Page 15 of Beyond our Forever

The teacher gave us about ten minutes before the end of the class to discuss what we were going to work on, which turned out to be quite extensive, because we not only had to investigate women’s fight for the right to vote, but also all the other changes those pioneers fought for.

“Do you think we could meet sometime between Monday and Tuesday at your house to start working on this?” Cody asked, as he lightly touched my arm.

“Better to work in the library,” I suggested. “I have classes all afternoon on Mondays, so it’s better for me to work from here, plus if we need extra reference material, we’ll be in the best place.”

When Cody moved a little closer, I stepped back a few inches.

“Hello, gorgeous,” someone whispered behind me as they caressed my neck with his lips.

“Bruce!” I exclaimed in shock as I turned around.

Taking my face in his hands, he gave me one of those kisses that make you forget there’s a world around you, leaving me breathless and confused.

Of course he knew exactly what he was doing. Such a man.

“I thought I wasn’t going to see you,” I said, noticing the way he kept his eye on my classmate. “Cody, this is my boyfriend, Bruce Leighton.”

I could see by Bruce’s fierce expression that he was marking his territory as the two guys reluctantly shook hands, clearly uncomfortable, and Cody quickly announced he was late for class.

“You’re a brute, Hulk,” I chided Bruce. “There was no need for that whole caveman act.”

“Really?” He raised his eyebrows. “I saw the way that jerk was looking at you, he was practically eating you up.”

“So what? He can look as much as he likes, as long as he doesn’t make a move. Bruce, he’s my classmate and we have an assignment to turn in together.”

“You just tell me when and where you’ll be working with him, and I’ll be there.”

“Right, so you’re going to pee around me so everyone knows I’m yours?”

“Only if you want me to,” he laughed, with a wicked gleam in his eye.

“Of course I don’t want you to,” I replied. “Calm down, Hulk, don’t you dare turn green on me here.”

“That guy puts a hand on you again, he’ll know exactly who I am.”

“Next you’ll be wanting to put your name on my forehead.” I rolled my eyes at him.

“Don’t give me ideas, Ilythia,” he warned, before kissing me on the neck again. “Don’t tempt me.”

“I really thought I wasn’t going to see you until Friday.” I changed the subject to a more pleasant one, because despite his little demonstration, I was happy to see him.

“I think you overestimate my self-control. There was no way I could resist you for that long.”

His arms surrounded my body and I allowed myself to be enveloped by his fresh, clean cologne.

He was my happy place.

Holding hands, we left the building, heading for the parking lot. When Bruce suggested we get some sandwiches from a place a few miles from campus, I happily agreed. He had time between classes and I was willing to give him my entire life.

Walking with our fingers entwined, I felt like a celebrity, the most important person in the world, an empress. When I told this to Bruce, he replied that he was the luckiest bastard, the king of the jungle. His words, not mine.

Fortunately, Thursday passed reasonably quickly, as I kept myself busy doing some of the history homework, dedicating a good part of my free time to ordering books in the library, then making summaries. I may have been taking general classes, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t doing my best to get good grades. Another thing I did was make a stop at the mall. I only had a limited budget, but looking through the sale racks, I found a couple of pretty interesting things.

“Lity,” I heard my brother shout on Friday when it was barely six o’clock. Only he called me that way, a remnant from when I was born and my brother could barely pronounce my name, but as he grew up, it became something special between us. “Bruce is waiting for you.”

To tell the truth, I’d been ready for more than half an hour. Eager, desperate to see him, to be alone with him.

I was surprised to see my brother so calm. Either he was playing dumb or he definitely hadn’t noticed the little suitcase I was rolling behind me.

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