Page 6 of Only Yours
“Ugh,” I mutter and press my hand to my forehead. “I can’t mess around with my roommate’s brother,” I peek up at him, “no matter how badly I want to.”
A wide smile crosses his face, and he reaches out to touch my cheek. I back away and his smile falls. “I don’t want a hook up, Reina. I could get that anywhere. I could go out tonight and be with someone if I wanted to. That’s not what we’re doing here.”
I take a shaky breath in. “Then what are we doing here?” I ask, more than a little afraid of his answer.
“Like I told my sister, I want a lot more with you. I want everything. You’re it for me.” His words sound totally confidant. They rock me to my core.
“You told Sophie that?” I question.
He nods. “Because I mean it. I want it all with you.”
I shake my head. “You leave in two days, soldier boy.”
“How can I prove to you that I’m serious? That you’re the one I want? And that you can trust me? Whatever you need, I’ll give it to you. There’s nothing I won’t do.” The earnestness in his voice tugs at my heart.
I think about it a moment before what I want comes to me with a sudden clarity. “Write me,” I whisper.
“Write you? Like emails and stuff? I can, but I don’t see how that will…”
I place my finger on his lips. “No, write me real letters. The old-fashioned kind. And tell me about you, and what your life is like. Tell me things you wouldn’t tell anyone else. Then I’ll consider our status when you get back.”
His eyes widen. “That’s all I have to do?” he asks eagerly.
“Yep. But you have to write often, and you have to tell me things that aren’t all fluffy and sweet. Real problems, real stuff, about you.”
He nods seriously. “I can do that.” A smile crosses his face, and he winds his arms around my waist again. “I’ll write you, Reina. I’ll woo you by letters if that’s what you need. I’ll make you see me.” He places another kiss against my hair which he seems to be getting in the habit of doing. “I’ll write the hell out of you. You’ll see.”
I nod. Inside my heart twists. He’ll be gone in two days, and I assume out of sight, out of mind.
But when he leaves two days later, and Sophie and I see him off in his uniform, he pulls me in for a soft kiss and whispers in my ear, “You’ll see, princess. You’ll see. I’ll write you all the time.”
Chapter 6
I was taught to not trust any guy, especially the ones who are good at saying pretty things. -Reina
Reina
Another piece of junk mail. Another political advertisement. Geez, what’s the point in mail anymore? I mean, anything useful is sent by email or DM or something electronic anyway.
I toss most of it in the trash can next to my small mailbox at the university until I see an envelope with unusual writing. My heart rate speeds up as I read the sender’s name: Sergeant Brian Richards.
I look around anxiously, wondering for some unknown reason if someone can see the excitement on my face. The hottie actually did it. He wrote me a real, honest to goodness, no emoji letter.
I hastily throw the rest of the mail in the trash and haul my heavy bookbag further up my shoulder. I hold the letter apart from me as if it’s precious cargo.
My stomach jitters as I look around the quad for the perfect place to read my gift. I want to tear apart the envelope to get a peek at the words inside, but I don’t. It feels like I need to do this somewhere special.
I finally sit down on a bench under my favorite tree. It’s the spot where I can see the hot athletes coming from their practices at the field. I can also enjoy the natural beauty of our campus. Ah, who am I kidding? It’s more the hot guys that attract me to this place.
My hands are shaky as I hold the letter up and look at the words again. Reina Anderson, it says right in the center. Shit, who thought I would get so worked up and giddy over a freakin’ letter? I can’t seem to help myself though. Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of friends except my neighbor Amit, and he never had to write me a letter. We still hop over to each other’s houses when we’re on break. Sophie is my first girlfriend. For a moment, a lump of guilt settles in my stomach. Should I be communicating with her brother without her knowing? What would she think if she found out?
The knot loosens as I examine the letter again. Aw hell, might as well read it.
I open the envelope carefully, like a ticking time bomb and read each word carefully.
Dear Reina,
See, I told you so. Probably not the best way to start a letter when I really want the girl to like me, but it has to be said.
