𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 ― r. bowen ⁴ ✓

004

"You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi," Athena sang before she could stop herself. Ricky blinked at her for a moment before grinning softly, making her heart race against her chest. "I can tell that it's gonna be a long road. I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe, or if you strike out and you're crawling home. Don't read the last page, but I stay when it's hard, or it's wrong, or we're making mistakes, I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day."

"Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you," Ricky continued. "Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you. Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, and I will hold on to you."

"Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere," the two sang together, their voices harmonizing in the night. "Please don't ever become a stranger, whose laugh I could recognize anywhere."

Athena hugged the puppy she was holding a little closer to her, her eyes wide and bright as she stared at the boy who captured her heart. "There's glitter on the floor after the party."

"Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby," Ricky voiced.

"Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor."

Ricky let go of his guitar for a moment to reach down and touch the owl, the letter R, and the planet Saturn charms on the chain around her neck. "You and me, forevermore." He then started to play his guitar again. "Don't read the last page, but I stay when it's hard, or it's wrong, or we're making mistakes. I want your midnights, but I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day. Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you. Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you. Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, and I will hold on to you."

"Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere, please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere," Athena stated at the same time Ricky repeated, "Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you, hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you."

"I will hold on to you," Ricky finished.

He played the last couple of chords on the guitar to finish out the song before stopping. Athena just stared at him for a moment — God, she was so in love with him. Some might call it puppy love, but to her, it was so real. She immediately set down the puppy and pressed up onto her knees, grabbing his face in her hands and placing her lips onto his. Ricky instantly kissed her back before pulling away, a dazed look in his eyes.

"So you liked it?" Ricky asked, leaning forwards and kissing her again for a moment.

Athena smiled at him, her thumbs running back and forth on the skin of his cheeks. "I loved it." She then planted a kiss on his nose, giggling at the way he scrunched it up afterwards. "And I love you."

"To the moon and to Saturn, Attie." He put a hand on her hip, his thumb tracing the fabric of her skirt. "And I can't get our song out of our head. By the way, I love the sound of our song."

She smirked a little, moving her face closer to him. "Our song is a slamming screen door . . ."

Ricky strummed his guitar for a moment. "Sneaking out late, tapping on your window."

Athena laughed again before kissing him once more. However, they were immediately interrupted by the sound of Ricky's phone vibrating from his pocket. He pulled away from her and got it out of his pocket before opening it up.