Chapter 16

16

Adrianna pulled up outside Mickey's house after receiving the official email with the suspension letter from the college. They were suspending her for the rest of the semester. The hot tears stung her eyes. It was wrong, knew the consequences, but she couldn't help herself. She was in love with him, desperately and completely in love.

Mickey opened the door before she could even knock, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. Without a word, he enveloped her in his embrace. She melted into him, breathing in his familiar scent.

"I've missed you," he murmured against her hair.

"I've missed you too," she said. "More than I can say."

"I've been suspended for the semester."

"Oh, Adrianna." He sighed. "Do you regret this? Us?"

Did she? She knew this was the only path her heart would allow her to take. "No," she whispered. "I could never regret you. We'll get through this, Mickey. Together."

"Together," he echoed. "I love you, Adrianna Rose. And we will make this right, whatever it takes. You are worth fighting for."

A tear slipped down her cheek as warmth blossomed in her chest. "I love you too, Mickey. Always."

No matter what consequences they faced, their love was bigger. Stronger. And she would never, ever regret choosing to follow her heart.

He took her hand and led her inside, settling them on the sofa. "What are we going to do, Adrianna?"

She bit her lip, anxiety swirling in the pit of her stomach. "We fight for this. For us. Like you said."

"Even if it means never teaching again? Ruining your academic career?" His eyes were pained. "I don't want to be the reason your dreams are destroyed."

"You're not ruining anything." She grasped both of his hands, her gaze intense. "My dreams changed the moment I fell in love with you. This is all I want now—to be with you. However, we have to make that happen, we will. We can get through this together. I know we can."

He searched her face for a long moment, seeming to find the answers he needed in her eyes. Slowly, a smile curved his lips. "Together," he repeated. "You're right."

She smiled, nuzzling into him, her soul at peace. Their path was unclear, the future uncertain—but their love was real. And against all odds, that would be enough, right?

The next morning, Adrianna awoke curled in Mickey's arms. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, bathing the room in a warm glow.

She gazed up at him, her heart overflowing with tenderness. He looked younger in sleep, the usual lines of stress and worry smoothed from his face. She reached up and traced the curve of his jaw, her touch light.

His eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she saw a flicker of surprise in their depths—then his arms tightened around her, and he smiled. "Good morning," he said, his voice husky with sleep.

"Morning." She stretched up to kiss him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I have in years." His smile faded. "I should call my lawyer today. Get the ball rolling to fight the university's decision."

Adrianna nodded, her mood sobering. "I know. We have to stand up for ourselves, and for what we have together." She hesitated. "Mickey, whatever happens...please don't regret this. Don't regret us."

"Never," he said. "I will never regret you, Adrianna. No matter the cost."

She smiled through the sting of tears in her eyes. "So are you. I meant what I said last night—I'm yours, now and always. We'll get through this together."

"Together," he echoed. "Now, how about some breakfast? We have a long day ahead."

Adrianna laughed. "Breakfast in bed? You're spoiling me."

"You deserve to be spoiled." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and eased out of bed. "Eggs and toast, okay?"

"Perfect." She watched him walk naked to the kitchen, desire and love swirling within her. Against all odds, they had found each other. And she knew, without a doubt, that their love would conquer any obstacle in their path.

Adrianna's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and her stomach knotted—it was Tiffany.

She took a deep breath and answered. "Hey, Tiff."

"Adrianna Rose, have you lost your mind?" Tiffany exploded. "What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"Tiff, calm down. It's not what you think."

"Not what I think? The whole school is talking about it! He got fired, you got suspended, all because you two couldn't keep your hands off each other!"

"We're in love, Tiffany," Adrianna said.

Silence. Then, "You're what?" Tiffany whispered. "Adrianna, you aren't acting like yourself. He's just a guy."

"Not anymore. Look, I know this is a shock, but we didn't plan for this to happen. It just did, and now we can't deny how we feel about each other."

"I can't believe you're actually defending this," Tiffany said. "This is wrong, Adrianna. You need to end it, now, before it destroys your life."

"I won't end it," Adrianna said. "I love him. If you can't support that, then I don't know if our friendship is going to last." She took a deep breath, steadying her nerve. "I'm with Mickey, Tiffany. And we're going to stay together, no matter what anyone says."

Silence. Then, quietly, "I don't know if I can support this, Adrianna."

Adrianna's eyes stung. But she stood firm. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

She hung up the phone, her heart aching, but also at peace. She had made her choice, and she was ready to face the consequences that came with loving Mickey Hanks.