Talania - a Trip Down Memory Lane... (20 page)

I turn around and run back, lifting her in my arms, smashing my lips with hers. Our tears are mixing with our kisses, and our arms are holding one another tightly. The air is cracking and popping all around us. There are stars dancing in my vision with my eyes closed. She pulls back breathless.

“Wow,” she breathes.

‘Wow’ does not even begin to cover it.

“I love you my beautiful crazy-ass girl,” I get up, forcing a smile. I need to get out of here so I can break down.

She mouths it back and I take off out of the room. Mere seconds after closing the door behind me, I collapse on the wall outside her room and slide down to the floor. I gasp for breath as tears stream down my face, my heart pounding against the wall of my chest. I bang my head against the wall, not caring about the pain. That pain is nothing compared to what I am feeling in my heart or what Evelyn will be feeling while she is going through her treatments.

I drop my face to my hands and let it all out. I feel someone take my phone out of my hands. I look up to see my brother nodding at me and walking off with it. I groan and throw my head back again.

“We’re gonna be together forever, aren’t we Tristan?” Evelyn speaks softly, wrapped up in my arms. I turn her around.

“We’re infinity baby,” I answer back.

“I hope so, because you’re really good in the sack,” she teases.

I roll my eyes at my beautiful crazy-ass girl.

“What do you have to compare it too?” I tease.

She bites her lip trying to play off the thinking game.

“Uh oh, I know that look. Stop it right now.” I start tickling her bare sides.

I toss her down on the bed, flat on her back and stare into her eyes.

“To infinity,” I whisper.

Her eyes start welling up “I don’t want to go back home for school. I wish I could stay here with you. I can’t believe they’re making me leave you early.”

I run my hands over her bare stomach and close my eyes. I definitely don’t want her leaving; we don’t even know if she is pregnant or not.

I open my eyes and see the tears slowly dripping down the side of her face. I lean down, kissing them, slowly sucking them up, one by one.

“Don’t cry baby, we’re in this to infinity,” I whisper against her beautiful face.

“I love you so much Tristan,” she cries, grabbing my face.

“I love you too baby.” I turn and kiss the hand that holds our future on it.

I pull my head out of my hands and see Adella standing there, crying.

“We’re all going to head out for a bit. We got things to do so we can be here for Evelyn,” she whispers.

I look behind her and see the guys.

“We’re canceling the rest of the shows for a while and we’re all going to help with the bar,” my brother answers my unspoken questions.

“We’re going to help with the chemo sessions too. We all want to be there for her, if that’s okay,” Adella whispers again.

I look back at her and see nothing but love for my infinity in her eyes and in such a short amount of time.

“I think she would like that,” I croak.

“I’m going to pack up all of Evelyn’s things and talk to the dorm administrators to let them know what’s going on. I’m bringing it all to your condo.”

I didn’t even think about that. Everything is about to change. I wanted her to move in, but not like this, not with her suffering.

I stand up and hug Adella. She is going to be a big help. I can already tell.

She sobs into my chest and I feel like crying again as well, so I pull back. I need to straighten up before I go back inside the room.

“Time for me to go back inside,” I wave them off.

Tristan comes back into the room, and it only takes me a glance to realize he is disheveled from crying. He strides over with a grin, kicking off his shoes.

“Scoot over baby, I need some rest,” he teases.

He lies sideways beside me, starring into my eyes.

“You’re gonna kick this cancer’s ass again baby. We got a life to live together.”

I wipe the single tear trailing down my cheek and smile.

“Yeah,” I whisper.

“Yeah,” he whispers back. “You want a memory baby?” he breathes against my skin.

“Yes, please.”

He runs his thumb against my cheek as he begins.

“It was the summer you turned fifteen and you wanted a new bathing suit so bad. Back then, you were on an allowance and you had spent that week’s money already. I agreed to pay for a new swimsuit. So we went shopping on the boardwalk and we found this slutty little bathing suit shop, right?”

I nod and smile.

“So we went in and you started picking up the skimpiest ones you could find. You wanted to piss off your mom for not giving you any more money. You kept ranting that you made straight A's, did house chores even though you had a maid, and that you deserved a little more money. We bought a thong bikini and a see through wrap thingy.”

I laugh. “I bought a thong bikini?”

“Oh God, yes, and it was hot. I mean, it was so damn hot I was growling at every guy walking by. You only wore it until your mother saw you in it; of course, it took forever for her to notice.

“She was so damn mad, she was stewing. I mean, she was really angry. She tried grounding you until you called your father who just laughed and said you were rebelling. He also said if that is as far as you rebelled then they would be lucky and it was dropped. Oh, and you also got more allowance after that.”

I was definitely something else back then. “Thank you.” I smile at him.

“You’re very welcome baby, anytime.”

We fall asleep together and I don’t wake up until the morning. A nurse comes to get me for a few more tests and then takes me to have my port reinstalled. I come back to the room tired and ready to sleep, snuggled next to Tristan, before going off to my first round of chemo.

Later on, after our sleepy session, Tristan is scowling at the nurse who is drawing my blood.

“Tristan, it doesn’t hurt. I sleep while having blood drawn most of the time.”

He frowns and then shakes his head.

“What?” I ask.

“That’s a lot of blood Evelyn,” he whispers.

It’s not, really. They are only drawing out four tubes right now, but I will just keep my lips zipped since he obviously isn’t taking this well.

“Oh, before I forget, Adella is moving your things over to my place. My parents and your father left already. They didn’t want to wake you.”

Oh! Why does that excite me and make me nervous at the same time?

“Stop frowning. You think I am letting you out of my sight longer than to run a short few errands? If so, you’re wrong,” he growls, forcing me to laugh.

“Okay. I was just thinking about how happy and nervous that makes me at the same time. Keep your britches on. Geeze!” I can’t help but laugh at how serious he looks!

The nurse withdraws the needle from my arm and puts a bandage on it before gathering her supplies and leaving us alone again.

“Why does that make you happy and nervous?” He grins.

Well, let’s see— I have never lived with a man! “Just for reasons,” I flirt back.

“What reasons Evelyn?”

I sigh, knowing he isn’t going to let this go. “I’ve never lived with a man before,” I whisper.

Tristan starts chuckling. “I would hope not or I would end up in prison. No, seriously babe, is that the only reason?”

I roll my eyes; he can be so exasperating. “Well, I don’t want the toilet seat left up,” I point out.

“Done! Remember to put toilet seat down. Anything else?”

I think for a few moments about what else drives me crazy. “Oh, always make sure when you finish, the toothpaste tube doesn’t have extra toothpaste gunked up on it. That drives me insane! And make sure you don’t leave toothpaste spit in the sink. That’s just yucky!”

Tristan leans down inches away from my face. “I know all about the toothpaste and toilet already baby. I was just letting you have some fun. This is nothing new to me.”

Well drats! Maybe I should make something up. “No drinking orange juice from the container,” I spit out.

His eyebrow quirks up. “Now you’re just making shit up Ev. You love drinking orange juice from the container.”

What? Does he seriously know all this? “Really?” I cry in frustration.