Page 23 of Beyond our Forever

“Don’t you think it’s too soon for that?”

“That’s what you said the first time I told you that I loved you.” That was true. “And yet here we are, proving it was right.”

“Warren is going to cut off your balls.” I changed tactics, because my reasons for saying no were getting weaker.

Would you not have succumbed to such a temptation?

“Your brother knows I’m serious about you.”

See? I was running out of reasons. Bruce was undoing them one by one.

“Tell me what really worries you so we can talk about it,” he asked, when he saw that I was still mired in my doubts.

How to put it in a few words?

“Ilythia…”

One, two, three… here we go.

“I’m finishing my second year and you only have one more left, and I know you have plans to do your master’s degree in California, while I have to stay here. I don’t want to be the one to come between you and your dreams, Bruce.”

His lips fell on mine as I was about to start crying, but in his kiss there were no doubts, only promises, promises of a happy future.

Of a future for both of us.

“I told you those things the night I met you, love,” he whispered without taking his eyes from mine. “I didn’t know you were going to change my life, and nothing is written in stone, so let me worry about my postgraduate degree and everything else. If the opportunity for a good scholarship comes up at Berkeley, then we’ll decide together what’s best for both of us.”

For us.

He was making plans that included me, and not leaving me out of his life. From the beginning, he had opened the doors of his soul.

“You make it sound so easy,” I murmured, still feeling less than optimistic.

He hugged me tight, clamping me to his chest, because he knew what I needed. Bruce already knew me so well, anticipating my objections as I imagined the worst possible scenarios, the most far-reaching tragedies that always jumped into my head.

“Don’t they say nothing is impossible?” The final leap was yet to come. “Just worry about finding the couch you want and let me take care of Warren along with everything else.”

With that, ladies and gentlemen, my fate was sealed. Forgetting all my misgivings I would go live with him, of course I would.

???

People say that time flies when you enjoy what you do and without a doubt each moment living with Bruce was better than the last.

Was it all a walk in the park? Of course not, after all we were both people with different mindsets.

While the idea of me working as a waitress in a pub in the north of the city seemed terrible to him, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Tips would be good, allowing me to save a lot more money than I had originally anticipated. In the end, we found middle ground, I would work in that place, as long as he was my personal driver. Everyday Bruce would take me to work and then pick me up after my shift ended. In my head, it was an unnecessary waste of time and gas, but for him it was a no brainer.

We both compromised and the discussion was over.

“Marketing?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Another one of my headaches was getting more and more difficult, the ultimate career choice.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

“You don’t think it’s a good option?” I frowned as we dined that night.

It was late, but I had just got home from work and he always waited so we could eat together, sitting at the small table we bought. We were making progress. We already had a dining table and a very comfortable loveseat.

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