Just The Girl

Chapter 12

D A H L I A

"I'm afraid I have to go, baby." Jace placed a chased kiss on my cheek, before he got up and started putting his shirt back on, next his jeans. He was now fully clothed while I continued to lay there on my bed completely naked and bare, the only thing covering me was my blanket.

"Okay, you take care when driving, okay?" I sat up so I could give him a soft peck on the lips.

Moments like this would always bring calmness in my heart, the only thing I hated about this set up was that he'd go home by the end of the day, and then I'll miss him all over again.

It was weird because I've never felt anything like this for a guy, not even Gregory back then. I never ached for someone as much as I ached for Jace, I've never pondered about what the future would be for me and Gregory. I would always just think about the present, and the future would just be another thought for another day.

But for now, with Jace, I could envision a lovely house atop a hill, painted in white, small wooden fences with a mailbox up front, a big yard so my kids could play and run freely, lush of the green trees surrounding everywhere I go, there would also be a beautiful trail that would lead towards a bed of white flowers, of white Dahlias. Like my name. A lake just beyond those bed of flowers, water as clear as a crystal, waiting for someone to just jump and bathe against the coldness of its ripples.

Meeting Jace had opened a vision I never once had thought of, like a beautiful painting waiting to be seen, already falling in love before I could even see it.

Jace had left to go home late that afternoon, and I proceeded to take a shower before I plan to go to the Lawson's house tonight. Ivan wanted to hang out again, and it's been a month since I last seen him.

Munching over some nacho chips we both had microwaved back at his kitchen, the smell of overcooked chips had swayed pass my nose, but the strong smell of melted cheese on top of it was enough to overshadow the fact that me and Ivan had unfortunately burnt some of the chips, overall looking as appetizing as we least expect it to be.

"You're down a whole month now, huh?"

Nachos were still nachos, and what's one thing that is best paired with nachos? A pitcher of OJs, and some nerve-wrecking questions.

It's already past 10 pm and I'm still here with Ivan at his house. Although his parents had come back a week ago, they were out of town to attend a concert in celebration of their 24th wedding anniversary.

"Yup, I even rang your doorbell last week because I wanted you to meet him, but I guess you were out to study with your friends, and I didn't want to disturb you." Ivan was, indeed, very busy. And I wouldn't want to be a bother whenever he was in doctor mode.

He told me all about med school, about how straining the hours were for his education, how demanding their jobs were by the evening. And when he comes home, he studies in preparation for tomorrow. Entering med school consisted of 24 hours of studying.

I had asked him one time over dinner, "What time do you sleep? How do you sleep?" And Ivan would explain to me that the way his body clock was back in college will never be the same again as soon as he got into medical school. He told me that he'd only get about 1 or 2 hours of a nap. So basically, he just takes naps all the time, and he couldn't remember the last time he actually had a nap that lasted more than 5 hours.

In other words, he can't remember the last time he had a proper sleep.

"Probably next time." He simply replied. Yeah, maybe next time. But his next time would probably be another month from now, or maybe two months from now. Depending on when Ivan will ever get a free time off his studies. But seeing him in medical school, in that white uniform, his face glowing every time he talks about what goes on in that campus—it's freeing.