“Cassie, it’s an hour and ten minutes away. I came home two weeks ago so my mom could do my laundry. Why do you have this big need for drama about me being away at school? Is it really about school or is it something else?”
“I don’t know.” She collapses, crumpling back down in her seat. “Since our first date, being with you was what I wanted. Then you started talking about school and the idea of losing you was so painful. I tried to keep us at a safe place where that would never happen. I wanted it so we could be friends and you would go away and I wouldn’t feel so hurt when you started going out and meeting new girls. It would be okay, because we were just friends. I wouldn’t actually lose you.” Her head bangs back against the seat. “And then we got to camp. Seeing you with someone else, being with someone that wasn’t you, it was awful. Even though we weren’t together, we were losing each other anyway. So I figured if I was losing you then at least I wanted to be with you… even if it was only for a short time.”
“You’re not losing me. I know us being with other people this summer was tough for both us. But I also think we kind of needed those other people to get a clear picture of what we had. It kind of put in perspective what was real and what wasn’t. In a strange way it helped us.”
“I know you’re right. But it did happen. We both were with other people. I don’t want to sit at home wondering if you’re with someone at school, if some new slutty redhead is leaving your room in the mornings.”
“If we’re together would I have to worry that you we’re cheating on me with someone else?”
“No you wouldn’t,” she says firmly.
“I know I wouldn’t, because once we’re together that’s it. This summer we worked out the kinks. We put our relationship to the test and realized that we’re meant to be more than friends. Cass, you’re all I think about. I liked you so much right from the start, from the very first date when I should have kissed you. This summer the feelings I already felt for you turned into so much more. I need you in my life. You’re the coolest, most fun, amazing girl I’ve ever known and now, the way I feel about you… I’m in deep girl.” I say the last part in a deep sexy voice and send her an air kiss.
Cassie covers her face. “Mark,” she laughs.
“Did I ruin the moment?” I laugh with her.
She opens her mouth and shakes her head. She’s still trying to fight it, but realizes she can’t. “No, it was exactly the type of moment we needed and those things you do are why, ahh!” she screams and tugs on the end of her hair, “those things you do are why I love you so much. Why I miss you and why I’m miserable without you.”
“Cassie, it’s time to face it. This is happening.”
A big smile takes over her face. She shakes her head and looks up. “So this is it. We’re together now and in love?”
“We are officially together and we are sooo in love.” I say with more sexy-voiced conviction. I take my eyes off the road to give her a grin and quick wink.
“Is it really this easy?” she sighs. “Are we missing something?”
“Not anymore.” I reach over for her hand and she laces her fingers through mine.
“I get to see your school and meet all your new friends?”
“Yup, I want to introduce them to my girlfriend, being she’s gonna be coming down to visit every chance she gets.”
“What about your roommate? Does he know I’m coming?”
“He went home for the weekend. But don’t worry you can meet him next time.”
“What are we gonna do first when we get there?” She lets go of my hand and it travels over to my leg and squeezes.
The hand is back on my leg, I need to ease my foot up on the gas pedal. “Well, for starters I’m gonna pull down the shades…”
Tucker
I point to the gift bag on my desk. “I got you something.”
“You did? What for?” Tessa runs over to the bag peering inside. She’s wearing tight fitting jeans and a bulky sweatshirt with our school’s name across it. Smoking hot. It’s been almost a month since we’ve been back together and there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t see her. “Passion fruit, perfect,” she giggles, pulling a bottle from the bag, lifting the cap and sniffing.
“Separate shampoo and conditioner, of course. Don’t forget the card.” Knowing what I spent on these bottles of shampoo and conditioner versus what I spent on the first bottles I got her is an embarrassment. My girlfriend has exquisite taste and I was a fool to think anything less.
Tessa grabs the little card she missed, opening it with a huge smile. The card has three words. Words we’ve been avoiding for some time now. I’m still not sure why. The smile disappears, and panic peeks out.
“What’s the matter?”
“You never said this before.”
“I guess not exactly, but back at camp when we discussed the rules, I kinda said it. I felt it then. I feel it even more now. Give me the card, I’ll read it out loud to you.” I reach my hand out to her.
“No.” She snaps the card away, shoving it back in the bag. “I don’t want you to say it.”
“You still don’t feel the same way?” My chest tightens. The air in my room grows thick.
“I don’t want you to say it. I don’t want me to say it. I don’t want us to say it.” Her voice cracks, eyes filling with tears. “Tucker, those words are going to ruin this. We can’t say it. Not yet.”
“Stop, no crying, it’s okay. If you don’t love me, you can tell me.” The tightening in my chest turns into painful aching. “Is it something I did? Is it something I’m doing?”
Tessa looks at me through her tears, shaking her head no, too choked up to speak. She’s only able to get out loud sniffs and sobs while her chest heaves.
“Talk to me,” I speak softly. “Whatever it is you can tell me.”
Taking a seat at my desk, she opens up one of my notebooks and begins writing. Giant tears go crashing down onto the paper in front of her.
I pace the length of the room. A break up letter? What is it about the word love that makes her upset? The kisses, the touches, it’s all been perfect. My life since I’ve met her has only kept getting better. What am I missing? The sound of paper ripping against the metal spiral makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight. This is it. She walks over and hands me the paper she’s folded in half. I look down and read.
I told you I was waiting for love. I thought as soon as I fell in love I would be ready to have sex. But then I fell in love and I realized I’m still not ready. So if you say I love you and then I say I love you, but we don’t have sex, what happens?
I know I’ll be ready one day. I just don’t know when that will be. I’m sorry.
I look up at my silly weeping girlfriend. “You love me?”
She nods.
“But you’re not ready to have sex?”
She shakes her head.
“So even though we’re both in love, you want to wait to say it?”
She shrugs and then nods. I understand now what happened at the end of camp when I first implied my love for her.
“Alright, I can wait.”
She smiles.
“Tessa, I love you.”
She frowns.
“I will wait for the sex, not the ‘I love you.’” I walk over and pull her up from the desk chair, holding her tight against my chest.
“What if I’m not ready for a long time?” she asks through some left over sniffles.
“Then we wait a long time.”
“Tucker, what if I’m never ready?”
I gaze down at that pretty sweet face with blue eyes opened wide. They’re full of fear, waiting to see if she just sent me running. I grin and give her the God’s honest truth. “That will suck.”
The bashful smile she gives me makes my heart react hammering away in my chest, waiting for the words I hope will come next.
“I love you, Tucker.”
The moment begs for a kiss. One enthusiastic ki
ss. With Tessa there isn’t any other kind.
“Tessa, from the second I laid eyes on you I knew I was done for. You have no idea the power you hold over my heart. I love you in a way I never thought possible. I’d wait forever for you.”
****
But I didn’t have to wait forever. One day, quite some time later, she was ready. And all the waiting in the world couldn’t have prepared me for the earth shattering way that girl blew my mind. Confirming what I’d always known.
She was worth the wait.
The end.
Ryan Ringbloom lives for anything Romance. The passion, love, angst, awkwardness… she loves all of it. When Ryan needs a break from reality she sneaks off to read a romantic story or write one of her own. Drinking coffee, reading Tweets and hugs from her five year old are the best part of her day.
You can follow her on Twitter: @RyanRingbloom or visit her website at www.RyanRingbloom.com .
Coming Soon…
Can anyone get past Josh’s flaws?
FLAW - 2014
Table of Contents
Copyright
Part One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Part Two
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Wait (The Fast Series) Page 18
