Right Before The End | BOOK #4 IN THE PSU SERIES

Seventy-Five

"He wants to marry you, you know?" Slater's voice grumbled out from behind me as we walked to the front porch steps of the venue. I sat down on a step, and he followed suit but instead taking a seat opposite of me.

My heart beat quickly, I blinked slowly and I loved harshly.

"I want to marry him," I responded confidently.

Slater chuckled, leaning back on his elbows as his legs dangled down the steps. I had always been so jealous of how muscular and toned he was. I mean, a lot of guys were. He was built like the engine to a fucking tank.

"Glad you have your future all figured out Sage." He teased me.

I squinted my eyes.

"Do you?" I asked as a rebuttal.

He furrowed his brows. "Do I what?" He asked.

I nodded, lips pursing. "Do you have your future all figured out?"

His arms crossed over his chest, he leaned back into the steps, manspread as he sighed loudly. The sunglasses that he had on his eyes, probably to heal a hangover that he was fighting off– he looked as if he had been through a loop and back.

"The future is bullshit, Sage." He muttered. I scoffed, sitting down next to him.

"So is that a no? You don't have your future all figured out?" I asked again. He sat silent for a couple moments. He dropped his head back in exhaustion, his whole body shuffling as he tried to relax on the steps. However, I don't think that it was the steps that were making him uncomfortable.

"My future is to play football for three more seasons– beat every record that dad set, get drafted into the NFL and then beat every record that Dad set there too. I want to be the best, I deserve to be the best."

I chewed on my cheek as his tone turned defensive. I put my hands up showing that I meant no harm by asking that question that appeared to be an obviously sensitive topic. But I couldn't help but think back to what Stella said in the bathroom– why was he so sensitive to the future right  now?

"You do know that just because we wish for things to happen doesn't mean they will." I responded.

He sighed. "What is this? Interrogation? I thought you wanted to talk."

"I do want to talk, this is not an interrogation. I just wanted to see how you were but after speaking, Slater, the future is never set. My future is not set in stone and neither is yours—" I jumped as he slapped his hands against his legs, standing up. He shook his head before pointing his finger at me.

"My future is set, Sage. Nothing is going to change and nothing will make me change my feelings about my future, okay? I have worked so fucking hard to prove myself and I don't care anymore about anyone's feelings. I am–"

He was still speaking but what he hadn't realized was that someone had walked up behind him.

Someone in a pretty yellow dress, her arms crossed. My mouth dropped open as she caught a glimpse of me behind my brother who had his back to her while going off of an extreme rant.

Her eyes which locked into mine for a brief second stared into my own before glaring at my brother.

I stood up quickly, pushing past him and reaching her. "Rory," I wrapped my arms around her and she squeezed me back tight. "Oh my god, you're here. You're okay." I squeezed her tighter. She chuckled against me or so I thought, when I squeezed her tight enough I realized that she wasn't laughing, she was trembling with emotion.

"Ror," My twin brother said her name behind me.

I released her from my grip, assuming that the two of them needed to talk and hash things out, whatever happened. "I can't believe you're here," I whispered.