To Be

Chapter Thirty-Four

I twist the ring around and around on my finger. Adrian and Shelby forever and always. Till death due us part...

His face appears on my screen and I smile big. "Hey you, been a while."

Those evergreen eyes sparkle as he smiles back. "Yeah, sorry about that. Training has been keeping me really busy these days." He rubs his hand over his head and I notice that his golden locks are practically gone.

I gasp. "What happened to your hair?"

"They shaved it."

"What? Why?" Those baby soft strands that I love to run my fingers through are...are gone!

"It's the army. They always shave the soldiers' hair." He takes in the ghastly look on my face and chuckles. "Oh come on, it's not the end of the world. Hair grows back all the time."

I frown, biting down on my bottom lip. "Yeah, I know, but without your messy mop of hair you look so, so..." I pause for a moment looking for the right word. "Severe."

"Severe?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Old and serious."

"And what's wrong with looking old and serious?" He smirks.

"You're eighteen, not thirty." I take in the severeness of his strikingly handsome face, without all of that hair framing it. His strong, high cheekbones look as if they are sharp enough to cut through flesh. His jaw chiseled by a sculpture. Nose set perfectly in the center of his face...

"When you see me on New Year, I promise you it will be all grown out," he is saying.

I meet his eyes. "New Year is still far off."

"New Year will be here before you know it, just wait and see."

I scratch my chin. "Ok, fine, I'm waiting," I then prop myself up on my elbows, feet up behind me--- crossed. "You know how impatient I am though."

That gets him to smile. "I know."

"Can't believe that my impatience hasn't scared you off yet," I joke, a playful smirk on my face.

I expect him to mess around with me, but instead, his face is turning all serious, his eyebrows creased. "Nothing about you will ever scare me off. I love you with your flaws and all."

My eyes begin to tear and I blink. "I love you too. Flaws and all."

"If only I could be there beside you now," he begins, leaning in closer to his cellphone screen. "I will kiss you as my fingers get tangled in those long, waves of yours."

I close my eyes, envisioning him doing just that. "If only," I whisper.

"New Year. Then I'll get to hold you."

My eyes open and I look at him, my heart overflowing with love. "I can't wait till then."

Just then a bell begins to ring and Adrian looks over his shoulder. "I better get going," he says. "I'll call you as soon as I get a chance."

"I'll be waiting."

He looks back at me and smiles. "I love you, Shelby Morganstein."

"And I love you, Adrian Malik."

The screen goes dark and I bury my face in the soft bed sheets. 'I'll call you as soon as I get the chance.'

Now the question is: when will that be? 10 days like this past time, or will I have to wait for you longer this time?

When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When? When?...