Marine Life

31,536,000 Seconds: Part Three

"Stop! That tickles!" I brought the blanket up to my face and used my elbows to push away Nate from tickling me. 

"Say it! I'm going to tickle you until you tell me!" I was laying down with Nate right besides me. 

"No! I'm not going to say it! Make me say it!" I shouted laughing. 

"Say it! I will do what I have to do until you say it!" Nate sat up and stopped tickling me and stared long into my eyes.

He was shirtless and only with boxers. And I was just wearing a bra and a pair of matching lace Victoria Secret underwear. 

Nate places his hands on my waist and began to tickle me again. "Stop! Nate!" I scream while I rolled around the blanket and fell off the bed. 

"Ow," I whined then laughed. 

Nate got out of bed and picked up, tossing me backing onto the bed. I brought him close to my face and right before we began kissing, the door bell rang. 

"Ugh, wonderful timing, right?" He chuckled, "I'll get the door."

He left the room and I laid there. "Maddie! Get down here!" Nate called my name and I put on his sports shirt from the night before. 

I put it on and went downstairs, "Who is it?" 

"Someone named Bryce," Nate opened the door wide open. 

"Maddie?" Bryce walked in and saw me pants-less. "Oh wow, um."

He was dressed in his Marines uniform. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I'll leave you two alone," Nate came half way up the stairs and said, "I'll make breakfast. Does Banana Chocolate Chip pancakes sound good?" He asked.

"Sounds amazing," I smiled and he gave me a quick kiss on the lips. 

"And I think you need pants," He whispered and chuckled.

Nate walked away into my kitchen. "Come in, sit down, I'm going to go get some pants," I bit my lower lip. 

When I came back down, Bryce was sitting down with his hat off. He heard me come down and looked up at me. 

"Hey," I sat next to him.

"So is he your boyfriend?" Bryce looked into the kitchen, staring at Nate getting the chocolate chips. 

"Yeah," I nodded, "When did you get back?"

"The day before yesterday," He looked around the room and spotted his eyes on a picture. It was a picture of me and Nate at the beach. And next to that picture was a picture of my family and me. 

"So, why are you here?" I asked him nonchalantly.

"I came to ask you about this," He pulled the letter I wrote to him eight months ago from his inner pocket.

 "Maddie," Nate called, "Pancakes are ready!" 

Bryce looked up when Nate called my name. I told Nate I'd be right there and turned my head back to Bryce, "I'm going back to Pittsburgh tomorrow. I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you can come tomorrow?" I asked Bryce. 

"If that's what I need to do to get closure, okay. I'll be there around 6," He stood up and put his hat back on.

"Just give me a call," I told him leading him to the door. 

"Bye Maddie."

________________________

I met Bryce in a small coffee shop near campus.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," He was dressed like a normal person today. He wore a white v- neck with kaki shorts. "The train had a delay."

"it's fine, I just got here anyways," I explained to him. I felt nervous. Extremely nervous. 

"So what happened?" He asked looked directly into my eyes. 

"What do you mean?" I leaned back against my seat with my arms crossed.

"The break up was just so sudden. I just want to know what happened. Why?" He had his hands clasped together resting on the round table in front of us. 

"I couldn't handle it."

"Handle what?"

"Everywhere I looked," I paused and thought for a moment. I took a deep breath in and out. "Everywhere I looked, there were couples holding hands, kissing, hugging, and such. I had a boyfriend, but I couldn't even do that. I could only talk to him and write to him," I explained. 

"And you thought it was easy for me?" 

"Well it was probably easier for you than it was for me."

"No, that's where you're wrong, Maddie. I missed you and I wanted to be here just has much as you wanted me to be there. And if you just waited a couple of more months, I wouldn't be sitting here, talking to you about this. I hate this!" His voice became louder.

"Lower your voice," I told him. 

"No!" 

I wasn't going to sit there and embarrass myself. I don't know why I needed to. If I was his girlfriend and he was fighting for me, okay. Maybe then I would sit there and listen to what he had to say. But people around me were people I studied with. I didn't need to take this. 

I took up and just calmly walked outside. I heard his footsteps behind me.

"MADDIE!" 

"No Bryce! No! I am not going to listen to this!" I said from a distance.

"Why not?!" He questioned.

"Because you are going to just talk and talk and even if you even don't try to convince me, I will be convinced to be with you! And I am so happy with Nate," My voice became calm. 

Bryce walked towards me and I was able to smell the cologne when he came near. I was looking down at the ground.

I knew this was coming, but I didn't stop it. And it made me into the one person I always told myself I wouldn't become.

His hand touched my chin and slowly lifted my face up. I looked away. He cupped my face and leaned down. He was so close. I felt him exhale and inhale.

I couldn't take any longer. I stood on my tippy toes and kissed him.

I felt him smile between our kisses.

I have officially become a cheater. The worst part was that, he was the one to pull away first. And I have to admit; I wanted more. 

I don't know what was running through my mind. I just knew that I missed the soft kisses.

Now we were looking at each straight in the eye. "Do you still like Nate?" He asked with his hand still touching my face. 

"I never said I liked him. I just said I was happy with him," I whispered. 

A childish smile grew on his face. "Do you know how many seconds there are in a year?" 

I giggled, "No. How many?"

"31,536,000," He said.

It was so random at that moment. I don't know why he told me that. But for some reason, I know that there is 31,536,000 seconds in a year and I will never forget it.