HIS BEAUTIFUL SECRET (completed)

CHAPTER 23 - THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

"Why Jake, so they can stare at like I am some sort of circus freak?" 

I saw the glint in Jake's eye and couldn't hold back my smile when he said, "Then let's give them a show."

He grabbed my hand and dragged me out on the dance floor.  I was still frozen with fear. I had never liked being the center of attention and I was suddenly in a situation where I could not escape it.

Jake put his arms around my waist and pulled me into him. When I was close enough, he pulled my arms around his neck and rested his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes.

"You are killing me in that dress, you know that right? When I saw you, I think my heart literally stopped. Damn Sky, I can't take my eyes of you." 

I gave him an appreciative smile. I was right, he most definitely approved. What we heard next was Calum Scott's, 'You Are The Reason' exploding over the speakers. The intensity of the song brought us back to the heaviness of the moment and everything that had just occurred.

With glares still bearing down on me, I let my head rest on Jake's shoulder, snuggling my face into his neck.  He pulled me in tighter, resting his head on mine. We swayed back and forth and I quickly realized it wasn't a moment for words.

There was absolute magic in the air that night and my heart felt like it just might burst out of my chest and splatter all over the dance floor. About halfway through the song, everyone else began dancing too, returning to some sense of normalcy.

I was certain they were still talking amongst themselves, but at least they weren't being obvious about it. Just before the song ended, Jake dipped me just like they did in old movies sending my heart racing.

When he pulled me back up, he gave me a kiss that made the drunken butterflies in my belly dance. The entire room began to clap and I began to blush.

"You are so beautiful, " he whispered.

He grabbed my hand to lead me off of the dance floor but when he heard another slow song start to play, he pulled me back. He didn't have to convince me that time, I went willingly.

Round two was just as amazing as the first time and when it was over, we finally left the dance floor to look for a quiet place to talk. We quickly discovered that there isn't exactly a lot of quiet places that exist when one is at prom, so we headed to his truck.

Once we were safe inside, just the two of us, Jake turned the radio on and I was glad. It broke the tension a bit, helping me to relax. It had been so long since I had been alone with him and everything that had just happened had my head spinning.

Away from the chaos, I could finally think clearly for a moment. It took me a moment but I finally got the courage up to ask the question on my mind.

"Jake, what about your parents?" 

He situated his body so he was facing me, looking me in my eyes.

"I told them too."  He let out a long sigh and then told me a story that broke my heart.

"They reminded me that we have been working on this plan since I was a little boy and that I was throwing it all away. They said they wouldn't stand for it and if I was going to ruin my life, I could do it without them." The concern was wailing up inside of me, what had this declaration of love truly cost him?

"What does that mean exactly?" I asked, desperate to know. I am not sure what I was expecting him to say but what came next wasn't it.

"It means that they are giving me the weekend to pack up and move out and I will not receive my graduation gift," he explained. He had never mentioned a graduation gift and even though it may not have been any of my business, I had to ask anyway.

"What graduation gift?"

"I have told you before that my parents are very well off. They have been saving for my college and my graduation gift since I was born. We had an agreement, if I attended an Ivy League school, I would get $500,000 when I started and $500,000 when I finished, a million in total," he explained as if it were normal conversation.

I tried to wrap my brain around what he had just said. Who in the world gets a million dollars for attending the college of their parents choice? They must have had more money than sense. Before I could even finish mulling that over, the other part of dilemma flooded my mind.

"Jake, where are you going to live?"  His response took me by complete surprise.

"Since you broke things off with me, I have been getting to know my biological father pretty well. I found out that he played ball in college, and told him about everything going on with me. I called him after my parents kicked me out and he told me not to worry about it, he would just give me part of my trust fund early. It is nowhere near what my parents would have given me but more than enough to get by. He also rented me an Air BNB on the island for the rest of the summer until I leave for UGA." That was a lot to take in but the last part stood out the loudest.

"Wait, Jake, you accepted the scholarship to UGA?" I asked with frantic anticipation.

I saw that gorgeous, crooked smile of his and then he replied, "Day before yesterday, I told my parents that night."

The joy I felt for him was overwhelming. He went after his dream and he was making it come true, regardless of the cost. I literally jumped on him, hugging him and telling him how happy I was for him.

"You have been busy since we broke up," I said stating the obvious.

"A little," he jokingly responded.

"You gave up a million dollars." 

"I did." 

I looked at him in amazement and couldn't help but shout, "You are absolutely insane!"

He just laughed and pulled me into him. He kissed me so sweetly and softly that he seemed to be scared of breaking me. The distance between us had changed things, I hoped for the better.

"You are not going to break me, Sir!" I exclaimed.

"Well in that case," he replied and pulled me in for another kiss. 

This one was different, it was unfiltered passion. The weeks of separation had left a hole and he seemed to be trying to fill it with a single kiss. It was overwhelming, I could feel my temperature rising with each passing second. My skin was blazing hot with excitement. Just when I thought I couldn't take it any longer, he pulled away, leaving me breathless.

"Stay with me tonight?" he asked in a desperate voice.

I shot him a curious look and he continued, "I will be a perfect gentleman, I swear, but I have not felt your skin against mine in weeks and I need it, I need you."

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A/N

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