Page 28 of Only Forever

My anger dissolved at his words. “Why not? It sounds like your dream job.”

Jason exhaled slowly, squeezing my hand gently. “At first, it was because of my mom. I didn’t want to be traveling while she was sick.”

“But she’s in remission now. She’s healthy. I bet she’d be upset if she knew you were turning down the job because of her, especially since she’s back to all her normal activities.”

“That was my initial reason for not wanting to take the job,” Jason explained. “But you’re right. My mom is healthy now and she would hate for me to pass up on this opportunity.” Jason sighed deeply. “But you don’t understand, Daphne. I wouldn’t just be traveling here and there for this job. I would be gone for a long time. I would be going to Argentina in June, and then it would be non-stop after that. I would probably be in Argentina for six months, and then straight away I would be going to Peru. And it’s endless after that. I probably wouldn’t be back in the states until after two or three years.”

I swallowed hard. This was more than I expected. I could handle Jason traveling, but I had assumed that I would still be able to see him. Two or three years gone? But Jason had told me about his dreams to be an environmental scientist, and he wanted to travel the world trying to come up with energy solutions that wouldn’t hurt our planet. Surely, even if he were gone for two or three years, we could figure out a way to still see each other.

“I know it’ll be hard for us,” I said, trying to push back my fears of Jason being gone. “But we could figure it out. Maybe Icould come to visit you. I don’t know. But Idoknow that this sounds like a dream job for you.”

Jason pushed his hair back, making a sound of frustration. “Sure, it sounds like an amazing opportunity. But not at the expense of us being apart.” He grabbed my other hand, holding both of my hands in his, his expression earnest.

“Daphne, there will be other job opportunities. But I don’t want to leave you. This isn’t the right time. And it won’t be so easy for you to visit. It’s not like I’ll be staying in a city with hotels and airports. I’ll be in areas where hardly anyone is, in dense forests and jungles where I probably won’t even get reception, let alone be able to have visitors.” He paused, his expression tense. “Would you really be okay with not seeing me for three years?”

I didn’t know what to say. Of course I wouldn’t be okay. But I also wasn’t okay with Jason giving up this opportunity for me.

He seemed to read my mind. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for me. I’d go crazy not seeing you for so long. This is me being selfish, not me giving up something for you.”

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. I was so confused. What was the right answer?

“When do you have to tell them your decision by?” I asked.

Jason hesitated before answering. “I already declined the offer.”

“You should have still told me,” I said, trying not to show my relief. The truth was, I couldn’t imagine not seeing Jason for three years. It seemed unfathomable. Still, he should have told me. “If we’re going to be part of each other’s lives, we need to tell each other about the important things that happen.”

Jason squeezed my hands. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I should have told you.” He gave me a sweet smile. “Forgive me?”

I couldn’t resist his puppy dog look, and I laughed at him, giving him a quick kiss. Still, I couldn’t help feeling unsettled byhim turning down his dream job, but I told myself it was because I had found out about everything so suddenly. I ignored the feeling as we got out of the car to go into the ice cream shop, and told myself to just enjoy the night with Jason.

Chapter Thirteen

I couldn’t believe it was only a week until graduation. It was exciting, yet also nerve-wracking. I was looking for a job in the editing field, but beyond that, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I no longer had to worry about staying in Hyattsville, because my mother was with Keith and she would no longer be alone if I left.

Jason was also job-hunting, and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about the Biotechnics Major job. But I told myself Jason had made the decision, and he confirmed he was happy with his choice whenever I questioned if he was really okay with declining the job offer. We had decided that we would try to get a job in the same city, and had talked about New York City as an option. The thought of living in NYC with Jason was exhilarating. Now, if only we could both find jobs there.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and Jason and I were lounging in my backyard, listening to music from his phone. We were on opposite ends of the outdoor wicker loveseat, our legs entangled together. Our conversation flowed comfortably, from what we would do if we ended up in New York City, to what the superior ice cream flavor was. I was firmly in the mint chocolate chip camp, while Jason said he was a purist and chose chocolate as the best flavor.

“Speaking of ice cream,” I said, with a winsome smile. “It sure would be nice to have some right now on such a warm day.” I switched my expression to an exaggerated frown. “Too bad we don’t have any in the house. I guess I’ll just have to suffer.”

Jason laughed. “Is that your way of hinting that you want to go get some ice cream?”

“But I’m so tired,” I said, dramatically leaning back on the settee. “I wish some ice cream would just appear so I could eat it in the comfort of my home.”

Jason raised my eyebrow. “Oh, so you want me to go get some ice cream for you then?”

I grinned. “You read my mind!”

Jason chuckled, gently shifting my legs and extricating himself from the seat. “One mint chocolate chip, coming right up.”

“Oh, and some potato chips! Salt and vinegar.” I smiled sweetly. “Please?”

“One mint chocolate chip ice cream and salt and vinegar chips coming up,” Jason said agreeably, leaning over to drop a kiss on my forehead.

Jason grabbed his car keys. “I’ll leave my phone here so you can keep on listening to my playlist. I’ll be right back.”

I admired his broad back as he left to go get our snacks. Jason made me feel so special and safe. I didn’t think I would ever get used to feeling so loved and treasured.

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