Page 40 of Finding My Forever

“I’m just worried about you getting your hopes up for NYU.”

I sucked in a breath and counted to three in my head. He was only talking from his experience. That wasn’t a bad thing. Everyone had different views and I could respect his.

“Well, I do have a four-point-oh GPA. I’m in the top five percent of my class. I’ve been on the varsity cheer team since I was a freshman, and I have plenty of extracurriculars. Not to mention the national competition I just won…for writing.”

He stopped walking unexpectedly, so I turned to face him.

“April, I wasn’t trying to insult you or insinuate you’re not good enough. I just wanted to make sure you had realistic expectations.”

I nodded. “I appreciate that, but I don’t appreciate that you think I lack passion or dedication just because my parents didn’t pay to send me off to a fancy private school.”

He was silent for a moment before a small smile crept on his lips. “I can see that you do have passion and from the sound of it you are a dedicated student.” He looked away for a second and his smile grew. “You know what, April?”

I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow.

“I want you to prove me wrong. I’ll show you around campus, and if you’re still interested, I want you to apply and I want you to get in. When spring comes and you get your acceptance letter, I want you to call me and rub it in my face.”

“Done.” I held out my hand and waited for his to accept it. We shook once, but he held onto mine. He stepped forward until we were almost toe to toe.

What was he doing? His eyes locked onto mine and I couldn’t move. My breathing slowed when his lips parted. Was he going to kiss me? He leaned in ever so slightly.

Then, he switched hands and guided me down the road as if an almost kissed hadn’t happened. I focused on the buildings surrounding us. What was I thinking? He wasn’t going to kiss me! I didn’t exactly know exactly what he was trying to do, but it was definitely not what I was thinking. Nope. We were just two new friends.

Chapter 12

Part of me expected meeting my soulmate to be much more romantic. So far, I could barely handle a conversation with him. He was so opinionated, and not the well-experienced and learned kind of opinion. No. The kind that comes from living in a bubble.

Despite my initial impression, I was trying to put into work something Grandma had been teaching me. Being patient. Not rushing anything. Everything happens when it’s meant to. So, I had a few blocks to refocus, and I started by giving him the benefit of the doubt.

He couldn’t control how he was raised. He didn’t control what he was exposed to and the views that were expressed. He was simply a product of his upbringing, and I couldn’t hold that against him.

I was sure there were plenty of things about me that bugged him or he didn’t understand, but he wasn’t walking away from me. Maybe he felt it too. We were soulmates. It might not be easy but we were made for each other.

We both needed a change of perspective, and where better to do that than in this city?

“Liam, what’s your favorite part of the city?”

He looked down at me and smiled. “I haven’t really thought of that.” We walked about half a block before he answered. “I think it’s the energy.”

“I can feel it.”

His smile grew and maybe for the first time since we met, it reached his eyes.

“The city is alive. It has its own personality, and being here connects you to it.”

He was right. There was something special about this place and now that the thought of living here for school had entered my mind, nothing else would be enough. It was inspiring simply walking down the streets and taking in the various stoops. Imagining who lived inside and what their stories were.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

“I’m glad you get it.”

I smiled at him and wished I had the courage to take his hand. I was out of my comfort zone, but time was running out.

I nearly laughed out loud. I met him about twenty-four hours ago, and I was already counting down the hours until I left. I pushed the thought out of my mind and tried to live in the moment.

“Where are we heading?”

“Tompkins Square.”