Page 98 of Protect My Heart
‘I couldn’t stand him when I met him,’ she whispers. ‘But over time, I grew to love him.’ She smiles as she gazes at my dad.
Jason stands up. ‘Maybe I should get out of here.’
‘Didn’t you hear a damn thing I said?’
Jason looks at my dad. ‘What do you mean?’
‘For crying out loud.’ He pushes himself up to standing. ‘If you want to marry Mia, then what the hell you running off for?’
‘I’m not running off. I’m just giving her some time to think.’
‘About what?’ he huffs. ‘You kids these days think too much. Back in my day, we took action. We didn’t stand around thinking all day. Thinking just leads to coming up with problems that didn’t exist before you did all that thinking. If you want Mia, go get her. Stop thinking so damn much.’
I come out from the bushes we were hiding behind and walk up to Jason and my dad.
‘Jason, I—’
‘I want you to come back with me tomorrow,’ he says in a forceful way. ‘Back to the house where we’ll be living this summer.’
Glancing at my dad, I see his lips turning up.
I look back at Jason. ‘Okay.’
‘Wait—what? You’ll really do it?’
‘Yes. Didn’t we already decide this?’
‘Yeah, but then you said—’
‘Hey, kid,’ my dad says, nudging Jason. ‘What did I say about women?’
Jason looks over at him and smiles. ‘You’re right.’
‘Damn straight. Now put that ring on her finger.’
Jason takes my hand, looks in my eyes, and slides the ring on my finger. I don’t know if he’s pretending or if it’s real, but it feels real. I feel like something’s changed between us, like there’s a commitment that wasn’t there before.
‘It’s lovely,’ my mom says, looking at the ring. It’s just a gold band, and probably not even real gold. But it doesn’t matter. I like how it feels on my finger, and how Jason looked at me when he put it on.
‘What are you waiting for?’ my dad says. ‘Kiss her.’
As Jason leans down to kiss me, I hear my dad talking to my mom. ‘You gotta teach these damn kids everything these days.’
‘Walter, your language.’
Jason pulls back from the kiss and smiles at me. ‘Your dad’s a smart man.’
‘She knows I am,’ my dad says. ‘Now let’s get out of here. I need to eat and take my pill.’
We leave the flower garden and head back through campus to the car, but this time Jason and I walk in front, holding hands, while my parents walk behind us, also holding hands.
I’m still not sure what’s happening here, if it’s real or pretend, but I’m committed to this summer. I’m committed to living with Jason, being with him, and letting myself feel whatever I want to feel.
* * *
That night, Jason doesn’t sleep on the couch. He sleeps in my bed. And we make love, like a real engaged couple. I didn’t ask Jason to explain what happened earlier or what it meant. I didn’t want to know, not yet. Or maybe I’ll never ask. It might be better to not know and just continue as if this were real.
In the morning, we take my parents to the airport. If Jason and I had broken up yesterday, I would’ve told my parents I’d see them next week and would be moving into my old room until I found an apartment. But instead, I’m moving to Haydon Falls. Jason called Brody, who agreed to come here today and help move everything out of my apartment. It shouldn’t take long. It’s a really small apartment and I don’t have much stuff.
