Always There || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 98: Wedding Day - Part 4

"R-right now?" He asked. I nodded, taking his hand, slowing leading us up the stairs. His smile grew as he intertwined our fingers, guiding us down the hallway until he finally stopped at one of the rooms, holding his card up against the lock until I heard the familiar click.

I closely followed him inside as he quickly shut the door behind us, leaning back against it as I made my way in, marveling at just how beautiful it was. I had never experienced anything this nice before, the blinding white sheets tightly tucked under the biggest mattress I had ever seen, perfectly crisp pillows carefully positioned on top. I didn't even want to sit down, afraid I'd wrinkle it.

"Wow.." I whispered, venturing into the bathroom. There was a floor length mirror adjacent from the all glass shower doors, perfectly polished his and her's sinks with more complimentary soaps and lotions than I had in my own bathroom. Jake made his way in, leaning in the doorway.

"Okay, so.. I might've gone.. a little crazy." He giggled, watching me as I continued my way around. "But I figured that.. it's one of our last nights away together before.. you know.. and I just.. I wanted to make it special for you." My stomach dropped.

I did know.

But I hadn't even thought of that. Now with my mom finally home, tonight technically would be the last time him and I would have a night alone together before he left.

And I needed it to be special.
I needed something to hold onto once he was gone.

"This is.. a lot." I laughed, leaning back against the counter, looking up at him.
"Well, I did tell you, you were gonna have to let me spoil you a little bit." He shrugged, moving in closer. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him in closer.
"This is way more than a little bit, Jake." He shook his head, leaning into a long, tender kiss.

"I just want good memories for us to look back on while I'm gone." He said softly, leaning his forehead against mine, staring back down at me with those same dazed eyes.
"I think that.. all of our memories are good." I sighed, pulling him into another kiss, tangling my fingers in his hair. "I don't care about all this, I just-"
"And that's why I like doing it for you." He said, gently rubbing his nose against mine. I couldn't help but smile, slowly moving my hands down his chest, grabbing onto his jacket.

This was also the first time it sounded like he had finally accepted that I wasn't going with him. As much as I appreciated him not pushing it, I had started to love the few moments we had where we could play pretend, where there wouldn't come a day when I'd wake up and he would be hundreds of miles away in a city neither of us had ever been, making his own memories.. without me.

"Jake.. can we.. can we just.." I stopped, feeling my heart start beating faster.
"What?" He asked, leaning in, gently kissing my cheek, his lips slowly moving down to my neck.
"Just.. talk it out." I finally managed, my grip on him getting tighter as his kisses got harder.
"Talk what out?" He asked, now lifting me up, gently placing me onto the counter.
"Me.. going with you." I muttered, feeling my face get hot. He stopped, staring back at me wide-eyed.

"You.. you want to-"
"Well, of course I want to, that was never the problem, I just.. I want to.. talk it out. W-what.. what would that.. be like?" I asked, not wanting to get his hopes up, but also not ready to accept the inevitable. I just wanted a few more minutes of this. His smile grew as he pulled me into another gentle kiss.

"It could be whatever you want." He said softly, gently running his fingers down my cheek.
"I'm being serious." I giggled to myself. I reached out, grabbing onto his jacket again, pulling him up against me. He bit down on his lip, his cheeks burning red as he moved in closer.
"So am I." He sighed. "Whatever you want, Jaime. I'd make that happen for you."
"You can't promise that."
"I can try." I shook my head, holding my stare on him.

"Okay, okay.." He groaned, smirking back at me. "So.. we're gonna be living out of a van. And it's gonna suck.. for a while. And it's going to be cramped with all of us, but.. I wouldn't care, not if it meant you being there with me. Now.. I'm sure.. you may not like it-"
"I wouldn't care either." I said, cutting him off. "As long as I was with you.."
"But, Jaime.. I promise, one day it's going to be so much better, I'll make sure of it. I just.. I want you to be proud to be with me."
"I'm already proud to be with you."
"Yeah, but.. if you were willing to live in a van with me.. then you deserve so much more than that."

I couldn't wait to see what he was going to do, how successful they were all going to be, how big this was all going to become. And despite having dreamt about this his entire life, it was crazy how it felt like.. he had no idea. But I did. I've always known.

"Thank you." I whispered, pulling him into another passionate kiss. He reached up, holding my face in his hands, kissing me back harder.
"Is it still just.. pretend?" He asked, his face dropping. As badly as I didn't want it to be, I nodded, staring back up at him. He sighed, kissing me again.
"And.. there's nothing I can do?" He asked, his lips curling into a giddy smile. His smile was so contagious. I bit down on my lip, trying my best to contain it, shaking my head, despite knowing deep down.. it wasn't entirely hopeless.

"We'll see how tonight goes." I said, hopping down from the counter, and making my way out of the bathroom. I heard his footsteps quickly following me out before I felt his hands on my hips, effortlessly lifting me up, spinning me around.
"Jake!" I yelled, as he began carrying me over towards the bed. "Jake, I swear, if you mess up my hair, I will kill you." My heart jumped at the sound of his laughter as he held me close, careful not to let a hair fall out of place.

"Jaime, it doesn't matter what your hair does-"
"Jake, I swear." He sighed, playfully rolling his eyes as he placed me back down, his loving gaze never once straying from mine.
"We should probably head back down.." He said, biting down on his lip. "Unless-" I reached up, pulling him into a quick kiss, before grabbing my bag and heading back over for the door. He quickly followed, grabbing my hips again, playfully turning me around to face him, gently pushing me back up against the door. My heart was pounding and I was sure he could feel it as his hands slowly made their way up my chest, gently caressing my neck as he pulled me into a long, tender kiss.

I could never get tired of kissing him. Every moment I had spent lying up late at night, wondering what it would finally be like, couldn't compare to the delicate touch of his lips that so perfectly fit between mine, like we had always been made for each other.

"Jake.." I sighed, finally moving away. "I don't want to rush this. I've.. I've been waiting.. my whole life for this with you, and-" He cut me off, pulling me into another series of long, amorous kisses, each feeling hungrier, needier than the next.
"Me too." He said, leaning his forehead against mine, giving me a gentle smile. "We have all night. Come on, I wanna go celebrate with you." I nodded, smiling back up at him, pulling him into one more kiss before taking his hand, and guiding him back down the hallway towards the party.