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Because I loved him, and I was grateful to have him in my life.
~ ~ ~
Matthew
“One more day,” she said to me that morning, standing at the sink in my bathroom as she brushed her curled hair over hershoulder and touched up her makeup, “One last day, and then it’s just us, Matthew. Just you and me, babe.”
“I’m so proud of you, Noelle.” I nuzzled her shoulder, burying my face in her hair as I inhaled deeply. I loved how she always smelled like roses with a hint of sweetness, like the chocolates she was constantly eating, and something that was distinctly Noelle.
We were both dressed up in our graduation gowns—her in her grad student robes, and me in my faculty ones—and I couldn’t help but admire how good we looked standing next to each other in the mirror. I thought of how proud I was to stand by her side, and to be called her boyfriend.
God. Her boyfriend. Her boyfriend. Her boyfriend.
I liked it so much more than I ever thought I could. To be in a relationship with her, to call her mine. She was truly everything I had ever wanted but had never had. I had never found someone before who I wanted to be with as much as I wanted Noelle. There was no one else who could challenge me every step of the way, testing my brain and my wits even as she showed her love and affection for me. And I loved her so damn much, I thought my heart might burst. My heart, which once upon a time was like ice, but her warm and sunshiny demeanor had melted through every measure of defense I had built to protect it.
And I thought she had never looked as beautiful as she did that day, cheeks flushed with laughter as she stood with her group of friends. Seeing her in her cap and gown, topped off with her master’s stole—it was like everything was right in the world. Here she was, my Noelle, my girl, looking the happiest I had ever seen her as she held hands in a circle with Charlotte, Gabbi, and Angelina.
Her friends that I had come to know and who had accepted me into their lives; the friends who brought so much joy and happiness into Noelle’s world that I couldn’t help but smile too as she let go of them and pulled me into her side.
“I love you,” I said as I kissed her temple, and she lit up like the sun.
She was the sun. My own special kind of sun. She was the only one that brought sunshine into my life, and I loved her more every single day. Would love her for the rest of our lives, too, if I had anything to say about it.
“Ready to go home?” I asked after her friends had left, she had said goodbye to her mom, and had talked to what felt like half of the graduates students who had walked the stage.
Noelle nodded eagerly. “I’m exhausted.” She pulled off her wedged heels—I loved those things because they made her legs look long as hell, and they made it even easier to kiss her. In a heat-of-the-moment decision, I scooped her up to carry her to the car.
“Matthew!”
“What?” I feigned ignorance. “I can’t have my girlfriend’s feet getting all dirty.”
“Fine,” she sighed, but I didn’t miss how she nestled into my shoulder happily as I walked the rest of the way to where I parked my truck.
She was still wearing her cap and gown as we entered my house. I had taken mine off in the car—leaving just my dress shirt and slacks on—but I loved seeing her like this. Her cheeks were still flushed from standing out in the sun so long, and even though she had been up all morning, she was still buzzing with energy as we got home.
And it was home, with her here. And when she moved in permanently, soon, it really would feel like it. I didn’t want to spend any more nights apart. I wanted to always have her by my side.
Her gown was unzipped, showing off Noelle’s red, flowy dress. She stood past the entryway, one hand on her hip, the other holding her shoes.Her toes werepainted red to match her heels, and I had loved sitting on the edge of the tub just watching her paint them, stroke by stroke.
It didn’t matter what she was doing, I just loved watching her and being in her presence. God, she had truly taken over my whole life, and I wasn’t even mad about it.
“Hi,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest as I just watched her.
“Hi,” she whispered, tiptoeing across the wooden floor and walking into my arms.
“I’m so proud of you,” I said, pulling the cap out of her hair, setting it and the bobby pins down on the table.
“I love you,” she said with a sigh, a happy, contented one.
“I’m so glad I have you,” I murmured against her lips as I placed a kiss there.
“I’m yours,” Noelle cupped my cheek with her palm. “And you’re mine.”
“Forever.”
“Forever is a very long time, you know,” Noelle said, looking a little devious. “What if you change your mind?”
“I won’t,” I about growled.
