Page 75 of Loving the Sinner
Wait till I tell Jess and Luke and Elli- wait. A tour of North America. That’s usually, what, six months? Could I go that long without seeing Elli? Wejuststarted dating. And yeah, it’s still five months away. Our relationship could survive.
But do I want to be away from her that long?
I don’t think so.
Maybe I’ll just decline.
But I don’t want to do that, either. This is a dream come true.
I leave the bathroom and decide not to say anything until I have all the information. They could be paying me so little that it wouldn’t be worth it to go.
We go through the rest of the night as we usually do when we get back to Elli’s. We shower together and get a little handsy, then watchZombielandand Elli falls asleep halfway through so I carry her to bed. When I plug my phone into the charger, I see an email from Keelys manager.
I quickly scroll through and see the tour is eight months long, and they’re going to pay me my yearly salaryfrom the school, plus all the lodging is taken care of.
It’s a damn good deal.
But eight months away from Elli? I don’t know…
I decide I’ll talk to Elli about it and see what she wants me to do. Except she’ll want me to go because this is my dream. She’s so selfless that she’d tell me to pursue my dream even if it means leaving her for a while.
I have a fitful sleep that night, anxiety weighing heavy in my chest as I consider all the possibilities.
My dream career, or my dream girl?
Why can’t I have both?
Chapter 36
Elli
The hotel has been booked, the sightseeing planned, and the playlist curated.
One week until we go back to hell-I mean Utah.
Don’t get me wrong, Utah is beautiful. Majestic mountains, stunning lakes, vibrant red rocks, and beautiful snow in the winter.
It’s the people and the culture that makes Utah suck.
Not to mention they keep developing the beautiful land to build megamansions, and shopping centers.
Even the state prison got moved from Draper to Salt Lake City and they plan on turning the land the old facilities were on into a little city complete with shops, restaurants, and cookie cutter houses.
My cousin Hannah’s family lives in Syracuse, a little further north than Provo, and it used to be a farmland area,but now it’s been urbanized. They put in subdivision after subdivision, multiple golf courses, and even a highway straight through the city.
Don’t even get me started on all the temples the church has built. There are fifteen in Utah, two in Provo alone. They purposefully build them so you can see them from the major freeway and highways that run through the state. “A beacon of hope.” They say.
It’s honestly a bit of an eyesore in some places.
But what do I know about land development?
I’m nervous to go back home, even though it’s only been two months. I feel like a completely different person than I was in June, and I don’t want to backslide on my progress.
I know my mom is going to throw an absolute fit when she meets Wes, and then I’ll become the topic of the family gossip.
There will be questions about if Wes is converting, or if I’ve “strayed from the straight and narrow path.” I’ll be told that I’m ruining my chance at a spot in the Celestial Kingdom. They’ll say they’re going to pray for me and put my name in the temple, even if I tell them not to.
I don’t want their prayers.
