesse stilled, muttered a barely audible shit, then stepped away from me. I straightened my dress and saw my daddy in the hallway. Jesse stepped beside me and took hold of my hand. I fought back a laugh. Daddy’s arms were crossed over his chest. He wore a shirt and tie and looked really handsome.
“Hey, sir,” Jesse said in an overly polite tone, squeezing my hand twice.
Daddy regarded Jesse in silence for a while, then said, “We’re getting started in ten.” He walked away, but if I wasn’t mistaken, I saw his shoulders shaking with laughter as he made his way down the hallway. His favorite pastime seemed to be teasing my boyfriend. But we all knew my mama and daddy loved him to pieces.