Three Things About Me | Ongoing

20. Saturday Studying, Sweet Kisses, & A Surprise That Could Hurt You

"No-"

"Ouch, that hurt, Cole."

"Good God, woman. Would you let me finish?" he jokes.

"You may proceed with your statement," I say.

"Ooh, when did you get so proper?"

"If I wasn't driving right now just know I would've punched your arm for that," I say, rolling my eyes at him.

"What I was saying before you cut me off," he glares at me, "was that sometimes you're cute, sometimes you're stunning, sometimes you're hot, sometimes you're adorable, but you're always beautiful. Always."

And damn, if my heart didn't flutter at that.

"You have a way with words, Mr. Miller," I say, half joking, half not. Everything he's ever said to me has always made me feel like I was someone. Like when I threw up in the bathroom at that party earlier this year, he calmed me down with just his words. He awes me with them; I adore him for it.

He laughs at me and says,"I guess Ms. Proper is back."

He's such a jokester, that boy.

I roll my eyes. "In all seriousness though, I think my love language is words of affection," I tell him. "I think it might be why you can make me feel so many things with just your words. It's like your words soothe me," I say when I'm stopped at a red light.

He leans over the console in my car and kisses my cheek before I have to start driving again.

"I love you, Lil."

"I love you too."

Cole groans as we get closer to our street.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I have to go have dinner with my aunt and uncle," he reminds me

I remember him saying something about having to meet his aunt and uncle, who move around constantly, for dinner at some fancy Italian restaurant in the area around six o' clock. Last I heard, his mom's little sister and her husband were living in Brazil. Apparently they're extremely restless, and that's why they don't ever want to settle down.

"What's so bad about that?" I wonder aloud.

"I haven't seen them since I was like five."

"So? That was what? Twelve years ago?"

"Yeah, but it's not only that. They haven't even tried to reach out to me, and it hurts, Lil," he tells me in all honesty.

I want to hug him. But I can't because I'm driving, and I don't want to kill us.

"I get that," I really do. "I know it's hard when family members don't bother to call you and then they wonder why we don't want to see them." I still feel the same way. When my Dad left my Mom, my Dad's side of the family never contacted me once. Not a text. A call. A letter. Nothing. It's like they pretended I didn't exist.

It hurt at first, but then I realized that regardless of what was going on with my parents, they shouldn't have put me in the middle and just stop talking to me all together. If they truly loved and cared about me, they would've looked past what was happening with my parents, and still tried connecting with me. But no, they froze me out. Probably because I wanted to stay with my Mom. Not that I will ever know. Nor do I want to.

But, I know Cole's situation is different.

I pull my car into the two car garage and notice my Mom's car is parked too. She must have gotten back from shopping with Cole's mom. When I turn off the engine, I turn to Cole and take his jaw in my hand, and turn his face to mine.