The New Separation (Book 2)

Chapter 26

Elliot

I had just gotten home from school when the doorbell rang. I didn't think anything of it - Josh had said he was being picked up by either Kyle or Leo for something like that. I hadn't really been paying attention to him.

I heard Josh's footsteps as he walked past my room, meaning I didn't have to go open the door. Good, because I was just about to start my homework. Even though it was almost the end of my senior year, I needed to make sure I stayed on top of my work and not fall behind.

"Hey guys," Josh said, his voice barely reaching my room. I guess they were both here.

"Please tell me he's here." That voice, however, definitely did not belong to one of them. In fact, it belonged to my boyfriend. Who said he wouldn't be home until this weekend.

I stepped out of my room and into the hallway, giving me a view of the entryway. "Yeah, he's in his room," Josh answered. Behind Josh, I could see both Colton and Kyle. Colton hadn't yet seen me, although Kyle gave me a smile when his eyes landed on me.

"Colton?" I called down the hallway.

The next second, his eyes landed on me with the biggest smile on his face. Then he was stepping around our brothers and half running, half bounding down the hall. Before I knew it, his arms were around my neck and his lips were pressed against mine. I didn't move throughout any of it, too shocked to even comprehend him being here in the first place.

"You okay, babe?" he asked, pulling back from the kiss.

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry. Just shocked. What happened to being stuck at school another couple of days?"

"I got unstuck?" He laughed, not even able to keep a straight face for more than two seconds. "I just really wanted to surprise you. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't. I'm happy you're here." Of course I didn't mind. He was here, a few days earlier than I expected him to be. The only problem now was that I hadn't had a chance to prepare myself for telling Colton the truth about where I'm going to college.

He's been bugging me about it for weeks. I guess, in a way, it's my own little surprise for him, but honestly, I just don't know how he's going to react. This was such a big deal for me, and I didn't want him to end up upset about it.

"Good. So can you tell me where you're going next year? Please? Please, please, please? I love you. Please?"

I sighed and started walking towards the kitchen. For lying to me about when he was coming home, he can go without an answer for a couple more minutes. "Why does it even matter?" I asked him, glancing over my shoulder to see him still following me.

"Your future, for one? El, this is important! I spent so long trying to decide where to go, I'm sure you remember that."

Yeah, I did. He came to me about it, not wanting to be so far. I was the one who finally convinced him to go to that school, because it was his best chance. But I couldn't talk to him about this choice. His opinion would have had too much of an influence over my decision.

"Elliot... Why are you doing this to me? If you end up on the other side of the country from me, we'll work something out. We will."

I stopped next to the kitchen counter that held most of the junk that's been collected throughout the house. Usually old mail, receipts, empty pasta boxes, that kind of stuff. What was also here was my welcome packet from the school I'll be attending.

I handed the packet to him, not even watching as he read it over.

"No way," he said softly. "He was right."

I looked at him to see his eyes still on the paperwork and a smile on his face. Then he lifted his eyes to mine and his smile got wider. "This is my school!"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

There it was. I knew it was going to be a bad idea to go to the same college as him. Although it may mean we'd see each other all the time, he probably wanted his space. It was his school, after all.

"Babe, this is amazing," he continued before I could explain myself.

I let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't upset. "You're not mad?"

"How could I be? We're going to be able to see each other every day. How is that totally not the best news ever?"

"Well, I honestly didn't choose it because of you," I started. "You were a big part of why I applied in the first place, but ultimately, it was the computer science program that won me over. It was the right program, the right price, and the right distance. You were just an added bonus, or at least, that's how I convinced my moms."

Colton placed the packet back down on the counter and hugged me. "You're amazing, babe. This is going to be awesome. I can't wait until August now."

"Didn't you just leave there? What about the summer? And prom? You're still coming with me, right?"

He scoffed. "No, Elliot. Why would I ever go to prom with you? You're not my boyfriend or anything." Then he burst out laughing. "Of course I'm coming. And I don't want to rush this summer, I'm just totally excited. I want to know what dorm you'll be in or what professors you're going to have. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

I placed my hands on his shoulders to get him to be quiet. If he kept talking like that, I'd get really nervous and I couldn't deal with that when I haven't even finished high school yet. "Shush. We have plenty of time to figure that out. Okay? Let's just enjoy this moment for now."

Colton smirked before placing his lips on mine. "We can make this a better moment," he whispered against my skin. "There's no one else here, right?"

I shook my head, grabbing his hand to lead him back to my bedroom. After Josh left with Kyle, it was just the two of us here. I knew exactly what Colton was asking, and I was more than willing to agree this time.

We haven't done anything this intimate since the summer, right before Colton went to college. I was holding off doing anything with him this semester because I needed him to prove to me he could wait months. And he did prove it. It was definitely time we had some fun together in the bedroom. It's been way too long.

But at least next year, we'll be around each other a lot more. Sure, that might mean more sex, but it also means more dates and face-to-face conversations I had been craving all year. I think going to the same school as him won't only benefit my future, but also benefit my relationship, which is exactly what it needs right now.