Page 65 of A Man To Remember
"The commission thing, mostly. Morrison & Associates, Jesse. That's..." He shakes his head like he's still processing it. "That could change everything."
"Good change?"
"The best change. Steady income, high-profile work, the kind of client that leads to more clients." He turns to face me fully. "I could actually build something here. A real business, not just project-to-project scrambling."
There's excitement in his voice, but also something deeper. The sound of someone who's finally found solid ground after years of floating.
"Sounds like you're putting down roots," I say.
"Yeah. I think I am." He reaches for my hand, threading our fingers together. "Is that okay with you?"
"Austin." I bring our joined hands to my lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "You could put down an entire forest and I'd be happy."
We sit in comfortable silence for a while, the kind that feels full instead of empty. Through the windows, the city humsits nighttime song—traffic and distant music and the occasional siren. Sounds that used to make me feel lonely now feel like a lullaby.
"I've been thinking," I say eventually, because the thought has been building in my chest all evening, watching him in his element, seeing him claim his place in the world. "About school."
His eyebrows rise with interest. "Yeah?"
"I want to do it. For real this time. Apply for next year, get my shit together, actually follow through." I take a breath, gathering courage. "You've shown me what it looks like to chase something you want. To not let fear make your decisions for you."
The smile that spreads across his face could power the entire building. "That's amazing. What changed your mind?"
"You did. Watching you take risks, seeing you build something from nothing..." I shrug, suddenly shy. "I want to build something too. I want to be someone who tries."
"You're already someone who tries. You've been trying every day for seven years."
"That was survival. This would be living."
He squeezes my hand, and there's pride in his eyes that makes my chest tight.
"Why wait?" he asks. "Why not apply for this fall?"
I roll my eyes. "It's not that easy. There are deadlines, and transcripts, and essays, and—"
"What if I told you that might not be a problem?"
Something in his tone makes me study his face more carefully. There's mischief there.
I narrow my eyes. "What did you do?"
"I may have..." He pauses, biting his lip. "I may have filled out an application for you. Just in case. Just so it would be there if you decided you wanted it."
I stare at him. "You what?"
"I didn't submit it," he says quickly. "I wouldn't do that without asking. But I have it ready. All the forms, all the requirements. I even wrote a draft of your personal statement, though obviously you'd want to rewrite that in your own words."
"Austin..." I don't know whether to laugh or cry. "How did you even—"
"I got your transcripts from your high school. Called in a favor with Jamie to get some personal information. Spent way too many hours researching programs that would be good fits." He's talking faster now, nervous energy spilling out. "I know it's presumptuous, and maybe overstepping, but I just thought—if you ever decided you wanted to try, all the obstacles would already be cleared away."
I'm quiet for so long that his confidence starts to waver.
"I'm sorry if I overstepped. I just wanted to make it easier for you to say yes to yourself."
Instead of answering with words, I kiss him. Hard and grateful and full of every emotion I don't have names for yet.
"So?" he asks when we break apart for air. "Want to see what I wrote about you?"
