Chapter Text
Five Months Later
The trek up to Banting University was long and hard due to the snow. Sean had feared that his car was going to break down during the drive. That certainly would have ruined the surprise he planned for Liberty.
When he reached the university, he was relieved. The first time he came up to the school, when he and her family was dropping her off during orientation week, he was a little intimidated by the grand, sophisticated, luxurious appearance of the campus grounds. People did not lie when they called Banting “The Harvard of The North”. From the way Liberty talked about the courses she took, he knew that he wouldn’t have lasted one week at this university, three days at worst. He was happy at the position he was in post high-school, which was being an assistant manager at Tony’s with Jay, gradually working up to afford his own future auto shop someday. He even had his own place now.
At the dorm his girlfriend resided in, he was let in by one of her roommates, a black girl named Destiny who had braids in her hair. As much as Liberty cherished her friendships with Manny and Emma, he could tell she was relieved to have finally gotten some black girlfriends at university. “She’s going to be so excited to see you,” she replied cheerfully, “She’s been super sad all day.”
He knew why.
When he was led into the girls’ room, he saw Liberty furiously typing something on her laptop with a stack of textbooks by her side. She was dressed in one of her pajamas sets even though it was the afternoon. Her hair was all over her face. “Liberty, someone’s here to visit you,” her roommate announced.
“Who is it? I’m working on something at the moment,” she asked wearily while not even looking up from her laptop.
“It’s not more important than your boyfriend, I hope,” he quipped, nearly laughing when her head whipped up at the sound of his voice. He saw that her contacts were in.
“Sean?” She asked in disbelief.
“Happy birthday, babygirl,” he told her while holding his arms out for her.
Squealing, she immediately closed her laptop and got out of her to bed to rush into his embrace.
Despite how busy she seemed to be when he found her, she found time to allow him to take her out to eat at a fancy restaurant down the road by the university. Because the research paper she was working on wasn’t due until next week. “Classic Liberty, trying to get something done before the rest of the class,” he teased at the booth they were having lunch at.
“That’s what got me here at Banting,” she argued, making him scoff lightheartedly. “It’s not just classwork I have to worry about, Sean. There’s the class presidency, Debate Club, Chess Club, the Black Student Union, intramurals…”
“I see that you’re gonna need to do some unclenching activities while I’m up here,” he dryly quipped. He was going to spend the entire weekend with her for her birthday. He even booked a stay at a hotel (that didn’t have roaches, crime scenes, or hotel receptionists openly reading porn magazines in front of customers this time) so they could have privacy.
“What kind of unclenching activities?” She asked with a knowing grin.
“I think you know what at least one of them will be, babygirl,” he answered while giving her a sexy smirk. Her hazel eyes darkened in desire, and he didn’t need to look underneath the table to see that she was clenching her thighs in anticipation. “But before we get into that, I have something to give you.”
His girlfriend looked on curiously as he brought out a velvet pink box from a gift bag. When he handed it to her, she immediately opened it up. “Oh my goodness, Sean, this is beautiful,” she praised in awe at the sight of what was inside: a gold jewelry set consisting of a necklace, a pair of earrings, a bracelet, and a hair brooch all embedded with topaz stones and diamonds.
“It’s your birthday, I needed to go all out for you,” he replied.
Her face fell a little at the reminder of what today was. He reached over and grabbed her hand, caressing it soothingly. “I know, it’s been one year,” he continued.
It wasn’t just her eighteenth birthday. Today marked one year since they lost J.T.
“I know J.T. would want me to continue celebrating my birthday every year, but when I woke up this morning…I just wanted to ignore it until it was over,” she remarked in a sad, melancholy manner, “But now you’re here. And that makes me feel a bit better at least. Because I’m not alone in this.”
“You’ll never be alone as long as I’m in your life, babygirl. You’ll always have me,” he promised her.
“I know, and I’m so lucky to have you,” she declared before leaning across the table to kiss him, briefly caressing his hair. He had let it grow long again. Their lips met sweetly and tenderly before they broke apart, their heads still being pressed against each other.
“I’m lucky to have you,” he declared back in a low, emotional whisper.
Sean knew that if J.T. didn’t die that night, he and Liberty would have gotten back together. He knew that he couldn’t replace J.T. in her heart but that was okay. Liberty had a new, special place in her heart reserved just for him.
Their grade twelve year didn’t start off terribly just for her. He nearly got expelled, he had to do a brief stint in jail over a hit-and-run, and the girl who he thought was the love of his life ended things with him for good. But it got better, and that’s because of one person, the most unexpected treasure in his life.
Over last year’s winter break, Sean Cameron had come to terms with the fact that he and Emma Nelson were never meant to be. Because the girl who was truly meant for him all along was Liberty Van Zandt.
And he was never going to let her go.