Prestigious Ways Too: College Years

Happy New Year, From Ethan Gregory Vincent and Jade Padilla Pt. 2

"You're in love with me?!" Ethan gulped and her eyes widened. "Y'know what? I think I'm gonna go to bed. Happy New Year Ethan, goodnight!" she rushed out quickly, getting up and walking upstairs. "Woah Jade can we talk about this?" "No, no Ethan, we can not talk about this!" she snapped and turned around to see him following her up the steps and to the balcony overlooking the living room. "I get it okay? I have been in love with you for a long time and I was too afraid to tell you and I didn't know how and I just blurted it out and you didn't immediately say it back and I know what that means." "What does it mean?" "It means you aren't in love with me Ethan." she said and he froze. That wasn't true. It wasn't true at all. He was madly in love with her. He's been in love ever since he saw her on the hood of that police car. But for some reason he just couldn't say the words. "That's not true..." he said slowly, wondering if they even sounded like English. "It is Ethan! And I'm fine with it. Can't you just...just leave me alone for awhile? I can live with you not being in love with me but I need some time." she sighed and walked in the bedroom sniffling. "Jade I just wanna know why?" he said weakly, standing at the foot of the bed. She stopped and turned to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "Why? You wanna know why I'm in love with you?" she asked, almost ready to laugh since she thought he was kidding. But he was serious. She looked him right in the face as he was as confused as ever. "God it is so hard to believe that you admire my perfection every second of every day but you can't even see your own. Ethan, you are amazing." she giggled and he sat down next to her. "Where do I start? You're so smart, much smarter than me. I mean you're taking law. Law is one of, if not the hardest things to study. It takes years of patience and perseverance and preparation and other words that start with p." she joked and he laughed. "And the reason for doing it? You want to help people. To fix our system, to better the lives of people in the world. You're so warmhearted. You believe that every single life is important and means something. You care about everyone and it sucks to say but not a lot of people care about you. The people who do care though, your family and friends? We are so grateful to have you because every little thing that you say, you mean. Every "I love you" and birthday present and hug comes from your giant, love-filled, swollen heart that you have. And through all of the bad things that have happened to you, you never let it change the way you think about people. And you're so strong. Not just physically but emotionally. You have more emotional endurance than anyone I have ever known. You understand that life isn't all rainbows and smiles. And you have never looked at anyone different because of that, not even yourself. I know so many people that lose hope because of all the terrible things around them, but you've never done that. And yes you are, extremely, incredibly, absolutely, hard to believe, just-walked-out-of-a-Disney-movie handsome, but you also aren't arrogant about it. Sure it might be because you don't notice it, but every time you do recognize that you look attractive you are very humble about it. And you aren't insecure. I mean I know that people with such high levels of insecurity should be reassured, but it gets tiring. And you aren't like that. you're confident and bold and dependable and adorable. Really you are very, very adorable. You don't realize it, and I promised myself I wouldn't tell you this, but when you're thinking really hard about something you tilt your head like 45 degrees and look off to the side and squint your left eye and bite your lower lip and it is kinda the most amazing experience ever cause its so cute! And when you're really touched your eyes tear up and you have this kind of soft smile and you blink really quickly a lot and press your lips in a line like you're doing right now and your face turns all pink and it's adorable!" she giggled and he did exactly that. His eyes teared up and he gave her a soft smile and he kept blinking really quickly and he pressed his lips together. In a line. And his face burned a bright pink. "And all of the little things that you do. The loving stares that you give me when you think I'm not looking. The fact that you wash you hands longer than other people because you love the feeling of warm water. And the fact that you drink coffee every day and fill your mug to the brim but only ever finish half. And you always keep the spots under your fingernails clean because when they're dirty it grosses you out. And the fact that you're polite to everyone because you think it means good karma. And that you love me unconditionally because you know that I know what its like to be loved conditionally. And that you secretly love Taylor Swift but only me and Dylan know. And the fact that you make your bed every morning because you like being neat. And you never let your arms or legs hang from the bed because you're afraid of someone under the bed grabbing you and pulling you under. And you're understanding, and kind and dependable and you only eat peaches if they're cut in half and you hate typing withe one hand and you absolutely hate the band Fall Out Boy because someone broke up with you after you told them that you liked them. And everything that I missed I love about you. Every fight that we have, every time you hold me and tell me that I'm yours, every time we've slow-danced at midnight because we couldn't sleep. Every tear that we've shed, in sickness or in health or in that day and a half where you're not really sick but you aren't really better either and you kinda have to wait another day to really tell, and whether we get married or you leave me tomorrow I want you to know every single reason why I love you. You're smart, handsome, funny, kind to everyone, kind to me, understanding, loving, reassuring, determined, patient, quiet,  creative, artistic, sensitive, accepting, and positive, and I honest to god can't think of any other words right now but it would take the rest of my life to explain to you all of the ways that I love you Ethan." she said and crawled onto his lap, kissing all over his face. He opened his mouth to speak but she shushed him, kissing his tears of happiness away. "Shh, shh honey." she cooed as he let her hold him and he lay down. "I promise, I'm gonna show you just how much I love you." she said looking deep into his bright green eyes. She started kissing down his neck and he whimpered, and they both crawled under the sheets, entangling themselves in each other.