Make it Work - II
… … … … … … … … … … … …
🤍🖤🤍 Natalie 🤍🖤🤍
… … … … … … … … … … … …
As I open the door, I literally let out a scream in surprise.
Ira!
Oh My God! Ira is here!
I turn and say, “You…”
I turn back to Ira and rush to pull her in for a hug.
“Oh God! I can’t believe this.” I say, almost crying.
She hugs me back. Thank goodness she hugs me back.
“I am so sorry Ira…” Words choke out of my mouth. But she doesn’t acknowledge it.
That’s ok… It was my job to contact her.
I can’t believe Jacob pulled this off.
Jacob walks inside and Ira says to him while rubbing my back, “Such a cry baby she is!”
That is when I realize I am indeed crying.
He shrugs. “You know her better than me…”
Once we settle down, Jacob goes to the kitchen to prepare some snacks for us.
“You have food here?” I ask in bewilderment.
He laughs. “I stocked up a few days ago.. I was planning this date… ummm I mean… this day for a while.”
I am so damn sure Millers wouldn’t sell this place.
…
I sit with Ira, and she raises her brow at me, expecting something. I know she wants me to beg.
I can do that!
I owe her some pleading!
“I- I am sorry. I have been busy… with school and… Riley,” I say, guilty.
“I know,” she says. “That’s why I wasn’t too much of a bitch when your boyfriend asked me to skip my school and come here.”
I ask her questions, and she tells me she is fine. Her mom and stepdad are ecstatic together. She feels her decision to back off from Liam was a wise one.
“He wanted to come clean to our parents. I outright denied him… He is still damn furious about it…“ She tells me when I ask her hesitantly about Liam.
“He likes to shove his girlfriend in my face. It was hard before, but I don’t give a shit anymore.” She adds dryly. “I cannot wait for college to start, to be honest!”
I hold her hand sympathetically. She glances at it and says, “I am okay, Natalie.. I am fine.”
I know she is not okay. But I know she will get back to her usual self over-time. She has always been the stronger one among the two of us.
Ira leaves early without staying for lunch.
“I need to attend a lecture I am falling behind,” she says.
Once she leaves, I fresh up and look around the newly furnished house. Then I go to the kitchen, where Jacob is preparing lunch. He loves cooking. I sneak up and hug him from behind.
“You are way too perfect.. you know that!”
It was my job to contact Ira, not his. I will always be thankful for this.
“Really? And What do I get in reward for being so fuckin perfect?”
Anything…
I have felt this way before and I am feeling it again. At times, I worry how will we manage being apart and this long distance thing. He certainly cannot come to see me every week.. I think even visiting every month would be hard.
But I know…. I just know that it will work. Something feels right this time, and it’s not one sided.
Call me hopeless in love.
Even that breakup of two months hasn’t changed my feelings about him. Maybe it’s because our honeymoon phase hasn’t ended yet. Or Maybe because we are trying to be together as much as we can before going to college. Even if this phase ends, I feel we will make it work.
“I love you.” I say to him.
“Ohh No..” He groans.
WHAT?
“Excuse me?” I ask in bewilderment.
He winces. “SHIT such an ass I am.”
Yes, you are!
He turns and kisses my mouth while I gape and just look at him.
“I love you too.” he says, but embarrassed.
I shake my head at him. ”I called you perfect, and you had to ruin it.”
He presses his head against mine and says, “I can explain…”
Then he goes to the living room.
I am not sure if I am feeling annoyed or offended.
Who says ‘Oh no’ to answer ‘I love you’?
My face softens as he comes back to the kitchen with a tiny box in his hand.
“I wanted to be the first one to say those words to you… Believe me, I was trying to make it perfect, but I- God dammit.. fuck it…”
He grabs me by the waist and kisses me again. He pulls back when I do not kiss him back. “You okay?“
“I…“ I am unable to form words.
What is he holding?
He chuckles and takes a step back to hand me the box.
I open it almost teary…
“You outdo yourself all the time, Jacob!” I say as I unwrap it.
It’s a ring box. I know it is.
“Why? There was no need for it…“ I say.
“I love you Natalie… and I am sorry for my little mess a minute ago… I wish I could fix-”
I kiss him to shut him up. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected a promise ring from him. He kisses me back, tasting my lips. I feel so loved and high in the air, I cannot explain it in words.
We pull away and I open finally the box. It’s a simple gold band with an infinity sign. It has little stones studded in it.
Infinity is forever…
“It’s beautiful.”
He smiles and says, “June helped me. But this one was my choice.”
“I love it.”
“May I?” He takes the ring from me and asks, “Which hand?”
“I… I don’t know…”
“It can either be the ring finger on the right or… mid finger on the left hand.”
“Right… Right hand” I stifle my sob, barely holding it together.
Ira is right, I can be a crybaby at times.
Then he holds my hand and says, “Natalie Relish.. once our school is over we will be apart for quite some time… This ring is a promise that I’ll be there for you… I will try hard and do my best to do you right…”
He kisses my hand. He hesitates for a moment then says, “I hope I don’t scare you off… but I want to spend my life with you Natalie... Next 4 years will be a test for both of us... I want us to make it through…”
“Take this ring as a symbol of the love I will always have for you.” He adds at last.
I nod, unable to form words. He slips it into my ring finger.
He places a quick kiss on my lips and says, ”Just don’t go around kissing boys, please.”
“Asshole…” I say, still crying.
“Norris will be with you at college, right?” I ask.
“I am not sure… He was accepted at both places though.. Arizona and Illinois.” He says confused wondering where is it going.
“Just keep your distance from other boys in your dorm room…” I take a jibe at him. “I don’t want you to sleep around either…“
He laughs.
Then he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I shriek as he makes his way to the bedroom.
….
Making promises is one thing, but keeping one is another.
Next few years turn out to be hard and testing for both of us.
But we make it work…
........................
A/N:
I will write an epilogue soon and will reconsider posting bonus chapters to close loose ends about Riley & West. A humble request. Please recommend this book to others and leave me some feedback.
Read more about Natalie and Jacob in ‘Not Sure Anymore’ series.
Upcoming Books:
– Riley & ?? - An age gap Romance after 1 year–
–Ira & Liam - Second chance romance after 5 years –
– West & ?? - Mafia Romance after 10 years –
-Norris & June - Brother’s Best friend Romance after 2 years –
