Impossibly True (Impossibly Duology) (18 page)

  
He half smiled, kissed me blithely on the lips and strolled over to his bag on
the floor in front of the bed. Opening the zipper, he took something out then
walked back to me. I was bewildered as he bent down on one knee and opened the
small box that was in his hand.

  
My heart felt as if it was rushing up to my throat. I clasped a hand over my
mouth, speechless, peering wide-eyed at a beautiful, white gold ring with a
glistening diamond in the center and six smaller ones accentuating the sides.
The artwork was exquisite, tastefully done, as if Branden himself had
customized it for me.

  
Tears flooded my eyes. My lips trembled. Steadying my breathing, I managed to
ask, “What is this?”

  
He released a nervous laugh with a light of love blaring within his eyes. Then
he began, “Moya,” his voice rasped as his emotions threatened to overcome him.
“I knew the moment I laid my eyes on you that you were the one for me. I want
to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me.”

  
A whimper escaped my lips, but he cut me off before I could mutter a word. “I
know you think it’s crazy, that I’m being crazy…I guess I am crazy about you,”
he laughed. “But baby, I love you more than anything in this entire world and I
want to be with you forever. Please say you want the same.”

  
“But we’re still in college…” I managed to say, nearly breathless. “You want us
to get married now and live in dorms—”

  
“I’ve thought everything through,” he reached for my hand. “We’ll get an
apartment together this summer. Everything will work out. I promise you won’t
ever have to worry. So what do you say? Will you marry me?”

  
I glanced at the shiny ring, then back at him. Everything inside me screamed
for joy. This was what I wanted since realizing how much I loved him. We were
perfect for each other. And even I, who never believed in such things, could
honestly say now that we were like soulmates.

  
Swallowing the tightness in my throat, I pulled Branden off the floor and
finally gave him my answer, “Yes.”

  
He laughed louder than I’d ever heard him before. Hastily putting the ring on
my finger, he picked me up into his strong arms and kissed me hungrily as he
carried me over to the bed.

  
We made love once again, our passion deeper than the night before. In this
moment, we had more than our love to celebrate; we had forever to look forward
to.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN

Branden

  
I enjoyed being away
with Moya that when it was time to drive back to
reality on Monday, I couldn’t help feel sad. It started to snow as I turned
onto the main road after leaving Meredith Creek. Secretly, I hoped it would
turn into a blizzard so she’d ask me to go back. But then it stopped snowing
just as fast as it began, and any hope I had flew out the window.

  
I watched her from the corner of my eye, twisting the ring around her finger,
glowing brighter than ever with
happiness.        

  
“Guess you like it.”

  
She chirped, “I really do. It’s beautiful, Branden. Thank you.”

  
“Thank
you
for saying yes.”

  
“You thought I wouldn’t?” her voice held a pang of concern.

  
I exhaled my answer, “Kind of. I mean, you did say before how fast we were
going.”

  
“Well, I thought a lot about our relationship over the past few days, and I
think we’re fine with the way it’s moving. I know you’re the only one I want to
be with, so that’s why I’m okay with marrying you anytime soon.”

  
“Anytime?”
I raised an eyebrow and flashed a broad
grin.

  
“Why? When did you have in mind?” Now she sounded nervous.

  
I stared straight ahead as I confessed, “I was hoping to have the wedding this
summer.”

  
“What? This summer?” her voice was peppered with surprise.

  
“Well, yeah,” I let out a short laugh. “That’s what I meant by us getting an
apartment and all…you thought I only wanted to get engaged to you but push the
date for an actual wedding to God knows how long?”

  
“Summer, huh?” she said in a near whisper. “I guess that’s okay. Still, how am
I gonna tell Momma? She’s gonna freak out, not to mention my dad…Oh, Christ.”

  
My stomach tightened. “Right, I’m supposed to talk to your dad and mom.” For
some crazy reason, I’d hurdled over the respectable thing and not asked for
their approval first before popping the question.

  
“When do you want to tell everyone?” she asked.

  
I lingered for a moment in thought. Then as we approached the intersection and
having only another ten minutes before we arrived in Berlin Heights, I thought
of something.

  
“How about getting everyone together for dinner on my birthday, telling them
then?”

