by Jaden Wilkes
“I don’t deserve a PhD, I only did the work so I could rock out with my cock out,” he replies, laughs and smoothes my hair with his hand. He strokes my cheek and says, “I never thought I’d find a hot ass like yours at the end of it, of course, but I couldn’t be happier, babe.”
I blush even redder, hoping nobody heard, “Me too, I’ve literally never been happier with anyone in my life,” I confess and feel his arms tighten around me.
“Nick,” I hear a voice behind us, “what in God’s name was that?”
Hush turns and we break apart, but still have our hands interlocked. It’s Doctor Anderson.
“That is me making my own decision for once,” he says, “I’m just sorry I wasted your time, that was never my intention.”
“We’ll see what we can do, we can make a case in front of the ethics committee and have your work accepted-”
“Just don’t, please,” Hush interrupts him. “I’ve made up my mind, I don’t want to be an academic, I want to pursue my rock star dreams.” He smiles, his crooked adorable smile. “Jade here can pick up where I left off, she’s fucking brilliant, keep your eye on her...I think she’ll blow everybody’s mind at some point in the near future.”
I’m beaming. I shake Dr. Anderson’s hand and make small talk for a moment or two. Hush walks to his father and the two of them are obviously having a heated discussion, I don’t know if I should go over there or not. I break away from the conversation I’m in and start towards them.
“I’d stay out of it, if I were you,” Hush’s brother, Richard, interrupts me. “Those two go at it all the time, since the day he was born from what my mother tells me.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Nick hasn’t ever been able to fake it like I can,” he says, “He always has to have the last word, it’s pathetic really.”
It takes me a second that Nick means Hush, and I hate the look on Richard’s face…I hate anyone speaking of my Hush that way, especially his fucked up family.
“Maybe that’s because he’s already got his life figured out, and it doesn’t include that shit that you people think is important. Maybe he doesn’t want to end up miserable, married to some vapid, one dimensional woman, chasing easy tail at the office to make up for his sad, lonely existence,” I tell him. His eyes widen at my verbal defense and I stomp off to Hush and his father.
“You’re throwing your life away, you’re being foolish,” his father says as I walk up. “All for what, that little-” he stops when he sees me.
Hush turns, smiles and takes my hand. “All for what?” I ask him, staring him down, daring him to continue.
“Never mind,” he says. What a pussy. “I am simply trying to talk some sense into Nick here, he’s being utterly ridiculous.”
“Hush is being amazingly sensible in my opinion,” I say and squeeze his hand. “Let’s go,” I tell him, “we’ve got shit to do.”
“You heard her,” Hush tells his father, “we’ve got shit to do.” He puts his arm around my shoulders and we walk up the stairs together. The audience has mostly cleared out by now, but there are a few people milling about. As we walk by, they start to clap, one by one. I hear a couple of whistles and words of congratulations. I feel like a fucking rock star, leaving with my guy. I feel like I’ve fallen into the world’s worst chick flick, I love it though, every stupid moment of our grand exit.
We make it to his Land Rover before we speak. He opens the back door and throws his briefcase inside. “I guess I’d better get this hair spiked up, quick-like, hey babe?”
“Uh, yeah, if I can’t call you doctor, you’d better look a little more hard-core than you do now,” I say and smile. I continue, “So we need to figure out what we’re doing, right? I think your family is done with you...I could maybe drop a couple classes next semester and pick up a few more nights at the Pussy Willow.”
“Not on your life,” he says and turns to me.
“What do you mean? We’ll need money. I don’t think Eva’s coming home any time soon, and I don’t know how much longer her parents will pay for the apartment. I do have some savings, but I don’t know how long-”
“Babe, that’s not what I mean...you don’t need to drop any classes, I’m loaded.”
“But your family…” I trail off and look at him with my eyebrows raised.
“They have their money, but I have mine...it’s a trust from my grandfather, I spoke with my lawyer last week when I started planning this, just to make sure they can’t touch it.” He informs me, and grins, “we’re rich, babe.”
I don’t know what to say to him, but the realization hits me slowly and I grin back, matching his. “Are you serious? Rich? Fuck yeah, I knew there was a reason I took you back,” I say. I immediately grow serious, not wanting him to think this is true, and “I do love you Hush; rich or poor. I don’t know how I survived before I met you. I was living half a life, convincing myself I was ok with it, with meaningless relationships and gigantic walls built up around myself,” I tell him. “You not only broke down those walls, I think you’ve fucked me in every way possible on the ruins.” I laugh, and continue, “thank you for showing me that I can love, that I’m worthy of love.”
“I love you, Jade, Jack,” he says, “whatever your name is. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Let’s fuck and laugh and love and dream and make beautiful babies and grow old together. Are you up for it?”
“Well, you don’t hear me saying fencepost, do you?” I reply with a shit-eating grin. I take his hand, look him right in his gorgeous blue-green eyes and say, “Let’s fucking do this.”
There’s no sunset, but we drive off into the future, my stomach fluttering with the possibilities it holds for both of us. This big, crazy, amazing world won’t know what hit it.
