Page 9 of Forever

“I couldn’t be prouder of him, even if I wanted to. His dream came true, and he has an amazing woman by his side.”

Her words bring tears to my eyes too, but I blink them away.

“When’s the wedding?” Grace asks, a dreamy look in her eyes.

“As soon as I can pressure her to say, ‘I do’.” Will’s hands curl around my middle, pulling me to his chest.

My body relaxes in his embrace, recognizing his touch as I snuggle closely into his arms.

After weeks or even months of being apart, when we finally get together, we can’t stop touching one another. It isn’t overly sexual or anything like that.

We hold hands, or I snuggle into his side. We sneak kisses when we think nobody’s looking or simply press our legs together under the table when we’re eating. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant the touch is for others, for us it means everything. Because we have only a few short days to charge on touches and kisses before we’ll be separated again.

“You don’t have to pressure me to do anything.” I look over my shoulder at him. “I would marry you tonight—”

“Great, let’s do that.”

“—if my plane didn’t leave in 48 hours.”

Darkness settles in his brown gaze. I turn into his arms and cup his cheeks. Drawing him out of whatever place he lost himself to and back to me.

Thinking about leaving hurts, but if we lose ourselves in thinking and counting down the time we have left we’ll lose the chance to actually be together and enjoy the time we have.

“Soon.” My thumb slides over his scruffy cheek. “You are coming to Croatia in a couple of weeks, and not long after that I’ll be done with college. And then it’s nothing but forever. Our forever.”

“Our forever.”

*

WILLIAM

When we are away, the time seems to slow down. Seconds slowly turn to minutes then turn to hours and then to days. The time drags, impeding us from being together. And when we are together, time always flies by. There will never be enough time. It doesn’t matter how much time we spend together. It doesn’t matter how many times I kiss her or how long I hold her. It’ll never be enough.

When she’s not by my side, I’m not whole. I’m lost. I’m just half of a man, because the other half? It’s with her.

Bel’s naked body cuddles closely to me. She’s snoring lightly and mumbling something incoherently in her sleep. I pull her closer, enjoying the feel of her soft skin on mine. My fingers play with loose strands of her silky, black hair that falls around us both.

After the day I had, I should be asleep, but I can’t make myself close my eyes. I’m still afraid that if I do, I’ll wake up to find it was all just a dream.

Super Bowl.

Anabel being here.

Her saying yes to being my wife.

My freaking wife.

It would seem surreal if the moonlight didn’t fall on the rock on her hand and make it shine even in the darkness of my bedroom. Making her officially mine.

Her body stirs next to mine. I kiss the top of her head, hoping to lull her back to sleep, but her eyelashes slowly flutter open. Sleepy blue eyes look at me. A soft smile curls her lips when she realizes it’s not a dream. She really is in my arms.

I know, because that’s how I feel every time I wake up by her side.

“Can’t sleep?”

I shake my head and lean down to kiss her lips.

Just because I can.

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