Untamed (41 page)

It’s graduation, and of course Dad’s not here. I don’t know when him and Duncan are going to return home. He hasn’t called once, and I’m sure that he’s the reason Duncan hasn’t called, either. I thought I’d at least get a postcard or letter, but nothing turned up.

If I had to guess, it’d be that Dad’s kept Duncan locked up like a princess in a tower. I have to
rely
on that assumption, because I don’t want to think about the idea that maybe… maybe Duncan just chose not to call.

For six months it’s just been Frank and I at home. He tried to cook meals, but it was usually some variation of eggs on toast or tinned food. Not exactly healthy. I ended up cooking for
him
.

I sit in my gown, watch on as several people on stage make speeches, but I don’t really listen to any of them.

I grow hot and bored, feel my dress under my gown clinging to my back. The sun is warm overhead, and I’m frustrated, so that just makes me even more uncomfortable.

I don’t care that Dad’s not here, anyway. I’m still angry at him because he specifically ordered Frank not to let me go to prom. His reason? It was too big of a
risk
.

Right, like a bunch of high school students dressing up and dancing in a rented ballroom of some three-star hotel is too great of a risk. He’s just a control freak, wants to control every aspect of my life, even when he’s in a different state.

It doesn’t matter that I heard prom kind of sucked. The rumors were that nobody spiked the punch bowl, that the music was too quiet, that the room was poorly ventilated, that the carpet wasn’t washed, and that it smelled like old gym socks… but I would still like to have been there myself rather than learning about it through the photos and comments everybody else uploaded.

I sigh. This speech is dragging on.

I look around the football field. I’m just one of a few hundred students graduating, buried in a column of chairs. All of us are wearing our gowns, all of us look so uniform.

Parents and family are scattered about in the stands, and as the valedictorian finishes her speech, offering some cliché remark about how bright our futures are and about how much we’ve already accomplished – it’s
only
high school, geez – everyone bursts into applause and cheering. Some people throw their hats up, but I don’t. I don’t want to lose it or have someone trample it.

I look around, see everybody chatting, hugging, going to see their family members, celebrate with them. Me? I’m under orders from Frank to catch a cab straight home. He couldn’t even be here today, said he had business to attend to.

I continue scanning the crowd, and my eyes dart past the dark mouth of the tunnel that leads to the changing rooms. I see a figure there, leaning against the wall.

I squint against the sun, and then grin from ear to ear. I feel this explosive surge in my chest, a mixture of happiness, confusion, relief.

He came! I can’t believe it. I’m not alone at my graduation.

I rush toward him, beaming, put my cap on, and when I see him open his arms, I throw myself at him, and we hug so tight, and I feel his huge, hard body, his heat, and I’m in his arms.

Duncan pulls me back into the tunnel, pins me against the wall, and he kisses me. Soft at first, gentle, but his lips grow hungry so fast, and I feel an overwhelming urge to kiss him back harder.

I run my fingers through his hair, clamp his lips to mine, and I kiss him for so, so long.

My heart is racing, my breath is quick, and I don’t even care that everybody on the football field… they could all just walk past the tunnel and see us, see me, like this.

Our kiss ends, and I hold onto him, hug him, and he holds me tight, and I bury my face in his neck and I smell him.

“I fucking missed you,” he tells me, one hand on the back of my neck, the other running down my back, making me tingle.

I laugh. “Me, too. I can’t believe you came!” I feel almost delirious with happiness and relief. It strikes me how much it means to me that he came. I’d assumed that all day I’d be alone, and graduating – even if I didn’t do so as an ace student – means a lot to me.

Our embrace fades, and I look him up and down. He’s wearing slacks and a dress shirt, black shoes. He looks amazing.

“Congratulations,” he says.

“Why are you so dressed up?”

He gives me a sheepish smirk. “I thought it would be more formal.” When I make a face, he says, “It’s not like
I
ever graduated. I didn’t know if there was a dress code. That girl just went on and on, didn’t she?”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah. That’s Jenny Halbrook. She’s so stuck up, thinks she’s the smartest girl in the world.”

“Glad it’s over?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Want to get out of here?”

I grin. “Definitely! Where to?”

“You tell me.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “When did you even get back?”

“We got in early this morning, but you had already left.”

“I volunteered to help set up here. Did Dad come back with you?”

“Yeah.”

“Figures,” I say, looking away. I’m not even surprised he didn’t turn up. “So, that’s it, all your training is over?”

“Pretty much. First fight is tonight.”

“Tonight?” I echo in surprise. “That quick?”

“Yeah, Glass is busy setting it all up now. He wants to get started as soon as possible.”