A Summer to Remember

and got us some drinks. I wasn’t usually a fan of crowds, but after the incident last night, I was actually happy there were so many people because we had less of a chance of running into someone we knew.
    The concert was amazing! It was dark when the concert was over and the smell of funnel cakes and popcorn filled the air. I loved the fair at night. It reminded me of a time before things were so complicated. I wasn’t ready to go home yet, so Adrian and I decided to get some tickets to ride the Ferris wheel.
    Lucky for us, there weren’t a lot of people in line because it was late and the roller coasters were more popular. We had a whole bucket to ourselves. I’d never been a huge fan of Ferris wheels because I’m afraid of heights. I think I’d only actually ridden on it one other time before. As we started to rise into the air, I thought I was going to become uncomfortable, but with Adrian by my side, I didn’t. I felt safe.
    “It’s a beautiful night.” Adrian broke the silence as he looked up into the sky.
    “Yes, it is.” I followed his gaze.
    “Look, you can see Jupiter.” He pointed to the brightest star in the sky.
    When we finally reached the top of the ride, it came to a stop. The view was beautiful with all of the city lights in the distance. It reminded me of the night we had together at the Rooftop Terrace. It seemed like a lifetime ago. I laid my head down against his shoulder. His arm was wrapped around me.
    “I really wish you didn’t have to go.” I could feel the sadness washing over me.
    “Me too.” He kissed me on the forehead.
    “I don’t get it. Why did we have to meet when we did? Why couldn’t we have met like a year ago? Then we would’ve had more time together, and who knows, maybe I would be going to Florida with you.”
    “Well, because everything in life is about timing. Think about it, if we had met a year ago, you probably wouldn’t have even given me a second glance because you were with Jason. There’s a reason why we met when we did.” The Ferris wheel started to move again.
    “That’s true, I guess. But this still seems like bad timing.”
    “Maybe. Or maybe it’s just one of the many lessons of life.”
    “What kind of lesson could this possibly be teaching us? That moving sucks?” He turned and looked me in the eyes.
    “That our relationship is strong, and if we can get through this move, then we can get through anything.” I suddenly didn’t feel so sad about it. I mean, it still sucked, but he was right. This move was going to be the ultimate test, and if we lasted through this, we’d last through anything.
    “How do you always know the right things to say?” I asked him.
    “It’s just the way I think, I guess.”
    When we reached the bottom of the Ferris wheel, I had a new perspective on our situation. I was wasting time being sad about him leaving instead of enjoying the time we had left together. I couldn’t let my feelings get the best of me. I had to think of the positive and take in every minute I could with him.
     

 
     
    CHAPTER 27

    O ur last weekend was here before we knew it. Saying goodbye made me sick to my stomach but I was trying not to think about it. I helped Adrian pull most of his clothes out of his dresser drawers and placed them in his duffle bags.
    “Have you thought anymore about staying here instead of going back to your parents?” he asked as he folded up the last of his shirts and tossed them in his bag.
    “No, not really. It’d be kind of lonely here without you.” I laid down on the bed.
    “I’m going to miss you.” He laid down next to me.
    “I’m going to miss you, too. But you’ll be back in December, and just think how fast the summer went by. You’ll be back before we know it.” I was good at sounding optimistic but I wasn’t too good at believing myself when I said things like that.
    “You’re right.” He glanced around the room. “Do we have everything ready to go up to the cabin tomorrow morning?” In my head I ran through the list of things I packed.
    “I think so.”
    “I really wish I could just back out of this and spend the weekend with just you, but Brian’s really been wanting to throw me this party since I got the job.” He sounded apologetic.
    “Don’t worry about it.” I ran my fingers through his hair. “I like the cabin, and as long as we’re together, I’ll be happy.” Just as he leaned down to kiss me, I felt my phone buzzing in my back pocket. I pulled