Perfect

Her mouth parted, and this little sound left her. “A year, Rory?” He could see the panic on her face, knew she was thinking about how long a year would feel. Since they’d started dating three years ago, they hadn’t gone more than a week without seeing each other.

He took his hat off and rubbed his palm over his head. “I should have talked to you about it.” They weren’t married, and they may only be eighteen, but she was the girl he’d marry one day, the girl he wanted to have his babies when they were ready, down the road. “I should have told you right away, but at first, I wasn’t sure I’d even apply, and then when I did and got the job, I wasn’t sure how to talk about it with you.”

She swallowed, and he saw the slender line of her throat work from the act. “And I assume you won’t be able to see me at school?”

He shook his head. “The job is going to Colorado for an entire year to help build a new prison. The work will be grueling, and there will be a few thousand men working on it off and on.” He gauged her reaction, but other than her picking at her napkin, she just stared at him. “It’s a massive project, and after it’s said and done what I’ll be getting paid, and until I land another construction job, which they’d guaranteed me if all goes well and I work my ass off, will have us set, baby.” He went to grab her hand, but she leaned back and rested them on her lap.

“Can you come see me at all?”

He shook his head again. “Because I’ll be working six out of seven days a week, and the hours, I’m told, are pretty grueling, I won’t have time to go see you and then get back to the jobsite.”

She breathed out loud and looked down at her lap. “This freaking sucks, Rory.”

“I know, baby, but once the year is up, I can go to where you’re at and have them hook me up with a job there. We’ll be set. I’ll have a shitload in the bank from the year’s work that you can live with me and just focus on school.”

She didn’t speak for several moments, and when she finally looked up, he still saw the pain in her expression, but she was trying to look happy.

“It’ll be good for you to get away from Brian. But God, Rory, I am going to miss you. A year is so long.”

“I know, baby, but it’ll be worth it, I swear.”

She nodded. “Will you be able to call me?”

“Of course, although I’ll be working pretty much sunup to sundown, but you know I’ll make time for my best girl.”

She smiled, and although it was sad, he did see the love she had for him in her face. When Lena grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, his chest tightened.

“When do you have to leave?”

He was silent for a long time, so long he noticed she started to shift on the seat. “Next month.”

Her eyes got wide for a moment. She looked down at the table, her face showing she was thinking hard. “Next month?” she asked, but really it was as if she spoke to herself. “But school …” Again, she spoke to herself, shook her head once, and finally lifted her gaze to him.

She hadn’t decided on where she was going yet, probably waiting until he told her if he got accepted, which he didn’t and hadn’t. That was something else he still needed to come clean about.

“But what if you get accepted into one of the schools you applied? You still haven’t heard back from any of them?”

He felt shame that he wasn’t as smart as she was, that he hadn’t been able to get into even the lowest college on his “hope” totem pole. He felt shitty that he honestly didn’t care about college. He only cared about her and making sure she succeeded. “I didn’t get accepted, Lena.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “To any of them? There were like five you applied to, right?”

He’d never been interested in school and had struggled to focus on it and making sure he passed his classes. Maybe if he’d actually applied himself, his GPA wouldn’t be shit.

“I don’t know what to say other than I didn’t get accepted, and this job has come as a godsend, baby.”

“You kind of stunned me with all of this, Rory.”

He felt like an ass. “I know, and I should have told you about it long before now, but hell, the whole rejection letters humiliated me. You’re just so damn smart, and I’m lucky to have even graduated.”

“Don’t say that. You are smart. You’ve just been dealt a shitty hand.”