Chapter 299 Aslan

Chapter 299 Aslan
Aslan

One year later, we were back in our gowns.
Same packed auditorium, same orchestra, same ridiculous number of speeches...
Except this time, it was the real deal.

College graduation.

After four years at Crownwell, they were officially releasing us into an unsuspecting world.
Terrifying, really.

“You’re crushing my hand,” Garrett whispered beside me.

“I’m emotional.”

“You’re cutting off my circulation.”

“You have another hand.” He laughed and kissed my temple while the students around us cheered for another graduate crossing the stage.

Everyone was there. Mom and Kate had traveled from Maine, Olivia sat beside Coach, and Mrs. Frost next to Linnea, and almost a mother to all of us, had already cried enough for all the graduates combined. The Valsecchis filled half a row. Trisha had arrived in the middle of them like she’d been born Italian, then reluctantly left her adopted family to take her place among the graduates.

I also spotted Gerald Williams near the back. He had attended every important event that year. Wrestling matches, awards, Garrett’s final business presentation and now graduation. He never forced a conversation or tried to buy his way back into Garrett’s life. He simply arrived, applauded and left Garrett to decide what happened next.

We sat with the other graduates in the reserved rows facing the stage while our families and friends filled the auditorium behind us. When each degree program was called, another group rose and formed a line beside the stage.

When Garrett’s name was announced, the entire building probably heard us.

He crossed the stage in his gown and accepted his Bachelor of Business Administration. He had completed a concentration in entrepreneurship and a minor in Art History, which sounded like an oddly specific combination until you knew the man already had plans to build an art empire.

A few names later, it was my turn.

“Aslan Rivers, Bachelor of Arts in Art History, with a concentration in Museum Studies.”

I crossed the stage while Mom, Kate and the entire gang screamed from behind me. Garrett louder than all of them.

“That’s my lion!”

Everyone laughed, including the person handing me my diploma. I looked toward Garrett and found him standing beside his chair, applauding like I’d just won an Olympic medal instead of successfully surviving college.
I lifted my diploma toward him.

We had actually done it.

After the ceremony, while our friends attacked one another with hugs and our families took enough photographs to document every possible combination of human beings, Garrett disappeared from my side.

I found him standing in front of Gerald. “Thank you for coming,” he said.

His father seemed afraid to breathe too loudly. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”

“You came to the others too.”

“I’ll come whenever you allow me to.”

Garrett nodded, looking down for a moment. 

Gerald’s eyes filled. “I’m so proud of you, son. I always have been, but I should’ve said it more.”

“You're saying it now. I… appreciate that.”

“And I love you.”

Garrett’s face changed.
He didn’t throw himself into his father’s arms or pretend the past had disappeared. He only stepped closer and briefly squeezed Gerald’s shoulder.
“I’m not ready for everything to be okay,” he said. “But maybe we can have coffee sometime.”

Gerald smiled. “Whenever you’re ready.”

It wasn’t some magical fresh start, but for them, it was huge.

From there, we went to the Valsecchis’ legendary graduation dinner.

Mom kissed me approximately fourteen times before doing the same to Garrett. “My two college graduates! I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive being this proud.”

“You could feed us on holidays,” Garrett suggested.

Mrs. Valsecchi appeared behind him carrying another tray. “That boy understands how celebrations work.”

Mom would soon be moving into the small house we had rented for her two streets from our new place in Providence. My sponsorship savings and museum salary covered the rent, although Garrett had somehow furnished half the house before either of us could stop him.

Mom claimed she had no intention of interfering with our lives.
Nobody believed her.

Once everyone had food, Olivia lifted her glass. “All right, graduates. Apparently, we’re doing life plans now. Who’s first?”

Aitor pointed at Linnea. “She is. She’s dying to share.”

“We were both accepted into the same incredible graduate performance program in Boston!” Linnea announced. “A young artists’ chamber residency for both of us.”

Aitor smiled. “Meaning we’ll perform together and discover entirely new reasons to argue.”

“Romantically,” she added.

