Page 67 of #Lovestrong

Lena

The past month of school has flashed by. Standing in my bathroom staring in the mirror, I can't believe it’s Thanksgiving break already. Declan and I leave tomorrow to go home to spend the holiday with my dad. I think Declan's nervous, but he shouldn't be. My dad really likes him, and our parents get along, so that's an added bonus.

I slide my shirt over my head and walk into my bedroom just as my cell starts ringing. Candice's name flashes on the screen and I grin as I hit the answer button and bring it to my ear.

"Hey!"

"He got his acceptance letter!" she practically screams through the phone.

"What? Stop screeching," I say, laughing. When Candice gets overexcited, her voice gets so high pitched, she sounds like a chipmunk on crack.

"Jackson got into University of Washington! He just got his acceptance letter!"

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Yes! That's . . . that's amazing!"

We chat happily, looking forward to our visit in May even more than we were before. It's going to be a blast checking out everything with Declan and Jackson. When I first applied to college, I was terrified at the thought of going all the way across the country and being without my dad. Now, it's like the next big adventure.

"We're going to celebrate," she says as someone else talks in the background. "Declan says he's coming to get you. Get your butt dressed."

After I hang up the phone, I run to the kitchen and tell my grandparents the news. They're excited too and say that Jackson will have a pecan pie waiting for him whenever we get done hanging out tonight. He’ll love that. He and Declan really are addicted to my grandma's pie. I don't know how they're going to survive the first semester at college without it.

I change into a pair of jeans, a v-neck tee shirt, and a cardigan. I got two new cardigans for my birthday from Candice and Jackson and I love them. There's a knock at the door just as I head down the hallway. Grandpa opens the door and steps to the side.

Declan is hot and makes my blood boil. He's wearing dark jeans, boots, and a white tee shirt with an open, long sleeve navy blue button down. His undershirt is tight enough to make out his abs, and I have to stop myself from drooling. I'm really surprised there aren't more girls at school giving me trouble over him. He makes it clear every day though that we're together and he's not interested in anyone else.

When his eyes meet mine, my face flushes.

"Hey, baby," he says in a low voice as he wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead.

"Hey."

"Ready to go? We've got dinner reservations at a place Jackson loves."

"Yep. Bye, Grandpa," I say, moving away from Declan to hug my grandpa. "Bye, Grandma."

"Don't be too late, kids. You all have to be at the airport early. Your flight leaves at nine."

"Yes, ma'am," Declan says as I walk toward the door and he places his hand on my lower back, pulling the front door closed behind us.

My breath catches as he grabs my arm and spins me, pinning me with his hips against the side of the house next to the door. His lips are on mine, his tongue begging for entry. I tilt my head and part my lips, and everything from my head to my toes ignites. Declan presses me harder against the wall, his hands moving inside my cardigan and up my body, skimming from my breast up to my neck.

He cups either side of my neck in his hands and his excitement presses into me hard. I really want to find somewhere private, and do this without anything interfering, but Declan and I agreed to wait. As much as I want him and he wants me, waiting is important.

I press against his chest and try to take a breath as soon as his lips leave mine. "Declan."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he says, panting, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Don't be," I whisper, running my fingers through the stubble on the side of his cheek.

He takes a deep breath and kisses me again. "I want you so bad. Can we just fast forward the next four years so I can marry you already?"

I chuckle and kiss him back. "Then we'd miss all the fun between now and then."

He stands, straightens, and runs his hand through his hair before reaching down to take mine again. "Let's go before I get sidetracked kissing you again."

I can't take my eyes off him as we head down the stairs. I know we should wait, but every time he kisses me, I'm starting to wonder if we really need to wait until after marriage.

My love and need for Declan is so strong, it physically hurts at times.