Jillian:Absolutely.
Hutch:Is it crazy how much I miss you?
Jillian:Not as much as I miss you. Tomorrow is going to take forever to get here.
Hutch:No joke.
Jillian:Should I just come over when I get home?
Hutch:You don’t even have to ask.
***
Not having Jillianaround all weekend was tough, but texting with her had really helped. It made me realize that even though she would be leaving and not coming back soon, I would be able to handle it. Texting wasn’t the same as seeing her beautiful face every single day, but maybe, just maybe we would be able to do the long-distance relationship thing after all.
Jillian had called me her boyfriend. I had never had a serious relationship before, not even before everything that had happened, and just thinking about it made me happier than I had ever been in my life. I already knew I was in love with Jillian, but now I wondered if maybe, she felt the same way about me.
I finished sweeping my apartment, emptied out the dustpan, and put the broom away before I took out the Swiffer to pick up any dust that might be on the floor. Since Jillian had entered my life, my OCD hadn’t been nearly as bad as it used to, so that meant I had been slacking with my cleaning. I used to do it every single night when I got home from work or therapy, but as I pushed the equipment around the room, I couldn’t remember the last time I had cleaned like this.
Once I was done with that, I jumped into the shower to wash up and changed into a pair of clean jeans, along with a fresh button-up shirt just as I spotted Jillian walking up the driveway. My heart soared in my chest at the sight of her, and I somehow managed to resist the urge to run down to grab her. I casually walked over to my kitchen table, leaned against it, and waited for her to get to my door.
“Knock...Hey.” Jillian’s voice filled my ears as she pulled the screen door open and placed the bag she had on the floor as she kicked off her shoes. Then she closed the gap between us, running straight into my arms, making sure to wrap her arms and legs around my body as she tried to get as close as possible to me.
I cupped her head in my hands. “Missed you,” I whispered as I brought my lips down to hers. God, did I miss her more than I could even imagine. I had been stuck in my own head for so fucking long until she came along and saved me. Jillian saved me from the monster I had become. Her mouth opened for my tongue, her soft little moans making me want to carry her into the bedroom.
“Hi.” Jillian broke into a smile when she came up for air. Her green eyes twinkled with happiness as she searched my browns. She leaned down to slide her mouth over mine again. “I got you a present.” She groaned as I nibbled on her bottom lip.
I turned around to sit her on the kitchen table. “A present? For me?” I dragged my tongue down the soft curve of Jillian’s neck. “Is it your gorgeous body all night long?” I stopped to suck on her collarbone.
Jillian swatted playfully at my arm. “I’m starting to think you only like me for my pussy, baby.” She let out a full-blown laugh when I lifted the skirt of her dress up to yank her panties down to drop them on the floor.
“My secret has been discovered,” I teased before I kissed her again.
Jillian pressed her head to my chest. “I missed you,” she murmured softly. “I didn’t...fuck.” She shook her head. “I need a minute.” She tried to get up, but I stopped her.
“Hey.” I tucked a finger under Jillian’s chin to tip her face up. “Talk to me, Jills.” I saw the tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I scooped her up into my arms and carried her over to the couch, making sure she stayed on my lap.
Jillian ran her palms over her cheeks, brushing away her tears. “Nothing, I just...what if I don’t leave?” She dragged her teeth along her bottom lip. “I mean, what if I stayed here instead? With you?” Jillian reached up to touch my face, her soft hands gliding over my skin.
“You...you want to stay here?”
“It’s stupid, right?”
I gripped Jillian’s hips tightly. “Jillybean, what happened while you were in New York?” I felt like I couldn’t breathe all of a sudden. If someone touched her or hurt in any way, I would never forgive myself.
“Nothing happened, Hutch,” she assured me. “Being away from you was so fucking hard.” Hearing her swear was always weird for me. Jillian was well-mannered, feminine, and maybe that was what I liked the most about her. “I just thought we could stay together, but if you don’t want that—”
“Fuck, I do, but you are meant for bigger things.” I dug my fingers into her skin so hard I knew I was probably leaving bruises. “Jillian, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I’m not going anywhere, baby, and you know that. But you...you are going to take the fucking dance world by storm. You’re scared?” When she nodded, relief flooded my system. “I don’t want you to regret not following your dreams.” Her eyes went wide as she opened her mouth. “Don’t tell me you won’t because ten years from now, you might look back on your life and realize you made the biggest mistake by not following your dreams. I want you to go there and try it out for a month. If you hate it?” I tilted my head. “Come back to me here. I’ll be waiting with open arms. Deal?”
Jillian sighed. “Deal.” Her lips turned up into a small smile.
I dropped my hands so that I could pull her into a tight hug. “Now, where’s that present,” I teased.
