Vibrations

Chapter 20

In the morning we got up, got cleaned up, and packed up what I was going to need in the following weeks back at home. I sent my paper to my professor, which closed up school for the year.

As one last thing, I picked up the ring box from where we had left it the night before. I turned around and she was standing there... the sadness was gone from her face, but she still held her ground firmly, her eyes narrowing at me, "I'm not taking that."

I smiled at her and walked over to her. I took her left hand in my own, turning it over and plopping the box into it.

"Do whatever makes you feel right." I told her as I grabbed her ass and pulled her close to me, "You're still mine, ring or no."

I kissed her to seal the deal.

She stopped arguing.

I went into the kitchen and pulled all the crap out of the fridge that would spoil and ran it all down the disposal. I made a point of sneaking back to the door and peeking at her. She was standing by the little table I ate at, her bag in front of her. She had the ring box open, and she was staring at it, a look of longing on her face...

She looked up and saw me watching her. I wanted so badly to tell her to put it on. I wanted to show her off. I wanted everyone in the entire world to know she was mine...

But I knew...

I knew that there was a reason she didn't want to put it on. Before last night, that would have made me worry. It would have made me wonder. I would have fretted over it, and chewed at it, trying to find the hidden meaning, attempting and failing to understand what was happening in that beautiful mind of hers. Trying to suss out exactly why she didn't want to wear my ring. Worrying if it meant she loved me, or if she was settling on me.

Today, well, today I just didn't care. I would take anything she would give me, and I would be happy with whatever she was happy giving me. Today I decided that I would just be happy to have her in my life...

I walked over and wrapped my arms around her, pressing my face to the side of her neck, kissing her lightly, running my nose up the side of her perfect neck. I pulled her tighter into me, the muscles in my chest and shoulders flexing as I tried to pull her into my body. She reached back and grabbed the belt loops on the side of my pants, one loop in each hand, and pulled me tighter into her body.

"It's there for you, whenever you choose to put it on..." I whispered into her ear.

She nodded, "I know..."

I kissed right underneath her earlobe... "I know you want it..."

She rubbed her butt into me hard, her head lolling back as she offered her neck to me, "I want it..." She whispered huskily, "I just thought we were in a hurry to get back on the road..."

I giggled and snuggled her neck again. "There's no hurry. One day you'll want to put it on, I can wait..."

She didn't put the ring on, but she put it in her bag all the same. I called it a win.

Before we left, I stopped by my landlady's apartment. I let her know that I was going to be gone the rest of the summer and asked her to keep an eye on my place for me. She looked at Casey, a knowing smile on her wizened face, and told me she'd do just that. I felt a little bad not telling her that I might not be back...

Honestly, I didn't really know what my future held right there and then. It felt strange not knowing. It seemed like it had been forever since I had lived day to day, not working towards something, not having a goal that drove my every decision. I thought of Casey, and my little girl and decided that was something I was willing to give up considering what I had gained...