Page 42 of Until Presley

“What are you doing with her? You’re a cheater,” he yells, and she leans into my body. I wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer as we look into the screen. “Oh, dear God, what happened to your face?”

“Clara. I haven’t told you, but for years she’s been bullying me. This isn’t the first time she’s beat me up. But this time, I stood up to her.”

“What the hell?” Thea says from behind her husband. “We are getting on a plane.”

“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” her father says before hanging up.

There is a pounding on the door, and I check the peephole before swinging the door open. A young college punk is standing there.

“Don’t even think about it. She’s spoken for, and if you come back, I’ll pound you into the ground. Spread the word, fucker,” I growl, and he rushes off.

“Ham, what are we going to do?”

“I’m taking you to a hotel. Pack up. Then we are going home after you meet with your advisor tomorrow.”

“Okay. I have a class tomorrow too.”

“You aren’t going. Sorry, babe, but I’m not letting you get hurt any further. Come on. I’m going to take you to a clinic to get you checked over.”

“Okay.” She doesn’t argue; she just does as I say, and that’s when I know how close to the edge she really is. She needs a hot bath and to relax.

I help her get packed, and we head down to her car. She follows me to a hotel close by, and we get a room. She calls her advisor and asks for a meeting tomorrow. Then she calls Professor Blackman to tell him she can’t teach the class because she was injured.

As soon as she’s done getting everything taken care of, I draw a bath in the large tub and help her climb inside. I strip down and slide in behind her. She settles against my body, and I know now is the time to have the conversation we need to. I’m glad I asked for a suite with a large two-person tub. Now I have her exactly where I want her. She’ll have no choice but to listen to me.

“Presley, we need to talk. I know what you did for Win for his birthday.”

“I know we need to talk. I’m sorry I ran without confronting you. But after my last two boyfriends cheated on me, I just reacted.” She pauses and smiles up at me. “It wasn’t Win’s fault that I ran. I promised him I would get him shark pictures for his room. So I had them sent.”

“Thank you. He loved them. You only told me about the one boyfriend in college.”

“I had another. He was just a summer boyfriend when I was in high school. He cheated with Clara.”

“Jeez. They were idiots, and as far as I’m concerned,boys. I’m aman.I love you. I want forever with you. After this time apart, I know what it’s like to lose you, and I’m never going to let that happen again.”

She twists around in the tub so she’s facing me. I pull her up my body, and she straddles me. “I love you too, Ham. I was scared.”

“I won’t ever do that to you. As soon as you get your doctorate, I’m knocking your ass up and we’re getting married.”

She giggles. “Shouldn’t we get married first.”

“I don’t care in which order it happens, but it’s happening.”

“Okay. What about school?”

“We can make this work. I’m hoping, with everything going on, they will let you come back to Key West. But if they don’t, we will get you a new condo, and then we’ll make it work.”

“Okay. I’m scheduled to go up to Chattanooga in March to work with the aquarium up there. It’s part of the new path my advisor is stressing I complete so I can get my doctorate by Christmas.”

“Then let’s do it. How long will you be up there?”

“A week. I have a friend who wants me to come to her wedding too.”

“Babe, I want to support your dreams. Because you are my dream.”

She leans up, and I gently kiss her lips. My hand goes to her hair, and I angle her head so I can kiss her deeper, mindful of her split lip.

“I like the new haircut.” I smile at her before kissing down her neck.

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