Forever (Cruiser & Lex, Book 3) (21 page)

Cruiser

One and a half years later

“Are you sure you packed enough underwear?” Mom asks. She stares at my empty-looking bag.

“I told you, they’re gonna give us underwear,” I tell her.             

“Are you sure you didn’t forget anything? Let me see the list again.”

“Mom, you know I can’t bring too many things. I’m good.” My heart picks up its pace. I can’t believe this is happening. It feels like a dream. Like any minute, Mom or Rey might pinch me and I’ll realize this is all fake. Because it can’t be true. Can’t possibly be.

“All your documents?”

“I got them, Mom.”

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath. It makes her whole body shake. I go over and touch her shoulder. Then I give her a hug. “I’ll be okay, Mom. It’s just basic training.”

“No, Cruiser. This is only the beginning.”

She’s right about that. I can’t think that far ahead, though. I need to focus on what’s to come for the next eight weeks. I take a deep breath, count to ten, then let it out.

“I’ll be downstairs. Gerry,” she calls to Dad. “Please carry Cruiser’s bag down.”

Dad walks in. Smiles at me. He’s got nothing by pride in his eyes.

“I got it, Dad,” I say.

“It’s my pleasure, Cruiser.” He slings the bag over his shoulder and walks out.

He’s been doing great these past few months. So has Mom. Though their divorce isn’t final yet. Rey and I find it weird because it should have been final months ago. Maybe they’re not ready to pull the plug yet. Rey’s positive this means they’ll get back together. I don’t think so. They’re good apart. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s true. They get along great, are good friends. It’s like their new friendship is more beneficial than their marriage.

Neither of them are dating, either, which also adds to Rey’s theory that they’re gonna get back together. I don’t want to get hopeful, though.

Rey walks in. Surveys the room. “Did you pack
anything
?”

I whack him in the back of his head. “You know I can’t bring much.”

He falls down on my bed. Shakes his head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe you’re leaving for Navy basic training. My god.”

I plop down next to him. Stare at the empty spot he’s staring at. “Yeah.”

He turns to me. “Are you nervous? ‘Cuz I’d be as nervous as hell.”

I nod.

He whistles.

“What about you?” I ask. “Nervous to go to Hackell Music Academy?”

He shrugs. “Guess so.”

“Just don’t let it be a repeat of Kelman’s.”

He scoffs. “Believe me, I won’t.”

He’s been practicing the violin nonstop since that night he played for me and Mom. He’s been performing at recitals and impressed a recruiter. He’s got a full ride to Hackell and is stoked. Though he won’t admit it, I know he’s worried he might freak out again. But I know he’ll be cool. He’s changed so much since he got back from Kelman’s. He’s not just the guy he used to be. He’s the new Rey. A better version of who he used to be.

I put my arm around him. “I’ll miss you, you know.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” He puffs out some air. “I can’t believe this is actually happening.”

“Life,” I say.

“Time to move on. Go our separate ways.”

“We’ll always be close,” I tell him. “Doesn’t matter where we are. We’ll always be brothers.”

He shoves me playfully. “Shut up, Cruiser.”

“When’s Melody heading out to D.C.?” I ask. She chose a college close to Rey so that they can be together. The two are so in love. It would make me sick if I wasn’t so happy for them.

“Probably next week. She wants to get settled in and maybe look for a job.”

My phone beeps. A text from Lex.
How long until you leave for the airport?

An hour
.

I’ll be there in five
.

“Lex?” Rey asks.

I nod. Swallow. “We have to say good bye.”

He touches my arm. “It’s gonna be tough.”

“Yeah.”

I’ve been dreading this since I made the final decision to join the Navy. She doesn’t know this, but I’ve been counting down the days since the start of the school year. When I crossed off the final day, I felt something deep in my gut. Like someone took the sharpest sword in the world and slowly, agonizingly slowly, stabbed me through the chest. Twisted it around and damaged my organs. The final day. I knew this would be the hardest part of all of this. Now that it’s finally here, I’m not sure I can go through with it.

“Cruise, you’re not having doubts, are you?”

“Been having them since I decided to join.”

“You’re all signed up. You can’t back out.”

“I know.”

“She’s cool with it. She wants this for you.”

“Doesn’t mean it hurts less,” I say.

He touches my arm again. “You’ll be okay. You guys have been through too much not to be.”

The doorbell rings. A few seconds later, Mom calls up. “Cruiser, Lex is here.”

Rey stands. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Thanks. We’ll talk soon.”

Rey and Lex nearly collide into each other in front of my room. Rey gently touches her arm, and she gives him a small smile. As soon as our eyes meet, we run to each other. She leaps into my arms and I spin her around. Around and around until I lose my balance and topple over on the bed. Our lips search for each other’s, and then we’re kissing. Kissing and kissing and kissing. As though there’s no tomorrow. Because there isn’t.

“My darlin’,” I whisper as I kiss her some more. “My T. Rex.”

“My Cruiser. My sailor.”

We were with each other last night. But this is our last chance to be together. For weeks.

“I can’t believe I won’t be able to touch you or kiss you for eight weeks,” I say. My lips don’t leave her face. I can’t get enough of her, no matter how many times I kiss her.

“The weeks will fly by. And I’ll be there for your graduation.”

“Assuming I graduate.”

