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TWENTY-FIVE
Noelle
Snowball was cuddled against me on the couch as Matthew cooked breakfast. I buried my hands in her long, white fur, and smiled as she leaned up and licked my face. I loved how soft and cuddly she was—much like her owner, who was constantly cuddling me. I smiled as Matthew came and joined me, placing a plate of French Toast and eggs on my lap. “Thank you, babe,” I said as he tried to push Snowball off the couch so he could sit with me, but his dog wouldn’t move.
He glared at his dog, and I laughed. “Are you going to steal my dog now?” Matthew sighed.
“Yes.” I grinned. “She clearly likes me better than you, so…”
“Just so you know,” he said, leaning over to ruffle my still-damp hair after our shower, “She gets attached quickly if she loves someone so…” He cleared his throat. “You’re just going to have to spend a lot of time over here from now on.”
“Oh?” I liked the sound of that.
He hummed in response as he nudged himself in between his dog and me.
I sighed. “I don’t want to go home.” I hated that it was the weekend today because that meant it all had to end soon.
After a week of being fed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a whole lot of dessert, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to reality. I wanted to wake up next to him, take his dog for walks, and do the crazy domestic shit that I had thought I didn’t want anymore. I wanted to be all tangled up in his life and interwoven into the very fabric of his identity.
Was that crazy? Maybe. Yesterday, Matthew finally took me on the bookstore date he had promised me since it was cold and rainy, and as we sat next to each other in the bookstore coffee shop, both sipping our drinks (hot chocolate for me and black coffee, as always, for him), I felt exhilaratingly happy.
Would it last? I hoped so.
“Do you want to meet my sister?” Matthew asked me as cuddled on the couch that night.
The TV was playing but I couldn’t even pay attention to it. I was just focusing on the way Matthew’s arm was around me, on his thumb rubbing circles over my shoulder. Snowball was laying in front of the couch, and I didn’t miss the way she had looked up at us a few times, wishing she could fit on here with us, but she really was a giant dog, and the two of us already took up all the room.
I didn’t want this week to end. This perfect week of us where no one else could ruin anything.
I was absorbed in my own thoughts, too distracted to pay attention to his out of the blue question. “What?”
“My sister flies in tomorrow. Tessa.” Matthew gave me a hopeful smile. “It’s her spring break, and I know it’s still early, we’re still so new, but I’d like you two to meet.” He squeezed my shoulder. “If you’re up for it.”
He… wanted me to meet his sister? The only other woman in his life, the most important person to him? I couldn’t help the look of surprise that took over my face. “Really?”
He nodded. “Only if you don’t think it will be weird. She’s only here through next Saturday, and then she flies back to New York, so…”
“I’d love to meet your sister, Matthew,” I confirmed. And if I got the added benefit of hearing about Matthew when he was younger out of this, well, I wasn’t going to complain. “Just tell me what day, and I’ll make sure I’m free.” I rested my head on his chest. “Guess this means I can’t sleep over next week though, huh?”
He frowned. “Oh. Yeah. Right.” He looked like he hadn’t even considered the fact that it might be weird if I was sleeping in his bed every night with his little sister in his house. As much as I was excited to meet her, there was no way I was having that be her first impression of me.
And then there were my residents—my job. I hadn’t even been worried when Rach and Jess saw me at the farmer’s market. I didn’t think they would spill to anyone else, but just in case, I hadn’t confirmed that we were dating. I didn’t really need them all to know I was seeing someone, let alone a professor on campus. I didn’t think I could take all of the questions.
It was more than that though, wasn’t it? Besides just my own reservations, there was still a layer of worry because of who we were. Things we had never acknowledged out loud, even when I teased him and called him Prof. Something I’d been doing a lot less of, lately.
And what would happen if we broke up, and everyone knew? I’d have to deal with all of the pity, the sorry glances, people wondering why I wasn’t good enough. Because Matthew… There was no way anyone could accuse the beautiful man curled up against me of anything, ever. He was absolutely perfect.
I wanted to keep him right next to my heart, always. So that hopefully it wouldn’t break if I kept it safe.
“And to think you were spoiling me so much that I never wanted to leave,” I joked.
He laughed, his forehead resting against mine. “You make this place feel more like home, Noelle.”
And I knew, right then and there… I was standing right on the edge of the cliff, so close to falling.
~ ~ ~
I got back to my apartment on Sunday and realized that for the first time in a long time I didn’t want to be alone anymore. After Jake, I wasn’t sure I would ever allow myself to be so open and vunerable with someone again.But with him, with Matthew… it felt right. Like I was meant to be held by him—like we were twin souls, placed on this earth to find each other, be together. It felt so right, and when he held me in his arms…
