C'Mon, Would It Really Be So Bad?

I'm Your Exception

It was about a week later when I got a text from Ed. The first communication of any kind since that night. It simply said, "Roof."

Confused, I opened my front door and looked around. It was quiet and I didn't hear or see anyone. But, curious, I went up to the roof of my apartment building. And sure enough, Ed was there, leaning up against the ledge with his back towards the city.

I hesitated for a second before walking over to him, seeing that he had my camera in his hands. The nice one he had gotten me for Christmas. He held it up a little.

"I got your camera."

"Uhh...thanks? You had to give it to me on the roof?" I laughed a little. And then I awkwardly stopped in front of him, not sure what to do or say. It was quiet for a minute and I watched him as he kept his eyes glued to the ground and kicked around some rocks with his shoes. I just waited for him to speak. I could tell he was getting ready to say something, but holding back. Instead of answering my question, he said something that caught me completely off guard.

"I've been in love with you since the second I saw you on that plane."

My heart almost stopped. "O-oh..." I stuttered. He continued.

"I wanted to say sorry and thank you too. I'm sorry for everything that's happened. And I wanted to say thank you for driving hours out of your way to tell me how you feel. For not just giving up when I was trying to ignore you. If you didn't make that trip, I probably wouldn't be standing here right now," he finally looked up at me. "We've both made major mistakes and done stupid, hurtful things to each other. We haven't exactly trusted each other. But...I don't care about any of that anymore. I just care about you. And about us."

I didn't know what he was trying to say. I waited to see if there was more, but he didn't say anything else. So I spoke up. "Okay...so what are you wanting to do?"

He gave a little shrug. "I dunno. Forgive each other? Trust each other? Move forward? Try? I think this is too important to give up on. I think we have a future."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. I was almost in tears. "Really?"

He nodded and then said, "I have a question though. About a future for us. I know we've talked about marriage in the past, but how do you feel about it now? I mean after what happened with your parents?"

"Um...I'm not sure if I really believe in it anymore, honestly. My parents were always the ones I looked to as an example, you know? You never think two people who have been happily married for 30 years will just...fall apart. It's scary to see two people who love each other so much but can't make it work. You just assume that love is enough. You just assume they will stay together and be happy no matter what. I mean, that's all I wanted for so long. To grow up and be like them. To get married and live happily ever after. But...now I'm not quite so sure. Sorry...I hope that's okay with you."

He kind of nodded, making a weird face that I couldn't quite read. And then he changed the subject by handing my camera to me.

"I hope you don't mind that I've been using it. Taking pictures on the road. Specifically of the places that we've been to together. You know, when you were on tour with me. Any town that I've been to in the past couple of weeks where you and I have been and have some kind of memory from there...I took pictures of it."

I smiled from ear to ear. I loved that he did that. But I didn't take the hint to actually look at them right then and there.

"Take a look," he said. "Check out my photography skills."