“You will.” Her arms come around my back and she hugs me close. “I know you will. Don’t ever doubt it, Cruiser. In eight weeks’ time, you will be a sailor.”

I bury my face in her neck. “I’ll miss you like hell.”

“I’ll miss you, too.”

“When do you start Juilliard?”

“On the thirtieth. I leave for New York in a couple of weeks.”

“I wish I could be there to see you settle in. And I wish I could see your first performance.”

“Don’t worry about that. I will have many performances in the future. And you will have lots of opportunities to attend them.”

“You’re too good to me, Lex.”

“You deserve it, because you’re the best man in the world.”

I hold her tight. Tighter than tight. I don’t want to let her go, even though I know I will have to soon.

Her hands move to my hair. She tugs on my strands. “Say goodbye,” I say, then laugh lightly.

“Goodbye, long beautiful hair.”

That makes me smile. For only two seconds. Lex touches my bottom lip. “This is it, Cruiser. We’re both going to pursue our dreams.”

“I’m so proud of you,” I tell her. “Winning the scholarship, getting a full ride to Juilliard.” I nuzzle my face into her neck. “I’m so proud it feels like my heart’s gonna burst.”

“I feel the same. I’m so proud of you for your commitment to join the Navy. You’re really going through with it, Cruise. I admire you so much.”

“Thanks. Means a lot.”

We just stay in each other’s arms. Enjoying the feeling of being together. Because it will be a long time until we’ll see each other again. I don’t know how long we’re like this, in our own Crex Land. Yeah, I still haven’t come up with a better name. But I don’t need to. All that matters is that we have our own special world.

“Dani and Simon wanted me to wish you good luck for them,” Lex says.

“They gonna be heading out to California soon?”

She nods. “They already found an apartment.”

“Everyone’s moving on,” I say.

“All these changes.” She snuggles up to me. “It makes my head spin.”

We continue lying in each other’s arms. When Mom sticks her head into my room and tells me it’s time to go, I want to kick and scream. Call a genie and asks him to give me a few more hours, a few more days, a few more years. I don’t want to be separated from Lex.

“Cruiser,” Mom says.

Lex brushes some hair out of my eyes. “It’s time.”

I nod to Mom. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

She returns the nod and walks out.

“I love you,” I tell Lex. “So much. Forever and ever.”

“I love you, too. Forever and ever.”

We kiss our last final kiss. I don’t want to let go and neither does my sweet T. Rex. But we’ve got to. “Our next one will be after your graduation,” Lex says.

I nod. “Can’t wait.”

She flattens her hands on my chest. “Rosie wants to say bye.”

“I’m not going anywhere without saying bye to her.”

“Cruiser,” Mom calls.

Reluctantly, Lex and I get up. Hand in hand, we go downstairs and out the door. Rey, Mom, and Dad are out there. Standing in front of the car. A big swallow makes its way down my throat. The car. Once I get in here, I’ll be on my way to the next part of my life.

I catch sight of Rosie sitting in her wheelchair in front of the Woods’ house. As soon as she sees me, she waves. I hurry over and ruffle her hair. Then I get down on my knees and hug her tight.

“You’re actually going to the Navy,” she says. “You’re so cool.”

I catch her nose between two of my fingers. “Rosie Posie.”

“Cruiser Muser.”

I laugh. “Not gonna change it, huh?”

She shakes her head. “That’s my nickname for you.”

I tuck some hair behind her hair. “How’s Jamie doing?”

“He walked for a whole hour before getting tired! Look.” She shows me a short video. Jamie, using a cane for support, is wobbly and his face is all tense, but he’s
walking
.

“That’s amazing.”

“Yeah.” Her eyes lower to her lap.

A few months after Jamie’s procedure, he had movement in his legs. The doctors, Jamie, and his family were ecstatic. Since then, the kid’s been working like crazy, trying to walk again. It’s only because of his determination that he’s gotten as far as he did.

What sucks is that the procedure couldn’t work on Rosie. Little Posie got so excited, begging her parents to sign her up for it, too. And they did, all of them so hopeful that Rosie would walk again. But it’s been over a year and Rosie hasn’t had any movement in her legs. The doctors claim it’s unlikely she’ll have any movement at all.

She was pretty down after the doctors told her. But she’s okay now. I’m glad to see her smiling again.

“I’m gonna come to your graduation, too,” she says.

I ruffle her hair. “Can’t wait.”

“Lex is gonna take me and some of my friends to the carnival tomorrow!”

Lex got her license last week. I can’t be more proud of her. I know how hard it was for her to get behind the wheel. She’s a great driver. And I can’t be more proud of Rosie—she’s hanging out with her old friends again.

Dad steps closer. Puts his hand on my shoulder. “We need to leave now, Cruiser.”

I hug Rosie again. Kiss her forehead. “Take care, Posie.”

I stand and face Lex. She flings her arms around me. “I love you. I’ll miss you.”

“Right back at you, darlin’.”

We hug tighter. I whisper things into her ear, telling how much she means to me and how I can’t wait for her to be in my arms again.

She kisses her fingers, then presses them on my lips. “Bye, Cruiser.”

“Bye, Lex.”

My parents and Rey get in the car. Before I get in, I look back. At Lex and Rosie, at her parents who are waving in front of her house. I blow a kiss to Lex before getting in.

She and I may be separated by miles, but our hearts will always be together.

Forever.