Shelly

Hearing someone clear their throat, I slightly pulled away from Tanner. His sister Susie was rocking on her feet as our parents watched us. It only made my blush redder.

"Roshelle," my mom said.

"Sorry,"

But I wasn't.

I didn't take my hands away from Tanner's body. Pulling away wasn't an option. I instead slanted my body so that we were still holding each other but faced our family.

"I'm sorry. It's nice to meet you all. I'm Shelly. Susie," I bowed my head at her.

"It's nice to meet you too."

His mom had the same eyes as him. Cognac. It was like a female version of him. I looked over at his dad, who was smiling, and found out where Tanner got his height from.

"You can call me Cole," Cole said as he reached his hand out for a shake.

"Shelly," I smiled as I leaned forward, shook his hand three times, and then leaned back into Tanner.

"If we are going by first names, then you can call me Corin."

"No way!" I squealed.

Everyone's eyes widened. Tanner's hand on my back rubbed me, his head tilting at me. His strained laughter made me realize how that could have been an offensive thing to say when meeting his parents.

"Sorry. It-it's just that that's a favorite for me. Like favorite flavor, favorite number, favorite movie. If I could have any name, I'd like to think my mom would have named me Corin," I laughed.

Corin gave me a weird look. It washed away quickly as she pulled me from her son and wrapped her arms around me. I didn't know what to do other than hug her back.

She let out an oh as she did. I was pretty sure that she and Tanner were talking behind my back. Literally. She pulled away, her hands still on my shoulders, and just gazed at me.

"It's nice to meet you," she smiled.

"You too, " I laughed.

"And this is my mother, Genna. That's if you haven't already done introductions."

"No, once we got here we got in and then now we are here."

I scrunched my nose up at Tanner. He grabbed my hand to tug me back to him. Wrapping one hand around him, I closed my eyes.

This was how I liked it. Everything okay. Everything was fine. It made my heart swell as I realized that one day had changed everything.

If I hadn't looked outside, if I hadn't been outside, I would have never been wrapped up in his arms. Something would feel incomplete. My love of the summer sun had placed me in the hands of Tanner.

Looking up at him, I caught his eyes and he brushed a tendril away. My soul was a broken, self-conscious, scared one. Tanner had come along and helped me realize something.

I didn't need to be alone. I always thought that I was meant to be that. That I was meant to take what everyone gave me. But I didn't.

He taught me that I had someone in the world who was made for me. He took my darkness away. He made me happy and showed me that someone was always waiting for me.

For better or for worse. Not like we were married but it still had the same meaning. He was my person. The one who made even the darkest of nights, darkest of days, brighter.

Be it a speck like the stars or the sun itself, he was it.

I realized something then. But I wouldn't dare say it. It was much too early to utter such words that meant too much.

So I kept it to myself, only for now, until we reached the next step in our adventure.

******

A/N:

When I first wrote it, I didn't want to give the parents names because I wanted a Charlie Brown effect but then gave up. They needed names. Also, Corin is also based on me as it's similar to my name. I just love throwing unknown easter eggs into my stories. 

P.S. I'm also going to leave up my old Author's Note in like I did with another story of mine.

A/N:
I ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴀʀᴇʟʏ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅs ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴅᴀʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ I ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ, ʙᴜᴛ I'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴏғғ ᴍʏ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ʟᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ I'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ᴏʀ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴅᴀʏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀsɴ'ᴛ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀʟ ᴅᴀʏ.

Sᴏʀᴛᴀ ᴅɪsᴀᴘᴘᴏɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ I'ᴍ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴅᴀʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ I ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ.

Wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴀɪᴅ, ᴛʜɪs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ. Tʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs sᴛɪʟʟ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ I'ᴍ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. Cᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇ ʏᴇᴛ ʙᴜᴛ I'ᴍ ʟᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅs ʏᴇs. Iᴛ'ʟʟ ᴍᴏsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ sᴛɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴀɴᴅ I'ʟʟ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴄᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋs.

Eɪᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴛᴏʀʏ ɪsɴ'ᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʏᴇᴛ!!