Free Autumn Unlocked (Summer Unplugged) by Amy Sparling Page A

leaving it to him in his will. Even if Jace wasn't so freaking nice and charming, my mom would probably love him.
    "We have twenty -nine minutes," he says, glancing at the clock on the wall. A devilish grin slides across his lips and he winks at me. "How about we make the most of it?"
    I sprint to my room with Jace on my heels. The moment we get inside, he closes the door behind us and wraps his arms around me in a tight hug. Jace leans forward and we fall to my bed with him on top of me. He adjusts himself on the bed, holding himself up on his elbows as he hovers over me. I open my mouth to speak and he silences me with a kiss.
    I try again, and he kisses me again. With a sarcastic roll of my eyes, I push his face off mine. "I'm trying to talk to you, mister."
    "I know, but I just want to enjoy being with you. If we talk, we'll bring up how I'm about to leave and not see you for five whole days."
    I sigh, because he's right. His head softly pushes mine to the left so he can kiss me, trailing soft kisses from my lips to my cheeks to my neck. Chills run down my arms at the feel of his touch. A dull ache throbs in my chest at the knowledge that he'll be leaving soon, driving back to Mixon, Texas where his new apartment waits for him with an empty bed and no girlfriend. And I'll be stuck here, in my bed that smells of him, waiting to start the first day of school for my senior year tomorrow.
    After a summer this wonderful, I can't possibly go back to school.
    "I should drop out," I say, running my hands through his hair. "I could get my GED or something, and go stay with you."
    Jace cocks an eyebrow. "Um, no."
    "Why the hell not?" I ask, acting more offended than I really am. Although I'm pretty damn offended, so I'm not acting much.
    He takes a deep breath and puts on his Serious Face. It's the face he wears when I'm trying to talk him into something stupid and he's trying to talk me out of it. "Because," he says, running his calloused hand over my cheek. "You need to finish school. I can't be the cause of you dropping out."
    I stick out my bottom lip in a pout. "But staying in school means another ten months of being away from you."
    "I live forty-five minutes up the road, Bay. This is hardly a long distance relationship."
    I keep my lip puckered out and look off to the side, avoiding his gaze. It's easy for him to act as if this is no big deal; he has a job and a life without me that doesn't involve sitting in a stupid desk all day, surrounded by idiots.
    "Sweetheart." Jace watches me until I turn to face him. He strokes his hand through my hair. "Why do you act like our relationship will be over when you go back to school? We spent all summer living next door to each other and it was awesome having you in my arms every night, but that doesn't mean this will all disappear. I'm still yours and you're still mine. We will make it through this school year."
    I sigh, not knowing what to say because all of his words are perfect and all of mine are crap. He looks into my eyes, glancing back and forth between them, waiting for me to respond. I draw in a nervous breath. "You promise?"
    He leans in and places a soft kiss on the top of my nose. "I promise."
     
     
    With thirty seconds left until my Mom-appointed bedtime, I linger in the doorway, one foot on the threshold and the other resting on top of Jace's shoe. He stands on the porch, facing me with his arms outstretched on either side of the doorframe.
    " What's that look for?" I ask, poking him in the chest. "I'm freaking out because I'm going to miss you so much and you're standing here smirking like some kind of…" I trail off, unable to find the right word.
    His smirk gets even smirkier as his head tilts to the side. "Like some kind of what?"
    My words come out all flustered. "Like some kind of…guy…who…smirks."
    Jace bursts into laughter and quickly covers his hand over his mouth so as not to wake up my mom. "That's the best you've got, eh Maize?"
    I stick my tongue out