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Relief storms through me.
I wrap my arms around her, pulling her against my chest.
This is where she belongs: right here with me.
Oakleigh starts laughing hysterically, “I guess this means we’re together, huh?”
I furrow my brows, “We’ve been together since you got here.”
She pulls back and her mouth is gaping open. “Are you seriously telling me you thought we were dating this whole time?”
I blink at her, trying to understand where the two of us miscommunicated. “Yeah, I figured we were. It was kind of obvious, you got on the back of my bike, stayed here for months, your Dad even came down and gave me a hard time. By the third week, I was damn convinced we were an official item.”
She blinks over and over again, her silence deafening. “You didn’t vocalize that to me at all.”
I shrug, “What does it matter now? We’re gettin’ married and you’re my ol’ lady.”
She nods, smiling brighter than ever. “I guess I am,”
She buries herself against my chest for a few minutes and I hold her close, reveling in the feeling of her body against mine.
Oakleigh loosens her grip on me and looks up into my eyes, “So, what exactly is a temporary resident visa?” her brows furrow in this adorable way that tells me she’s confused.
I explain what I know about it, “It’s a visa that some can apply for to stay in the country. If we get married, we can apply and state the reason you’re saying is because we’re married.”
She nods, finally understanding. “Okay, I get it now. So, when would we get married, next year or something?”
I can’t hold back my laughter. Shaking my head, I shoot it to her straight. “Not quite. We’d need to get married before your tourist visa expires I think.”
Her eyes go wide again, “That’s in a month.”
I lick my lips, surveying her facial expression. “Then we’d likely need to get married before then.”
Excitement and apprehension swirls in her eyes. “We’d be eloping, then.”
She’s not wrong. “Yeah, I guess so. Are you okay with that?”
Her father has a big problem with me, so I won’t be surprised if she doesn’t want to go behind his back and do this.
Oakleigh nods once, “If it’s the only way I can stay with you, it will have to be, won’t it?”
She’s right, but still I’m not trying to cause more issues with her family.
I run my hand over the side of her face, brushing a few of her braids back in the process. “I don’t want any more issues to pop up with your family, Cola.”
She shuts her eyes for a brief moment, “It’s not with my whole family, just my Dad, and he’ll give in at some point. He’s going to have to.”
I sure hope he does, but if he doesn’t I doubt she’ll pick him over me.
She nuzzles into my chest. “You make me happier than I’ve ever been and I’m not going to give you up because my Dad doesn’t approve of our relationship.”
“Fair enough,” I comment, running my hand soothingly over her back.
My heart swells and I hold her tight.
She could have easily tossed me aside to appease her father, but she didn’t and it means the world to me.
I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
