My boyfriend and I go to the same college, and one of the things I enjoy most is sharing a room with him. Sharing a bed. I hoped living together would improve our relationship, which has grown rocky as of late. But he's the jealous type, and I always seem to say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time. I don't mean to provoke him; sometimes I just don't think how my actions might hurt him. Unfortunately, our roommate only sees us when we're at our worst, so she thinks things are bad between us. When he's angry enough at me to kick me out of bed and I have to sleep on the couch. When he snaps at me for flirting with her, even though he knows I don't mean anything by it. She never sees how wonderful he is to me sometimes, or how perfect we can be together when we're alone. I hope her misplaced concern won't come between us. Or maybe it'll be my own stupidity that tears us apart.

I'll Take the Rain

“No.” I choke on the word and sigh.


There. I sob, covering my mouth with my hand to stifle the soft noise. How long have I been waiting to hear those words in his voice? Finally.


He continues in a murmur. “I love you more than anyone else, you know that.”


He continues as if I haven’t spoken. “Do you want someone to worship you?”


Even with my eyes shut, I know he’s watching me. I shake my head.


“Someone to put you on a pedestal?” he continues. “Someone to lie and tell you you’re the greatest? I’m sure there are hundreds of guys—girls, too—out there willing to say whatever it is you want to hear just to get into your pants. Is that what you want?”


I shake my head again. “I want you,” I breathe.


“Because that isn’t real love,” he says. “That’s infatuation. That’s obsession, idolatry. That isn’t real.”


I do know. What we have together, what’s between us, that’sreal. The way he makes me feel, the way he touches me.


Chapter 6