Page 150 of Fall Into Me

“Graduation is June 6,” he explained.

Cass nodded slowly. “Yeah, I still have to talk to my parents and see if I can come up for that.”

Ash slipped his phone back into his pocket and slid both hands up Cass’s chest. “Yeah, but since I’ll be finished with my finals that day, too, how about Bri and I plan to drive down to Redding the next day, regardless of whether you’re able to fly up. That way, even if you can’t come, we’ll still see each other again. We could stay for several days. I mean, if your parents don’t mind having us. My summer classes don’t start until the twentieth.”

“My parents won’t mind,” Cass said quickly, his voice rough with some emotion Ash couldn’t identify. He leaned in, and Ash met him in a soft kiss that maybe would have deepened if Bri hadn’t chosen that moment to come back into the room, dragging the diaper bag behind her and hugging Ollie the Octopus to her chest.

“Ready! Ready go!” she exclaimed, hauling the diaper bag right up to Ash’s feet and dropping it and Ollie there. She turned to Cass and reached up to grab his hand. “Cass go!”

With a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, Cass leaned over and picked Bri up again, settling her on his hip. He shifted his gaze back to Ash, and that flicker of sadness in his expression faded, replaced by what Ash just knew had to be love. Cass blinked and looked down at the floor.

“So June, then.”

“Yeah, we’ll make it happen,” Ash said, putting as much certainty and confidence into his voice as he could. He almost laughed as he realized how the two of them seemed to have switched roles, for whatever reason. Cass was always the more optimistic of them. But then, he remembered how difficult it had been when he’d been the one leaving Cass’s house last November.

The truth was, nothing about this long-distance relationship stuff was easy, and he definitely couldn’t blame Cass for having a hard time with it.

He stepped closer to Cass and let his fingers graze up Cass’s wrist and forearm. “We’ll make it work,” he said again.

This time, Cass’s expression softened, and he smiled and blinked and nodded. “Yeah, we will. June. Six or seven weeks.”

“Yep.”

“Soon!” Bri chimed in happily, bouncing on Cass’s hip.

That made Cass’s smile brighter, and he leaned in toward Ash for a light kiss.

“Ready?” Ash asked when they parted.

“Yeah.”

He bent down and picked up Bri’s diaper bag and Ollie the Octopus, grabbed his keys and wallet, and led Cass out of the apartment and to the parking garage.

Cass (Monday, April 24, 2023 – 4:13 p.m.): Made it home. My parents aren’t here yet, guess they got stuck in traffic

Ash (4:14 p.m.): Oh, yikes. Will your mom be okay?

Cass (4:15 p.m.): Dad says she’s fine, so I assume so

Ash (4:15 p.m.): Good <3

Ash (4:19 p.m.): I miss you already. Call me tonight if you can

Ash (4:19 p.m.): We can work together on our school assignments that we neglected all weekend xD

Cass (4:20 p.m.): Ackkkkk, I forgot. Good idea

Ash (Wednesday, May 10, 2023 – 7:41 p.m.): Yes, call me in about an hour. I got a present for you

Cass (7:41 p.m.): For me??

Ash (7:42 p.m.): Yepppppppp ;)

Cass (7:42 p.m.): But it’s your birthday xD

Ash (7:43 p.m.): Oh, don’t worry. It’s a present I’m also going to enjoy. A whole lot

Cass (Monday, May 15, 2023 – 10:01 p.m.): Sorry I missed your call