“You put him away baby,” I say, pulling Jesse into a hug. Everyone is in the backyard celebrating but I want a moment with him myself.
“I did,” he whispers, voice cracking.
“He can’t haunt you anymore. He’s gone for good.”
Jesse beams. “Good. I still can’t believe I just …let him control me. Hurt me. What kind of person was I back then?”
“You were different back then. You needed help, and he took advantage of that. You got it, you fought back. You are stronger now. You are unstoppable now, especially today.”
Jesse blushes and he sniffles. He’s standing on the curb so we’re face to face; Jesse wraps his arms around my neck, and I embrace his torso and kiss him. The noise from the backyard is faint and distant, and I savor his taste and heat. We break when our lungs are starved from air.
“Now, I can tell you my good news,” I say after I catch my breath.
Jesse’s eyes go up. “What? What good news?”
I grin. “I got into MIT.”
Jesse shouts. “Oh my god! Are you fucking serious? You got IN??”
“And they’re gonna give me a scholarship for the first year!”
Jesse whoops, and then kisses me again.
I squeeze him tight. “I know you love Minnesota, but come with me to Boston, Jesse. It’ll still be cold, I promise.”
Jesse glances down shy. “Yes.”
I blink. “Yes?”
“I told myself if you asked me to go, I would say yes. I love Minnesota, but I need to leave. I see Nick everywhere, every time I drive past a place he hung out…” Jesse shudders.
I rub his back. “Yeah, Nick is staying here. He’s never been to Boston. It hasn’t been tainted.”
“It’s a city for us, right, babe?” Jesse asks.
I consider his face, falling in love with every feature. “God, it’s so nice to see you happy, smiling and laughing again.”
Jesse blushes. “It’s cause I met you- oh no, Jordan, don’t cry! No no, baby, no, it’s ok.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “I’m sorry. This court business just stressed me out so bad.”
Jesse dries my eyes with his shirt, fussing. “There, there.”
“Shit, I really love you Jesse.”
Jesse gives me a smile so beautiful that makes my chest hurt. “I love you too. You are the boyfriend I always thought I never deserved.”
We were still kissing when his mother comes to get us for cake.

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Captions are fictional. Today’s caption is inspired by Sia’s Unstoppable.