She steps inside and walks straight to the kitchen and sets the bag of food on the counter. “I know your sister is in town so I won’t stay long, but you weren’t answering my calls or texts, and got worried. Knowing the situation.”
I walk into the living room and grab my phone. “I turned it on silent when we walked in the door. Had enough to deal with already, and didn’t want to talk to anyone.”
Our eyes meet, but only for a second, and then she looks down at the floor. What happened last night has changed something about us, but Raquel doesn’t seem to know what to do.
Things have been a whirlwind, but life is short and things have a way of falling on a backburner, and instead I need to make some priorities. From the beginning, before everything impeded us, we agreed to go on a date, and then we had to go our separate ways because of the society built around us, but why should we let them control our happiness?
“So, I brought stuff from the diner. Didn’t know what your sister liked, so there is plenty of food in here for you to eat for days.”
I glide behind her, placing my hands on her hips as her back is toward me. “Thank you for dinner, but I’m sick of playing this game. If I’ve learned anything, it’s living life and not to let things deter you from what you want. Raquel, it’s you. I fucking want you next to me when I go to sleep, and every morning when I wake. I’m done worrying about what everyone else thinks.”
She turns around and stares up into my eyes. “Events like those in the past couple of days have a way of causing people to decide… as much as I would love to believe everything you are saying, how am I supposed to know you feel this way?”
“I knew from the moment I saw you at Damon’s party that I needed to get to know you. If you hadn’t been my dad’s nurse, we would have gone out on that date, but life has a way of throwing curveballs, and instead of taking my shot, I just let it fly right by me, but not anymore. I want my shot with you. I don’t care what Hazel, your brother, or anybody else says. We deserve to be happy, Raquel. You are what makes me happy.”
Things have been hard, but it’s shown me to not put my life on the backburner. I need to fight for what I want, and that’s her. She needs to know that I’m serious.
“You make me happy, too, but it isn’t the right time. I’d love to just be happy, but sometimes that luxury doesn’t apply. Happiness isn’t always permanent, and with the impending circumstances, you are going to have a lot to deal with, and I’m more than willing to help you, guide you through them as I can, but my heart can’t get broken, Jeremy. Grief is a terrible thing, and I have seen it consume lives, so I’ll be here, but romantically we should wait to decide until later. Feelings are not always as they seem to be.”
She takes out the to-go containers and starts sitting them on the kitchen table.
“In six months, I’ll feel the same way, you’ll see. Now, let’s get to eating, because the smell is making my stomach growl already.”