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Chapter 53 - Jim
Smiling, I take Alyson’s hand. “Things are quite different now than the last time we walked up and down this river.”
“You’re not kidding,” she says back with a laugh. We just got done with dinner and are enjoying the night out together.
“Though one thing is the same.”
“What?”
My heart is in my throat, but this time I’m not nervous. “I was in love with you then, like I am now.”
Alyson stops short, grip on my hand tightening. Her lips are slightly parted with shock, but her eyes are sparkling. “What?”
I pull her close, heart thumping away. “If you’re not ready to say it back, that’s okay. But I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” she says with a laugh, blinking back tears. “I kne
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Further to Fall in Love Chapter 54 - Alyson
Jim doesn’t need to say it for me to know: his mom calling at dawn can’t be a good thing. He sits up and takes the phone from me.“Are you going to call her back?”“I will later. You should go back to sleep so you’re not tired. I fucked you hard before we went to bed. Didn’t you say I wore you out?”He’s trying to lighten the mood, I know. And he really did wear me out. How he functions so well on so little sleep is beyond me. While I appreciate his efforts to downplay this for my sake, I know he shouldn’t.“Something could be wrong with—”“I’ll call her later. Lay down and I’ll rub your back.” “I won’t be able to sleep. Because now I’m worried.”Jim lets out a sigh. “I didn’t want him to take up any of your time or energy, Alyson.”“Yeah, but he is and he will. He’s
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 55 - Jim
I hang up the phone and rub my temples. I wasn’t expecting that. Not at fucking all. I’m still a little stunned. Raising my arms above my head, I stretch and roll my neck. I’m used to standing in the same position for hours and didn’t realize I’ve been sitting and hardly moved for the last hour and a half.I go to the window, giving myself a moment to process everything, and look down at the city. I’m in Alyson’s kitchen, and the view is amazing. In my younger years, I would have loved to live here. I’d feel like a fucking baller up in this place, with its large white kitchen and lakefront view.But now…now I’m questioning raising a child in a place like this. Not because I don’t think it’s fitting, but because I know how Alyson grew up in a small town, and how I watched them, an outsider looking in, and thought the Langfords were fucking perfect.I press one hand against the cool glass, st
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 56 - Alyson
“I think we should make this a regular Friday-night occurrence,” Jim says. We’re sitting on the couch, naked and snuggled together with our feet propped up on the coffee table and plates of food on our laps. “I like eating naked.”“I do too, and I have to say I did a good job on these enchiladas.”“They taste just like the ones your mom makes,” he tells me, knowing that’s a compliment. My mom is a great cook.“The recipe is pretty easy to follow,” I confess. “It’s not like a four-course fancy meal or anything, though I think the preparation gives this meal five stars.”“You could have made me Ramen noodles and it would have been five stars.”Laughing, I take my last bite and put my plate on the coffee table, reaching over to get my water.Jim gets up to get a second helping, and I shamelessly watch his ass as he walks into the kitchen.
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 57 - Jim
Izip up my suitcase and haul it into the living room. I’m on call tonight and then I’m home free, ready to spend a week on the Hawaiian coast with Alyson. Everything is ready, and I plan to sleep as much as I can until I have to go in. Then it’s come back here, take a quick shower and drive to Chicago so Alyson and I can board the plane together.The last time I went on a real vacation was my senior year during my pre-med schooling. Jacob and I went to Miami for spring break, stayed in a shitty-ass motel and almost got hustled by a pair of twins. Can I even consider that a vacation?“Did you pack the ring?” Sam asks, coming out of the kitchen.I turn, giving him a surprised look. “You know about it?”Sam’s eyes widen. “I was giving you shit. You really bought her a ring?” “Not quite. Her grandma gave me her ring to propose with.” “Are you going to?”I run my hand th
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 58 - Alyson
“Boston?” I echo even though I heard him right the first time. “As in east coast Boston?”“Yeah,” he says, not looking away from his phone. I can see the conflicting emotions on his face, and I hope he looks up and says it’s not worth it after all because his family is here in Chicago.But he doesn’t.“I think our ride is here,” he says instead, and grabs my carry-on bag, hiking it up on his shoulder. I flip my hood on to keep my hair dry and wheel my suitcase out, and the word Boston repeats through my mind over and over. I’ve been to New York but not Boston. It’s not a terribly long flight, but it’s no quick trip either.And Emma will be born by then. Traveling alone with a baby has to be difficult. I can’t tell Jim not to go though, right? He’s furthering his education, not taking a year or two off to party.“Get in so you don’t get wet
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 59 - Jim
“A re you doing all right, babe?” I ask Alyson, wondering if the sun is getting to her like it’s getting to me. Though judging by the distance between us, she’s doing just fine.She stops, turning around and holds up her phone, taking pictures of our surroundings before taking one of me.“I’m fine, just like I was the last time you asked me. You’re a slowpoke.”I laugh. “You ran up ahead.”“I thought I saw a ferret.”“They’re mongooses. Mongeese? They were brought here to help control the rat population but took over.”“Well, they’re cute. I want one.”“I think they’re mean.”“They just want love.” Alyson puts her phone back in her bag and holds out her hand. I take it, lacing our fingers and pulling her in for a kiss. We’re hiking today, on our way to see a waterfall. It’s hotter
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 60 - Alyson
“Today is our last day to stake a claim on the beach and never leave,” I say, running a comb through my wet hair. “I’m not ready to leave in the morning.”“Me neither. I know my surgery schedule and it’s back-to-back operations.”“I feel bad for you,” I tell Jim, turning away from the mirror to look at him. “I have Sunday off before going back into work.” I comb out a tangle, regretting keeping my hair down while we were at the beach today. “Will you work as much in the fellowship?”“The workload will be more intense, and the hours will probably be similar.”His words make me cringe, but only on the inside. Jim needs a break. He deserves one more than anyone I know. “It’s just two years,” I say, trying to be optimistic. But two more years of working eighty hours a week sounds awful. Jim closes the balcony doors and lays down on the bed, turnin
Further to Fall in Love Chapter 61 - Jim
I lean back in the uncomfortable airport seat, watching our bags while Alyson goes to the bathroom. We’re headed back to reality, and something seems different between us. As much as I want to deny it, I know what it is. After taking care of that drunk girl last night, Alyson told me I need to take the fellowship. She said she can see that trauma and life-or-death situations are what I’m made for, and I can’t disagree.But I should. Because as much as I want to take the fellowship, it feels wrong telling her I’ll reply with my acceptance as soon as we get back. Yeah…I want to be a trauma surgeon, but it’s not like settling for general surgery is the shitty consolation prize. She’s so encouraging and optimistic, hinting even that she’d move to Boston so we can be together. I want nothing more than to be with Alyson, but I know she’ll hate it up east with me.I’d be at work more than I’d be at
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