First

Chapter 43

The sound of my parents' car pulling into the driveway woke us from our doze. My body was wrapped around Jace's and our legs entwined under the covers. His head lay on my naked chest. "Jace, wake up," I whispered, running my hands through his hair. The door opening below us sprang him into action and I was quick to follow. We were dressed and just walking out of my bedroom as my parents were ascending the steps.

"I think we need to talk," my dad said, his tone brokering no argument.

Jace and I wandered downstairs and into the living room. We sat down on the couch facing my parents. I looked at Jace and took a deep breath, squeezing his hand.

My parents were stern the entire time, telling me how my behaviour today had disappointed them at which time Jace cut and deftly changed the subject, explaining how they'd already been over this and it was done. I could feel him bristling at my side and I did everything I could think of to calm him down short of crawling back into his lap and going another round with him like we had upstairs.

When they got to the part about my moving out, basically telling me that I wasn't ready to take such a huge step, I had to interject. "I'm ready for this; I've been ready for this for a while. You have to understand what it's like to be young and in love. We want our own space and we want to do things on our own terms. We love each other and this is the next rational step. We are ready to start putting the pieces of our lives together. So I'm sorry, but regardless of how you feel about it, Jace and I are going to start looking at apartments as soon as we can."

I could tell my parents were still skeptical but their only response was that I had to make my own mistakes and they would be there if I needed them. It hurt to know that my parents thought of this whole thing with Jace as a mistake but I had to look on the positive side. Jace and I were moving in together.

*****

Jace and I ended up moving out three weeks later. We found a beautiful apartment close to campus so my commute to school wasn't too far. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. It was our first place together and we made it our own. And we made it on our own. My parents helped out here and there but we did it mostly ourselves. We truly started our lives together and neither of us could have been more thrilled.

Jacewas deployed almost a year later in March and was gone for nearly a year. Itwas tough living on my own but I managed. And things were easier with Jace beinggone this time around. I knew what to expect. I got involved more with thingsoutside of school. I continued to work and I volunteered with the YouthChallenge committee with my best friend. Things were going good. But I missedJace terribly with each day that passed. Yes it was easier, but it was alsoharder. The longer his tour wore on the more I hoped to receive the call thatwould bring him back to me but the call never came. I was starting to get moredepressed with each day that passed. But heading up YC took up most of mind andso thinking about Jace would take a backseat. It was at night, when I was lyingin bed that he would pop into my mind again. I missed him so much and I wantedhim back. I wanted my partner in crime back. When was he going to come back?