“I’m afraid you’re going to hurt me.”
He shook his head from side to side. “I would never hurt you.”
I dropped my eyes to my perky breasts, held back by my black silky bra. Looking up at him again, I said, “I don’t mean physically, but emotionally. How do I know that?”
He rolled off me and lay on his bent arm, staring down at me. “Rory, if you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. I like you. I want to get to know you, but I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. I care about you.”
I didn’t respond and looked beyond him at the wall across the room. My brain tripped over itself, and all the voices in my head screamed competing thoughts. He’s using you. You don’t deserve him, and you don’t need him. He’s not interested.
He grabbed my chin and tilted it toward him. “You’re smart and funny. And kind and thoughtful. You’re beautiful. I’ve learned so much from you and your perspective on life. Don’t you ever wonder why we ended up together? It seems random, doesn’t it?”
I nodded. Willie’s words from the Matchmaking Festival floated through my brain. His deep voice and heavy Irish brogue awakened my eyes to Jaime. You must open your heart to new possibilities, or love will not find you. When you find yourself falling, you must not doubt yourself. Open your heart and follow it. Love is right around the corner.
I nodded in agreement, realizing Willie had been talking about Jaime all along. The negativity in my head subsided, and I focused on his words that echoed around my mind. “Do you believe in fate?” I asked.
“I do. We had no control over who the office put together in each apartment. It was completely random, yet the opportunity fell onto us. We tried to fight it, but no one fixed it. That’s how I think about our situation. It was meant to happen, and we shouldn’t fight it.”
I smiled beside him and played with his hair. My fingers glided up and down his hairline, barely touching his skin. He smiled, closed his eyes, and shivered.
I leaned into him, melting my lips against his. He pressed his hand against the back of my neck, pulling me closer. As his body smashed into mine, desire infiltrated every cell. I wanted him, and I knew he wanted me, too.
I let go and became the princess from his fairy tale.
Chapter 26
I flipped open my computer, overwhelmed by the final projects I hadn’t yet started. I had spent all my time with Jaime since returning from our trip a few days earlier, walking around the city, exploring new pubs, and watching movies. Even though we lived with two other people, Zoey and Marissa were always together, shopping, drinking, and traveling. They gave us our space, and we gave them theirs.
I needed to get started on my Irish Women’s History final, but my motivation waned. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jaime. His goofy smile, intense but loving eyes, and witty remarks sprung at me like Cupid’s arrows flying from his bow. I tried to focus on my work, but images of his hands on my body distracted me. When we weren’t together, all I could think about was him. When we were together, I couldn’t keep my hands off him.
Procrastinating, I opened my email and checked in with my parents. Thanksgiving was ten days away, and my flight home was in a month. It made me sad to think about leaving Jaime, so I didn’t.
Hi Rory, it’s mom here. Obviously. I miss you. I’ve missed so many holidays with you. You missed the annual Labor Day picnic, Halloween, and now Thanksgiving. We’re going to Grandma’s for dinner. She’s having about forty people, so it’ll be crazy, as usual. You will be missed. I hope you’re having a great time. I can’t wait to see you! Love, Mom.
I quickly responded with a summary of my month, omitting the part about getting wasted on Halloween, sleeping with my roommate, and skipping class. Scanning my inbox, I noticed all the correspondence was with my mom. Maybe she’d finally kicked him out of the house. The idea of a true broken home caused sadness to embed itself into my tough skin, but I’d rather their honesty over lying about a perfect home and a perfect family.
The next email I opened was from Marty. Hi Rory! You won’t believe this, but my sister bailed! She’s not coming anymore. Something stupid about going to Thanksgiving with her new boyfriend or something. I think it’s more like she doesn’t want to pay for her ticket, and there is no way I’m paying for her airfare. So here I am, with an extra ticket. Do you mind if I ask around and invite whoever can come? I can’t get my money back. I promise it won’t be someone you don’t know. I mean, it’s only a few days, right? Let me know. Marty.
I felt terrible for Marty because I knew those tickets cost a bundle and she was afraid to fly alone, but I couldn’t help but feel relief that I wouldn’t have to listen to her sister babble on about how her life was better than mine.
I hit reply and started typing. Marty, no worries. I would hate for you to lose all that money, so invite whoever you can. It’ll be a party. The more the merrier, right? I already talked to my roommates, and we’re going to cook a traditional Thanksgiving. Turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie. My roommate’s parents sent pumpkin puree through the mail because they don’t sell it here. Isn’t that crazy? It’ll be the best pie you can imagine. I can’t wait to see you, and no stress. If you can swap the tickets with someone else, do it. Love, R.
Marissa, Zoey, and I had planned on cooking dinner for Jaime, Owen, and Aoife on Thanksgiving. I wasn’t wild about having Aoife around, but I didn’t want to be rude. Owen was a nice guy, and Aoife was his twin, so I bit my tongue and encouraged her to come. It was one meal, and would be fine.
I closed my email, opened my final paper, and spread out my textbook. Staring into space, I pulled out a scrap piece of paper, and jotted down Thanksgiving sides and desserts. Our freezer and refrigerator paled compared to what we had in the States, and I knew Thanksgiving morning would be a mad dash to buy ingredients and start cooking. I was up for the challenge.
I knocked on Zoey’s door and found her and Marissa lounging in her bed, watching television. “Hey, you guys want to plan Thanksgiving dinner? It’s coming up, and we’ll have a full house.”
I told them Marty was bringing a friend, and I probably wouldn’t know who it was until closer to the flight. “So we’re going to have at least seven, maybe eight, people here. Two pies, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey, and green bean casserole.”
“And rolls,” Marissa said and I jotted it down.
We worked out who was cooking what dish, and considered the translation of standard American measurement to the metric system. “I think the hardest part will be measuring grams and milliliters.”
I loved Thanksgiving and couldn’t wait to share it with Jaime. My stomach turned as I thought about Marty meeting him for the first time. His physical look wasn’t what typically caught my eye, and Marty knew that better than anyone. Jaime’s shorter frame and red hair contrasted with Scott’s tall, broad build and dark complexion. Physically, they were complete opposites. Maybe I won’t tell her. I didn’t want to share my secret with her just yet. I was leaving in a month, and my journey with him felt like a fairy tale that just began. I didn’t want anyone’s opinions hampering my daydream.
I knew nothing would happen beyond December because we lived an ocean apart, so I continuously prepared myself for goodbye. I reminded myself that life was too short to dwell on the past or anticipate the future, and for right now, Jaime was mine. He’d forever hold a piece of my heart, even when it took a plane ride across the vast ocean to see each other. I didn’t know what I wanted come December, but I knew for November, he made me happier than I had ever been.
I didn’t think anything could destroy my euphoria for Jaime O’Sullivan.
