Page 15 of Endless

"I'm glad I'm easy on the eyes." I grab my drink and take a sip. "What are you going to school for?"

"Business. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I got out of college. I figured a business degree would be the easiest option."

"You don't seem like the business type, no offense."

"I think my father would agree with that." She laughs.

"Your father?" This is the first time she's spoken about him to me. I'm curious what she will say. I know he has extremely high and unrealistic expectations for her.

"Yeah, he’s all about business and money. He made sure to let me know that he had no plans to let me run his business. I mean, I'm still not entirely sure what he does, but it doesn't change the fact that I'll never be good enough for him."

"What do you mean?"

"He's always intended to marry me off so that he can pass his company along to his son-in-law. The only thing I've ever been good for, in his eyes, was ensuring the next generation of fucked up men."

"Your father sounds like an asshole."

"Yeah, he is. Anyway, him being so shitty fueled me. I want a business degree even more. I want to prove him wrong. I haveno clue if I’ll even use the degree, but even if I don’t, it will be a nice little fuck you to my father."

"I like the way you think." I smile as she brings a bottle of water to her mouth. My breath catches when her tongue dips out to lick the few drops that wet her lips. "Your father is out of his mind if he doesn't realize your worth."

"Thank you for that. You're the first person to make me feel something good in a really long time. You seem to be the first person to see me for who I am, and you still barely know me."

Reassuringly, I reach my hand out and place it on top of hers.

"Does that sound completely insane? I swear I'm not ever like this with everyone. There's something about you that I feel drawn to," she confesses.

"That doesn't sound insane at all. I feel the same way. I've never felt an intense desire to be near someone until I laid eyes on you."

"It doesn't make any sense." She shakes her head in an attempt to rationalize the pull we feel toward one another.

"Not everything is supposed to make sense. Let's take it day by day and see how things go."

"Okay."

It's right there on the tip of my tongue. I'm so close to asking her to be mine, but I don't think she is ready for that yet. She is still confused, and I want her to find comfort in me, not fear me. I’ll give her the space, for right now at least, to explore what these feelings mean. I know her mental health isn't the best, and I never want to pressure her.

She glances down at her phone and then back at me with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry to leave you this quickly, but I only have a few minutes before my next class. I didn't realize how long we've been here."

I smile at her. "It's okay. Get to class. We can finish talking another time."

"How will I get a hold of you? " She stands and gathers her things to throw away in the nearby trash can.

"I'm sure we will run into each other, but we can plan to meet at this time every day if that helps. You never have to eat lunch alone again."

"That sounds perfect."

She goes to step away from the table, but I reach out to grab her arm one last time before she goes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lena."

"See you tomorrow, Kellan," she says, and I lean down to kiss her on the cheek, watching the pink hue fill them.

As she leaves to go to her last class of the day, I feel an emptiness overtaking me. It's as though she is solely responsible for every piece of life blooming inside me. Without her, I am simply nothing, nobody, death. This one woman makes me feel like I am somebody.

She gives life to death. My entire being begins and ends with her.

I find myself wondering what I'm going to do when my time with her ultimately runs out. We are on a clock, and time is not on our side. I can't keep her. I remind myself, but I sure as fuckwill find a way to change this. My perfect pet. She feels the same way toward me. I just know it. I'll find an exception so she can stay with me forever. With that final thought, I disappear to perform the day's duties I have been neglecting.

Chapter 9

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