That Promise: A Small Town, Friends-to-Lovers Romance (That Boy® (Chase & Devaney) Book 2)
That Promise: Chapter 18

Tonight, we won the state semifinals, and in a couple of weeks, we’ll be playing for the championship. As typical, Damon wants to go out to celebrate, but I feel like I need to do something else.

Plus, it’s not really hard to feign exhaustion. The five weeks since the homecoming dance have been a football-filled blur. School, practice, and homework all week, game on Friday night, followed by a flight to one of our top five colleges for an official recruitment visit. Home on Sunday night and then repeat.

About two weeks into it all, I messaged Dani and told her that I was sorry I got mad at her for not texting me when she got back to school after my birthday. That with the recruiting visits and school and everything, I finally understood what she’d meant when she said there just wasn’t time. She replied, told me thanks, and said that she looked forward to us catching up at Thanksgiving.

And I know what that means. Just like on my birthday and for Homecoming, catching up has taken on a whole new meaning. At first, I wasn’t sure about the whole friends-with-benefits thing, and maybe I’ve grown up a little or something, but I’m okay with it now—for a while. I understand it’s a timing thing, not that we don’t want to be together eventually.

All I know is that I can’t wait for her to get home on Tuesday. To tell her the good news. That after visiting beautiful campuses, meeting a lot of great guys and gorgeous coeds, looking hard at programs, and weighing all our options, Damon and I have come to a final decision. We will be signing our Letter of Intent with Nebraska, as planned.

Meaning we’ll be there together. I can picture it now. She’ll be thrilled to learn our choice, but then I’ll kiss her and tell her the best part of all. That when she goes back to school after Christmas break, I’ll be going with her. She’ll jump into my arms, wrap her legs around my waist, and kiss me. And we both know what that will lead to.

When I applied to my top schools this fall, the thought of being there a full semester without Damon really bummed me out. But now, I think it will be kind of nice for Dani and me to have a semester to ourselves.

The renovation on the building Mom bought will be finished later this winter, and even though we’ll be living in separate dorms, once the project is complete, we’ll have a private place to hang out. To be together with no distractions.

A love nest, if you will.

It’s been a long two years since that day Hunter asked her to Homecoming, but I know we’ve both grown up a lot since then and that the trials we’ve gone through will only make our relationship stronger in the end.

And I know, my end—my destiny—is to be with her.

And in less than two months, it’s finally going to be our reality.

My phone buzzes, letting me know that my delivery has arrived. I go downstairs, answer the door, collect my pizza, and then take it back into my room.

I eat it in the tent that’s become a permanent fixture in my room and dream of our future together.