  
“You sure?”

  
“Yeah, it won’t be so bad, right?”

  
I glanced over in time to see her shrug, with a doubtful expression on her
face. I hadn’t seen her so nervous before.

  
“I’ll be okay,” I assured her. “Trust me.”

  
She reached over and rested her hand on my thigh. “I trust you, Branden.”

  
I covered her hand with mine, and we remained in silence the rest of the drive
back.

  
Moya let out a deep heave when I pulled up outside her house. Turning her head,
she leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips before stepping out of the
car.

  
“Let me know when you get home, and…I guess we’ll talk some more about this,”
she peered down at the ring on her finger.

  
“Okay.”

  
Then she twirled and walked up to her house, waving back at me before going
inside.

  
Later that evening, Ashton and I hung out in the den. It was his last day at
home before leaving for Spain in the morning, and I figured he wanted to have a
brotherly moment.

  
“How was your little trip with Moya?” he asked, sprawled out on the leather
couch as he continuously tossed a squishy stress ball in the air.

  
I sat at the edge of the lounge chair across from him. “It was good.”

  
 “You two did it, huh?”

  
Rolling my eyes, I fell back on the chair with my hands behind my head. “This
is the one girl I refuse to tell you about what I did with her.”

  
He shot up fast and eyed me with narrowed eyes. “Bro, I’m talking about
proposing. Did you?”

  
“Oh,” I laughed at myself.
“Yeah.
I did.”

  
“And?” he waved his hand in anticipation.

  
“She said yes.”

  
“Oh geez.”
He combed his hand through his hair and
sank back on the couch, sighing.

  
 “But you can’t say anything to Mom. I’ll tell her myself.”

  
“Right.
Whatever.” Sitting up again, he said firmly,
“I don’t get why you’re rushing things so much. I mean, what’s wrong with
waiting for another year or two.”

  
I sat up as well. “What’s wrong with this summer?”

  
Ashton cocked his head to the side.
“This summer?
Really?”

  
“Really.
If you know someone’s right for you then why
should you wait?”

  
“You know what? Good for you. I just hope you have something more tangible than
whatever it was our parents had, because it sure wasn’t love.”

  
I dropped my eyes to the carpet. “Oh, I’m sure it was love at some point.
Things changed for them,
that’s
all.”

  
He scoffed, “Whatever. I don’t want to talk about love and relationships. Let’s
go out somewhere and have a few drinks.”

  
Getting off the couch, I followed behind as he treaded up the stairs.

  
“You’re buying,” I declared.

  
He smirked, “Yeah, right. I’m leaving tomorrow. You have to treat me.”

  
“No way.
You’re older.”

  
When we reached upstairs and made our way down the hallway, Ashton paused at the
front door and peered back at me with a serious look on his face.

  
“Hey…”

  
“What?”

  
“I’m gonna miss my little bro.”

  
I nudged his arm and urged him out the door. Ashton was never the sentimental
type. He only gave you two sides of himself: fun or serious. Right now, I was
happy he’d said that because I would miss him too.

  
But as I closed the front door behind us, I replied instead with, “Don’t get
all sappy on me,” choosing to keep the mood happy on his last night in
Harrington.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT

Moya

  
We were back to reality
on Tuesday. It was the start of my second semester as a sophomore, and
I’d be going to work at Claire’s clothing store in the plaza near school.

  
Branden was back as well. I was excited about that, because even though I
wouldn’t see him as much during the days, we could always stop by each other’s
dorms or hang out after I finish working and he finished hockey training.

  
Working at a clothing store was no different from what it was three years ago
when I was in high school: keep a smile on your face, be helpful to customers
even when they were indecisive and made you run back and forth to find the
perfect shoes in a size smaller than what they wore.

  
By the time I stopped working, I was spent and anticipated taking a warm shower
and heading straight to bed. On my way back to campus, I started to send
Branden a text and find out how his first day back went, when I bumped into a
girl.

  
“Sorry,” I apologized quickly, dropping to the ground to help her pick up her
bag.

  
She brushed my hand away in a polite manner, saying, “It’s okay, I’m the clumsy
one.”

