Page 50 (1/1)
The after graduation tradition was an all night party for the seniors at a water park in Provo, about 45 minutes north of Nephi Kasey was sociable and loved to play, so I happily went along, though water parks and all-nighters that didn’t involve books weren’t really raduates would load into a school bus and head back to the high school for a big pancake breakfast served up by so shelves in the early rocery store He had to work that rab ht shift at the power plant ended Kasey had planned to grab a shower and a quick nap in the ean
As usual, we tried to postpone our parting to the last possibleand Kasey didn’t have to be to work until 6:30, so he decided he had plenty of tiet a shower and a catnap We’d called the power plant froed to a nearby phone
"I don’t hed at him
"I’m sure you don’t Kasey, and I know Josie doesn’t," he said wryly, "but you two have had no sleep, it’s 5:00 in the , I’ll be ready to leave in 45 minutes, and there’s no reason for you to take the extra trip"
Kasey reassured hi ere on our way to Levan in Kasey’s beat-up, green Ford We liked the old car because it had a bench seat in front, and I could sit right next to him I sat as close to him as I could while he drove He kept his left hand on the wheel and the other hand in mine We both smelled like chlorine frolets I’d twisted mine up into a clip, but his fell over into his eyes, and I smoothed the curls off of his forehead as we chatted non-stop all the way toup over the eastern mountains that shadowed the sleepy toe rolled across the gravel in front of eon and Chicken Creek Canyons in those mountains That year we’d had a dry, cold winter and not nearly enough snowfall, and as far and praying for moisture The canyon wouldn’t see much run-off that year, which would be hard on the far, with the sun behind them, those mountains just looked like hoolden pro over the tops Kasey stepped out of the car and I slid out after hiainst the door and pulled ainst ers ordinarily don’t like to get up any earlier than they have to, and ere pretty norether, so thatcompletely filled to the brim with contentment There is a silentstill makes my heart ache when I allowaround ainst mine, his breath eet and smelled faintly of maple syrup
"I love you so ainst my cheek, and I turned in his arms and cupped his face in my hands I felt a luely like laughing with the sweetness of it all
"I love you too, Kasey Judd, and if you don’t kissto shatter into a million pieces," I whispered back He leaned towardonsweetness on his lips and breathed him in My heart stuttered in a now familiar two-step, and we sank into each other just like the first time Breathlessly, I had to pull e to his kiss and an urgency in the way he held me to him I thrilled at his passion, but knew Johnny wouldn’t be too far behind us, and I didn’t want to e careful"
Kasey’s chin dropped to his chest, and his eyes closed in ! I’ to be the one who shatters into a million pieces" He echoed my words of a hed up at hiry like before, and I reluctantly ended it onceaith my hands linked in his
His lips turned down at the corners, and his eyebrows curved in his best hang dog expression He looked wistful as he sighed out his goodbye I laughed again, delighted by his need forday," I teased him with a helpful smile
"It seems like forever," he said quietly as he climbed into the car
I stepped back and watched hiravel drive I waved and blew silly kisses "Call me, later!!" I shouted, and he waved his hand out his , signaling he’d heard me I didn’t even watch hier for a shower andthat it really would be forever It was the last tiotten drowsy on his way back in to Nephi The officers that arrived at the accident said they think he’d seen a deer or swerved into the wrong lane and started to go into the irrigation gully along the side of the road He’d overcorrected, slammed on his brakes, and flipped his car Kasey was thrown through the windshield and killed instantly The car was facing the other direction and upside dohen it came to a stop, and my brother was the first person to drive by and see his totaled car Johnny said he thought ere both in the car because of the way the car was facing, thinking the accident had happened on the way to our house He said he found Kasey not too far fro to find me He couldn’t see into the upside down car because the top was coet theht I was inside Johnny didn’t have a cell phone, and there was nobody on the road at a quarter to six on a Saturdayback in his truck and racing hoone the shower forinto the phone I stumbled down the stairs from the loft and into the kitchen Johnny sawwildly on its curling cord, and stumbled over to me