“Okay.”
I looked away from him, but he cupped my cheek, forcing my eyes to his. “Hey, what’s going on?”
Reaching into my pocket, I snatched my phone, opened the email from Seattle, and handed it to him. “That’s what’s going on.”
His eyes scanned the short message. “Seattle? You applied to a med school in Seattle?”
“No, my adviser did. I honestly had no idea. I mean, it was my top choice, but I deferred. She sent my MCAT score to them, and I got in.”
“What was your score?”
“Five twenty-three.”
“What’s the highest you can get?”
Filled with pride, I smirked. “Five twenty-eight.”
His bright-white, perfectly straight teeth came into view in the most gorgeous smile. “My girl is a brain.”
His girl. For the majority of my life I’d wanted to be his. I finally could call him mine, and now I might be leaving. Memories of all the times I used to fantasize about Collin flitted into my mind. So many times I dreamed of him wanting me, us being together, and finally, those dreams came true, but I had other dreams too.
“Is Seattle a good school?”
“One of the best. I don’t know what I’m going to do, though. The email was sent last month. I didn’t see it. I need to reply by tomorrow with my answer or lose my spot.”
“Charlie, I remember Sally talking about her brilliant friend who was going to save the world one day.”
“Sally exaggerates and had bigger ideas for me than I did.”
“Either way, you were meant to study medicine. I can’t give you a massage without you reciting the muscles I was rubbing. And I have a feeling that you were probably diagnosing yourself while getting that boot on.”
Remembering how good his hands felt on me had me wishing we were lying in bed and not discussing the possibility of me leaving.
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that. I do love medicine, but I love it here too.” I could feel the pressure building behind my eyes as it had a few other times while I thought about leaving Virginia and Collin. “Do you think I should go?”
Collin shook his head. “I’m not making that decision for you, Charlie. You could end up resenting me for the rest of your life. Do you still want to be a doctor?”
“Yes, of course. I could apply to schools here and start in the fall.”
“What will you do between then and now? You yourself said that Seattle was your dream school, Charlie. Do you want to give that opportunity up? You’re twenty-one years old, and you have so much to look forward to.”
“You want me to accept.” It wasn’t as much a question as a statement. Aside from the gentle hum coming from the refrigerator, the house was quiet. “What about us? Will we stay together? Do long distance? I’m not sure I’m ready to let you go. Are you?”
“Our schedules wouldn’t really mesh, would they?”
“I suppose not.”
Collin raked his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. When he opened them, I had my answer.
He might not be ready, but he was going to let me go.
Chapter 27
Collin
I had to let her go. That was the only way I knew for a fact that she’d follow her dream. Except I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted her in my arms. I’d fallen in love with her, but to tell her that now would make things only more difficult for both of us.
Tonight and every one leading up to the night before she left, I’d spend showing her how much she meant to me.