James raised his glass toward Fran. “My plan is to stay near this ridiculously handsome quarterback while he attempts to get drafted.”

Fran took his hand. “And I’m keeping him whether I get drafted or not.”

“Excellent decision.”

Joe and Trisha went next. He was officially joining the family restaurant business, and his parents had agreed to let him manage a new location once they found the right property.

“I’ll be helping,” Trisha said.

Joe’s mother immediately corrected her. “She means taking over.”

“I have excellent ideas.”

“You replaced my mother’s tablecloths without asking,” Joe complained.

“They were ugly.”

Mrs. Valsecchi nodded solemnly. “They were.”

Even Trisha had finally found people capable of surviving her.

Coach and Olivia, taking it not-so-slow now, weren’t going anywhere. She would continue working at her firm, and he had already started preparing Crownwell’s next wrestling team.

Coach then gave us his usual serious look. “You’re finished competing for Crownwell, but you’re not finished with wrestling. There will always be room for both of you on my mat.”

“Even if we get old and slow?” I asked.

“You’re already slow, Rivers.”

Everyone laughed while I pretended to be offended.

Garrett and I planned to train at a club in Providence, help with youth coaching when we could and return to Crownwell whenever Coach needed us. Our sponsors were keeping us as fitness and equality ambassadors, which sounded impressive even if most of the job involved appearing in workout clothes and pretending cameras didn’t make us uncomfortable.

Then Olivia turned toward us. “Your turn. Tell everyone the completely insane plan.”

“It isn’t insane,” Garrett said.

“You’re opening an art gallery at twenty-two.”

“Not tomorrow.” He rested an arm across the back of my chair. “I’ll spend the first year building it properly. We’re starting with Old Master prints, drawings, smaller authenticated works and contemporary artists influenced by Renaissance techniques."
"English, please..." James rolled his eyes.
"Okay, so I’ll handle the business, small acquisitions, clients and online side.”

“And his ridiculously successful blog,” I added.

Garrett shrugged. “That might help...”

Everyone turned toward me.

“I accepted a curatorial fellowship in Providence, and I’ll start my master’s part-time. I’ll work with museum collections and exhibitions while helping Garr develop ours.” I glanced at him. “Eventually, I’ll join the gallery full-time as artistic director and chief curator.”

“Then one day, Paris!” He added.

Olivia pointed her fork at him. “One gallery at a time, millionaire.”

After dinner, and listening to everyone else's plans, Garrett took my hand and pulled me outside.

“What are you doing?”

“I have one more graduation present.”

“You paid for most of our new place in Providence and furnished my Mom's house. You're done.”

“We're just renting for now, babe.” He reached into his pocket and dropped a key into my palm. “And talking about renting places …”

I stared at it. “What is this?”

“The storefront you liked in Providence. The lease was approved yesterday.”

My mouth fell open. “You already rented it?”

“The interior isn't as picturesque as the outside. It’s small, empty and currently smells like old plumbing, so don’t get too emotional.” His grin softened. “But the light is incredible, there are two offices upstairs and enough wall space for our first exhibition.”

“Our gallery?”

“Our beginning.”

I grabbed his shirt and kissed him before he could say anything cheesier.

He laughed against my mouth and wrapped both arms around me. 
The party was inside, but out here, on the stone terrace, it was quiet.  He reached up, his thumb gently stroking my cheek. "Look at us," he whispered, his voice full of a quiet awe. "We actually did it."

I leaned into his touch, my eyes locking with his. In the pale light, I could see every shade of blue in his irises. I saw the boy I'd fallen for, the man I'd almost lost, and the future I was about to start. I couldn't wait another second.
I kissed him again, his hands sliding into my hair, as my hands roamed down his back, feeling the solid muscle beneath the crisp fabric of his dress shirt. Soon, his hands were tracing the line of my spine, sending shivers through me.

He pulled back just enough to speak, his lips brushing against mine, his voice a low, husky rumble. "Well, we have at least half an hour before heading to the party..." He nipped at my lower lip. "Wanna make a small detour?"