  
Her voice was soft and friendly. I stood and regarded her appearance. She
looked around my age, with long, copper blonde hair pulled up into a pony tail,
an oval face with angular cheekbones, and a straight nose that hooked over thin
pink lips. Were it not for her short height, she could pass as a model.

  
“I should’ve been paying more attention,” I said.

  
She smiled at me, revealing perfect white teeth, only her slit-like gray eyes
seemed sad.

  
“No, never mind,” she shook her head and continued walking, her eyes staring
into space as she past me.

  
I asked over my shoulder, “Are you all right?”

  
She slowed to a stop. “I’ll never be all right,” she muttered. “I made a
horrible mistake and it’s hard to fix what I’ve done.”

  
Walking towards her, I had the sudden urge to help. “Well, maybe if you give it
some time things will change.”

  
Turning to face me, she shook her head slowly as she crossed her arms at her
waist. “Mrs. McCarthy was right. You are a nice person.”

  
I stepped back, surprised. “Who are you?”

  
“Samantha.”

  
“Branden’s ex?”

  
“You got it.” Her eyes darkened, no longer sad, appearing angry now.

  
“It’s quite a surprise, running into you. I stopped by the university earlier,
hoping to catch Branden at his dorm, but instead I hear he’s at hockey
training. I wonder if his parents know about this—”

  
“What do you want?” I hissed. “Why are you visiting Branden?” I dropped my
hands on my hips and sucked my teeth. “Look here, why don’t you get a damn
life. Branden’s moved on—”

  
“So he says. I don’t believe it,” she fired back.

  
“Well, believe it. He loves me, he’s going to m—” I stopped myself, saying
instead, “Your relationship is over. Don’t text him, don’t call him. Just get
on with your life.”

  
Samantha inched closer to me. Her eyes narrowed and her chest heaved as she
spoke through clenched teeth, “What Branden and I had was special. I made the
mistake of letting him go because I was afraid, but not now. I want him back.
He should be with me.” She pointed to herself as she added, “He loves
me
.”

  
I couldn’t believe what this chick was saying to me right now. She had some
nerve. It was like I was in the middle of a Lifetime movie where the crazy
ex-girlfriend didn’t want to let go and was set out on a mission to destroy my
life, because Branden
was
my life.

  
“You listen to
me
, wake up from that dream and step into reality.
Branden is with me now. Our love for each other is way deeper than whatever you
had with him, and the only way I’m letting him go is if he asks me to, which in
fact, he never will. So back off or prepare for the hell I’ll be raining down
on your ass if you don’t.”

  
“If he asks you to,” was all she murmured. Perhaps that was the only part she
allowed herself to hear.

  
Twisting, Samantha glared at me one last time before continuing on her way.
Hopefully this would be the first and last time I’d see her.

  
“Say what now?” Vanessa was revolted. I’d told her about my encounter with
Branden’s ex. We were now roommates.

  
“Mmm-hmm,” I gazed back at her from the closet, putting my curls up in a silk
hair wrap. “I couldn’t believe it either.”

  
“But girl, how did she even know what you look like?”

  
“Mrs. McCarthy must have shown her a photo,” I explained. “She mentioned
hearing about me from her.”

  
“Dang,” she exhaled. “That sounds suspicious. If they’re no longer together,
why’s his momma still buddy-buddy with her? Did you tell Branden?”

  
I shook my head, “No. He’s at training.”

  
Getting up from the chair, she walked over to her bed and slid under the
covers, all the while making the tsk-tsk sound.

  
“You’re nice. If I was in your shoes, and that chick came at me with that
bullshit, I would’ve whooped her ass.”

  
“Oh geez,” I chuckled, lying on my bed. “She didn’t attack me, Nessa. And I
don’t want to go beating up anyone for no reason.”

  
“For no reason?”
She shot up on her elbows. “Girl,
she’s threatening to take your man. That is more than enough reason to—”

  
“I gave her a warning. I think that’s enough.”

  
“Humph, if you say so.
But when she comes at you
again, give me a call.”

  
Vanessa reached over and turned off the lamp on top of the desk, putting us in
darkness with only the bright blue moon shining through the curtains.

  
“I got it handled,” I muttered, closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep
within minutes.