Night before the first day of classes:
Autumns POV:
We all were laughing as we walked back into the boys dorm.
"I still can't believe you said that!" Jules was laughing at Dylan.
"What was I supposed to do?" Grayson yelled, defending himself, but laughing hysterically. "He knocked my popcorn out of my hand! That was rude! I had no other choice but to be butthurt!"
"Oh my Gosh!" Alice held her side laughing.
Ethan and I shook our heads laughing.
Going to the carnival was definantly the best way to spend the night before classes started.
California had a super fun one. Popcorn, cotton candy, prizes.
Ethan won me a stuffed turtle. I named it Ethan and made his night.
Little did he know that this stuffed turtle made mine.
We all plopped down on the couch. "Where's Sam?" Dylan looked around.
"He may already be sleeping.." Grayson looked toward the kitchen, "I think."
"I wonder why he didn't want to come tonight." I shrugged, "He seems fun."
"He may feel like he's seventh wheeling." Alice looked at us, "But he wouldn't be."
"No." Dylan agreed, "Did you guys even invite Kara?"
"Fuck no." Jules looked at him like he was crazy, "She wouldn't have wanted to come anyway number one. Secondly,"
"We wanted to have fun." Alice cut her off.
"I know babe." Grayson rubbed her arms. "What times everyones first class?"
"Mines eight thirty five." I groaned, leaning my head onto Ethan.
"Aw bebe." He chuckled, rubbing his hand up and down my spine.
"Mine isn't till noon!" Jules grinned, "Since I hate mornings. We all know I'd be skipping any class before that."
"No, because you need education." Dylan looked at her.
"Shut it." She poked his face.
"Mine's at ten thirty, with Jules." Grayson smiled at her. "We took english together because fuck english."
"True."
"I'm staying here tonight." Jules looked at Dylan. "No bed to yourself tonight."
"I'm going to your guys dorm." Grayson looked at Alice, "I'll just bring my stuff so we can leave together." He got up to go grab his bag.
Dylan smirked at Jules, "Goodnight ya'll!"
"Goodnight nasty asses!" Ethan laughed.
Problem with having such an early class is I wouldn't be able to stay with Ethan, which sucks.
I got up, Ethans arm snaking around my waist. "What?" I looked down at him.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
"Stay with me." He whispered.
"Come with me home then." I pulled him up.
"Let me grab my stuff." He went into his room.
—
Once we got back to the dorm, we told Grayson and Alice goodnight and went to my room.
"Honestly, such a perk of these dorms are we all get our own room because it's basically an apartment."
Song for the rest of this chapter: The Promise- Tracy Chapman (on repeat)
"True that." Ethan sat down on my bed, taking his socks off. "Remember the first time we really saw eachothers true colors, like our soft sides?"
I was kinda taken aback, "On the boat that night." I smiled softly at the thought, grabbing my public speaking textbook.
"That night is forever in my heart." He looked at me, "I realized that night more than ever that I had to have you. Now we're here." He smiled soft, loving.
"I realized that night the same thing." I blushed and looked down, "I trusted you to take me on a boat, tell you a little about my life, you tell me yours."
"You made it so easy. You're so inviting, so warm,"
I looked at him, "So full of love."
"Our broken pieces fitting together to make the most beautiful picture of love and strength."
I nodded, "My poetic man is coming out and I love it." I smiled at him before putting the pencils into the bag.
Moments of silence pass until I looked over at him again, catching his beautiful face looking directly at mine.
"Autumn?"
"Yeah?"
He looked at the floor, jaw clenched. "I... love you."
I zipped my bag and went over to him, "I love you too." I whispered.
He put his hands inbetween his legs, his head down staring at the ground. "Don't leave me."
"I'm never leaving." I whispered.
He kept his gaze steady on the ground.
"Love?" I knelt down infront of him.
"I'm just so scared."
I placed my hands around his, "Why?" I looked up at his sad, dark eyes.
"I...I dream of you Autumn. I dream of you in so many ways. Of us now, of us fifty years down the road. It doesn't matter when, or where I am, it's always you." He took a breath, "Even on our break, I always found myself back to you in my dreams."
"And I dream of you, of our future." I rubbed his hands, "Our future is so bright." I whispered.
"And when I remember you,"
"The touch of you," I whispered.
"Your voice,"
"Your everything." I wiped the tear slipping from his honey pot eyes.
"Wait for me." He looked at me, his eyes looked pained as they overwhelmed within his sockets.
"What?"
"I'm not leaving, I'm never leaving."
I looked at him.
"Keep a place in your heart for me. No matter what happens, wait for me. Wait for the proposal, wait for the marriage, wait for the kids, wait to grow old. Just...wait for me."
"I will." I wiped under my eyes. "I will always."
"Promise?"
"I promise." I whispered, pressing my lips to his soft, plump ones.
He lifted me up into his lap, falling back onto the bed. His head bumped the wall causing us to laugh against eachothers lips.
"Your kiss is all I will ever need." He whispered.
"Your embrace is all I will ever need." I whispered back.
He kissed me again, pressing hard against my lips, the passion dripping off of them.
This love pouring out of them.
My love pouring back.
No matter where I am, his heartbeat is my home.
This moment in time, the day before I start a new chapter, feeling his heartbeat, his lips, hearing his words.
I need nothing more.
I longed for a love so unconditional, so full.
I have that with Ethan.
Nothing can take this moment from me.
Nothing can take him from me.