I bite my lip and decide where I want to start. “What do you see when you think about the future, Jake?”
He seems caught off guard by the question, but he answers anyway. “I see myself going to college and playing hockey. I see you.”
“Am I with you at college or am I at another college?”
“It would be great to have you there with me, but if you want to go to another college, then that’s where you’ll be. Sweetness, what’s the point in all of this?”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me to him. I rest my head on his shoulder and say, “Roy asked about our plans for the future. I told him that we haven’t talked about it. He basically said that he didn’t want you giving up any of your dreams to be with me. He said that even if I’m worth it to you, he still didn’t want you to do that.
“I don’t want you to do that either. He said that you would end up regretting it and that love just wasn’t always enough. He told me that it wouldn’t be worth you giving up a dream for something that might not last anyway.”
Jake’s body tensed beneath me. “I just…it just bothered me because we haven’t talked about it and he completely caught me off guard,” I add.
“Sweetness, listen to me. I would do anything for you. Going to different colleges doesn’t mean we have to break up. We can still last through college. I don’t want to lose you.”
“But Jake, how do you know we would even last? How can we go to two different colleges and think it will work? And if it does, who says our careers will even allow us to be together?”
Jake hooked a finger under my chin and made me look at him. “We are stronger now than ever. Of course, there will be hard times, but it can only make us stronger. Look, we’ll talk about this more when we get home. This is supposed to be a fun weekend.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be Sweetness,” he cuts in.
“Can we just go back to the cabin,” I ask.
“Of course we can.” Without going back inside, we got up and headed to the cabin. Back at the cabin, Jake turned on the stereo which conveniently had a CD full of slow, love songs on it. “I don’t want you out the this dress just yet,” he says as we begin to dance.
“Hold on. As much as I love being taller, heels are just not my thing.” I hold on to his arm and bend to undo the straps and get out of the shoes. “Okay, that’s better,” I say, wrapping my arms around Jake’s shoulders.
We sway to the music for hours. Occasionally, Jake would twirl me around or send me out and bring me back in. The lights were off and it was just us dancing in the dark with music in the background. Jake kissed the top of my head, “I love you, Sweetness.”
I look up at him and smile. “I love you more.”
He chuckles. “You wish. I love every single detail about you. I love your smile and your laugh. I love the way you are with Drake. I love your mistakes and your victories. I love you more than what the entire galaxy can hold. Emily, I love you. Imperfections and all.”
“Imperfections,” I tease. “What imperfections?”
Jake chuckles.
“Anyway, I couldn’t have said it better,” I tell him. He smiles and leans down to continue the kiss that was