Letting out a sigh, I dropped my head back. Hospice. My mother had been fighting invasive epithelial ovarian cancer for the last year. We thought she had won the battle, but the cancer returned. This time with a vengeance.
Me: Tell her I’ll be back tonight.
Emily: No! I told her you would be back tomorrow night or the next morning. Noah, you need to talk to Grace. Please. You’ve been miserable since you left A&M. Stay and make things right.
Feeling the tears threaten my eyes, I closed them and did what I always did when I felt like breaking down. I counted to ten. Opening my eyes slowly, I inhaled a deep breath and slowly blew it out.
Me: I feel guilty being away from her.
Less than thirty seconds later, my phone rang.
“Hey,” I said weakly.
“Noah, you have got to stop beating yourself up for wanting to have a somewhat normal life. How do you think I feel? I’m moving to Virginia and leaving both you and Mom. But, I have to go where my heart is. Boo Bear, I know you don’t like leaving Mom’s side, but you need to think of your own life as well.”
Smiling, I shook my head. My little sister had been calling me Boo Bear for as long as I could remember. I had a love-hate relationship with that damn name.
“After you leave, Emily, I’m all she’ll have and I don’t think . . . I’m not sure . . .” My voice cracked as I stopped talking. Reaching into my bag in the back seat, I pulled out my prescription pills and took one for anxiety. The pills calmed me down and took the edge off.
“Noah, listen to me. I know you don’t want to hear this, but our mother is dying. The doctors told us she only has a few months, if that, to live. I see how you’re slowly falling apart. I also saw how happy you were when you ran into Grace. It was as if a new energy surged through your body. Please, stay there a couple days with Grace. Please.”
Nodding my head, I glanced up and saw Grace walking toward the car with a huge smile on her face. My heart instantly felt light; the pressures of my home life melted away. “All right, Emily. I’ll stay a few days, but you have to promise me you’ll call if anything happens.”
“Of course I will, Noah. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Hitting End, I smiled as Grace got closer to the car. This girl shattered me the moment she looked into my eyes the first time I made love to her. The endless phone conversations and text messages furthered my feelings for her. My mother always said love was a powerful thing. She believed in love at first sight. I didn’t until Grace’s eyes lit up the first time I ever touched her. When she stopped responding to my phone calls and text messages, it felt as if my world had been turned upside down.
Opening the door, Grace slid in. I felt like a kid in high school taking my high school crush out on our first date.
“Hey! I’m so sorry you had to wait. You didn’t have to, you know,” Grace said as her eyes searched my face. “Noah, what’s wrong?”
Giving her a weak a smile, I asked, “Is there somewhere we can talk?”
I could see the fear in her eyes as she blinked rapidly. Taking her hand in mine, I gently kissed her wrist. I could feel her heartbeat and I needed to calm her down. “I need to tell you about my mother and why I had to leave A&M.”
Relief washed over Grace’s face. “Oh . . . um . . . how about Bee Creek Park? We can walk along the river trail.”
Smiling, I nodded my head. “Perfect.” As we headed off of campus and to the park, I tried like hell to shake off the nerves building up. Grace sat quietly next me as I stroked my thumb over her soft skin. Taking a quick peek at her, I made a vow to myself that I would never let her walk away from me again.
Grace Hope Johnson was mine.
Forever mine.
Grace
The fire igniting across my skin was almost too much to take. Noah’s touch about sent me into a frenzy. It had from the first moment he helped me up after we ran into each other.
Parking, Noah jumped out of the car and ran to my side. Jesus H. Christ, why is my heart pounding so hard? Calm the hell down, Grace.
Holding his hand out for me, I gently placed my hand in his as he helped me out of the car. Pulling my hand up to his lips, he smiled as he placed a gentle kiss against my skin. Fire exploded with the touch and I wanted to beg him to kiss my lips. I wanted to feel him against my body. His hands exploring what clearly belonged to him.
Noah guided me to the trail in silence as he held onto my hand tightly. The fear of him walking into my life only to walk out again was an overwhelming feeling I was trying to keep under control.