When You Least Expect It

34

a/n vote and comment, you know the drill! it keeps me motivated to continue writing <3

Chapter 34

  As mid-January rolled around, I found myself still waiting to hear back from the art school I applied to.

I'd been checking my emails everyday but there wasn't a response back. I hated that my entire future depended on this once choice I made at eighteen. Everything I've hoped and wished for boiled down to this.

Outside, the rain pounded against my windows, trees outside swaying in the wind. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and my room creaked and groaned as if struggling to hold itself together.

The storm outside only added to my anxiety. It's always been this way—the sound of rain against the window, the howling wind, it all made me feel suffocated, trapped even. Even when I was a kid, I never found comfort in storms.

Carson, sprawled at the foot of my bed, broke the silence. "You okay?"

"I still haven't heard back." Carson had been there to hear all my anxieties and concerns about this decision, and I was grateful for it because I felt like I was going insane with it all.

He fell silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful as he studied me. "Laptop?" he said, reaching a hand out.

We dove headfirst into the college search, armed with Dad's trusty (or maybe just dusty) laptop. As Carson typed and retyped, I waited patiently, anticipation building with each keystroke. Finally, he tapped the screen and beckoned me closer.

The screen glowed, illuminating the familiar contours of my room. Borough of Manhattan Community College. The words hung there, bold against the blue background.

"Look," Carson said, his voice a low rumble close to my ear. I felt his presence shift as he leaned in, his warmth radiating beside me. "See this?" He guided the cursor down the screen, his breath tickling my cheek as he spoke. "There's a whole list of degrees you could explore, even if it's not exactly an art school."

"Liberal arts and science." I scrolled down the seemingly endless list of majors. "Computer science. Hmm."

"It's worth a try. You can't have all your eggs in one basket."

"Criminal justice, huh?" I tilted my head back to look at him with a playful pout. His response was immediate—he leaned in, his lips brushing mine in a kiss.

"Watch out world, here you come."

"And you?" I stole another peek at him over my shoulder. Up close, his eyes seemed to hold an entire galaxy within them, a depth I could never tire of exploring. "Maybe..." I turned back and scrolled through the website. "Psychological science?"

He paused for a beat, the silence stretching between us. I busied myself scrolling through the college website, waiting for his response.

But it never came.

Where would we end up? I wanted to ask. If he's not thinking about college, then what did that mean for us? It felt like our relationship was on borrowed time, hanging by a thread as we approached the inevitable crossroads of our futures.

I knew graduation was months away, but we hadn't discussed what would happen to us after. Carson wasn't exactly the type to stick around Belle Haven for the fun of it. He was always on the go. Did I really think he'd settle down and clip his wings for me? He had no roots here, no future he'd built, and neither did I.