Page 275 of Time Stops With You

“Both of you listen to me and listen good,” mom suddenly snaps. “Nardi, don’t worry about us. I’ll stay with Josiah. You go to Belize with Cullen.”

My eyes widen. “Mom.”

“I’ll do whatever I need to do, apply for whatever I need to apply for, so I can stay.”

“Mom…” My bottom lip starts trembling.

“Don’t make a fuss.” Mom rolls her eyes, but I can see right through her facade to the soft heart underneath. “You’ve been taking care of your brother for so long that it’s become a bad habit. I’m thrilled to push you forward and into your own life. It’s time you start living for yourself without worrying about us. We’ll be alright.”

“Yeah, we’ll be alright,” Josiah says.

Tears in my eyes, I give my beautiful, flawed, loving family a big hug.

The next few days are a blur of activity. I’m busy helping mom fill out applications, meeting with Whitaker to cancel the lease on the commercial kitchen, and filming content so I have a backlog of videos that I’ll automatically post while I’m settling in Belize.

Cullen hasn’ttechnicallyagreed to the move, but I’m determined. And, with mom and Josiah’s support, I’m certain that the next time I bring it up, he’ll say yes.

All I need to do is ensure that I don’t give him any reason he can use to deny me.

I’m working so hard that I barely have time to date Cullen; however, I’ve learned from my past mistakes and make an effort to spend at least three hours a day with my phone off and my entire focus on him.

Cullen does the same. Sometimes, he’s in the middle of a programming problem and I can tell he’d rather fix it than get distracted by me. However, he never complains and is always at my door on time for our dates.

Since we’re both so busy, I float the idea of moving in together, but Cullen denies me, claiming he’d be uncomfortable living together without being married to me. Especially since my mom and brother live under the same roof too.

It seems like a strange excuse to me. Mom and Cullen get along great now and Josiah loves spending time with him. However, I don’t push it.

I’m happy the way things are.

On Thursday, my necklace goes missing while I’m getting ready for my date with Cullen. I look everywhere for it and ask mom and Josiah if they’ve seen it. They shake their heads andjoin me in my search. I’m disappointed when I can’t find it and the disappointment doubles when Cullen suddenly calls and cancels our date.

Friday, he does the same thing.

On Saturday, I’m piping mad and I hang up in the middle of his stupid excuse as to why he can’t make it.

I know why.

Now that he feels he has more time, Cullen Tech is all he worries about.

That stupid PLP…

If he had a mistress that was human, I could drag her by her hair and beat her up in the street. But since the thing that has Cullen’s attention is a bunch of ones and zeros, I can’t vent at all.

Absently, I reach for my necklace and find nothing there. Was losing the necklace a sign? Now that Cullen is healthier, is he no longer interested in me?

On Sunday morning, I sleep in and wake to the smell of frying chicken. I brush my teeth and tiptoe down the stairs, wondering if mom is cooking.

We’ve been selling at the food stall all week and mom was so tired, she swore up and down that she didn’t want to eat another plate of rice and beans for a month.

To my surprise, I see Cullen in the kitchen. He’s wearing a soft T-shirt, jeans and a beanie. He stirs a pot of stewed chicken that’s bubbling on the stove and then checks on a pot of rice and beans.

“Cullen?” My eyebrows hike.

He whips around. “Nardi, you’re up already?” He checks his watch. “I was hoping you’d sleep longer.”

“W-what’s this?”

“This?” A handsome grin spreads on his face. “This is lunch.”

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