Page 64 of Some Kind of Forever
“Baby, I have to go do some researchbefore my shift.”
“Mmm, see, you just called mebabyagain. That adds another hour, I think…”
I sink against him, my giggles melting into sounds of indulgence as he moves his lips slowly up my neck, around my chin, and to my mouth, pulling on my lips with his own. “Chase…baby?—”
“That’s two hours now.” He flips me down onto the bed. The motion is smooth, the surprise of it stealing my breath while he nuzzles his lips against my neck. As much as I want to continue, there’s something more pressing for us to be doing.
“You’re leaving, and we need to talk about it,” I whisper, voice shaky from pleasure and something else. Something raw and vulnerable. I’m scared to lose him, but even more scared to tell him I’m scared of losing him. Telling him would give him the power to hurt me with it, and I don’t think I could make it back from that.
He pauses, breathing a sigh into my shoulder before sitting up on his knees. I prop myself up against the headboard, and we stare at each other, unable to speak and unable to look away. After what feels like an entire minute, he places my hand in his.
“I have to report to the office on Friday morning, and I’ll be there the entire week before the shareholders’ event. After that, I’ll have two weeks of freedom before staying in San Francisco permanently.”
“And what does this mean for us?” I break eye contact, suddenly not sure I’m ready for this conversation. I don’t want him to see the apprehension in my eyes, but he lifts my chin with his finger and lowers his face until we’re nose to nose.
“Whatever you want to do, that’s what we’ll do. I want to be with you, Kayla, in any way you’ll let me. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll find a way to do it.”
My mouth falls open as the entirety of his words filter through my wall of anxiety. His stare is intense, but I can’t look away this time. My breath catches in my throat when I try to speak. He smiles beforekissing me softly, gently grazing my cheek with the pad of his thumb. It’s slow and deliberate, speaking volumes to my heart beyond what he’s already said. He’s not just willing to find a way for this to work, but determined to find a way that it will. He’s all in with me. Withus.
My thoughts swirl as my heart pounds in my chest. Words that danced around possibilities before now seem to cement assurances into the very makings of my soul:
Sometimes
What you’ve lost, you’ll find
And you’ll fall in kind
To some kind of forever.
A tear slips from my eyes, rolling onto his fingers. His look of concern as he pulls away takes me back to that morning in my best friend’s bedroom, where my lack of communication caused him to question my feelings for him. Not wanting to make the same mistake again, I wipe my face and clear my throat of the intensity that has settled there, touching my head to his. Backed by the consuming emotions I don’t yet trust myself with, I speak the first words accessible to me. “I just want you.”
He smiles. “Then we’ll spend as much time together as we can this week. And next week, I’ll text, and call, and video chat with you so much you get sick of me.” I giggle as he nuzzles my nose. “And when I come back here, I’ll help you get settled at school, and we can maybe explore San Francisco together before I start working. The rest, we’ll figure out as it comes. How does that sound?”
“It’s perfect,” I say, before leaning in to kiss him one more time.
It’sa slow Sunday at the diner. The stark difference from the onslaught of new faces at the end of May versus the end of July is a little jarring. If I wasn’t using the slowdown to prepare my portfolio, I would be restlessly recleaning appliances and bugging Bert over in his corner. Tourists still come to Fort Bender through September, but those visitors are usually retired and prefer a slower pace. Most families have moved on to more exciting places to round out the end of their summer vacations before school starts.
I consider two types of formal catering attire as I study the portfolio sketches on my tablet. I’ve already finished my renderings of the venue color scheme—complete with tablecloths and floral centerpieces. The formal place setting ideas were easy, too, once I brushed up on the placements of silverware and dishes. I’ve even added a few extra touches—a table numbering system and waitstaff tracking cards—just to show the internship board I’m willing to go above and beyond. I’ve almost decided on a basic black uniform when three of my favorite people walk into the diner. So much of my summer has been spent laughing here with Ashlie, Hunter, and Chase, and I’m just now realizing how much I’ll miss this scene when we all leave.
“Hey, babe.” Chase comes behind the counter and wraps his arm around my waist, kissing my cheek quickly before dropping his chin to my shoulder. “Whatcha working on today?”
“The catering uniform for now, and then I just need to create the menu before I can turn it all in.”
“It looks amazing already.” He kisses my temple and moves around to the other side of the counter, where Hunter and Ashlie are in full swing with one of their ridiculous debates. They must have worked out whatever had them not talking to each other. I tried to pull it out of her, but she’s been a steel trap on the issue.
“There’s no way…” Hunter shakes his head emphatically.
“I’m calling a professional. That way, I know it’s done right.” Ashlie rolls her eyes at him and stretches a hand toward me. Ithink she wants me to help with her side of the argument, but I don’t know what they’re bickering about now.
“Is this your way of telling us you didn’t want Bryan’s ashy babies because he couldn’t change a tire? Because that makes complete sense.” Hunter’s signature smart-ass smirk spreads across his face as Ashlie pushes his shoulder.
“Back me up here, Kay.” Ashlie turns back toward me. “You get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. Are you calling your boyfriend or roadside assistance?”
“Um, neither.” I shrug. “I would just change the tire.”
“You wouldn’t call me?” Chase asks, jutting his head back in response to my third option answer.
“You’re stranded, Kayla.Stranded,” Hunter says, shaking his head again like I don’t understand the hypothetical situation.
