5 More Minutes (Timeless Series Book 1) Page 6

  Our future.

  It was absolutely insane, but I wanted that. I wanted the future we had dreamed up so long ago, and I didn’t want to wait. I wanted it now.

  Why did we have to wait to get to go through the motions of getting reacquainted?

  Sure, we had both grown and matured, but ultimately, we weren’t all that different. I knew him. He knew me. At the core we knew one another. We knew the other’s strengths and not so great qualities. We even knew one another’s families. I still sent birthday cards to his mom and on occasion spoke to her.

  He shifted, drawing my attention back to his features, and I watched him come awake.

  “Morning,” His lips quirked up, his voice raspy with sleep.

  “Hi.” I smiled, and he leaned over and touched his lips to mine. I couldn’t help but think how waking up like this every morning for the rest of my life sounded perfect to me.

  “I really like waking up with you,” he mumbled against my lips, his mouth quickly moving to the crook of my neck, rolling me to my back. One of his hands rested above my head as the other roamed the curves of my body until it rested above the swell of my ass, pulling me up toward him. “Really like waking up with you.”

  “Ditto.”

  “Plans today?”

  “I’m on the same page,” I blurted out, and he pulled back, tilting his face to the side as he studied me. “I mean… last night, you got to say your whole spiel, and I didn’t say anything.”

  “I threw a lot at you.”

  “No. It wasn’t because I didn’t know how I felt about you or us.”

  “Baby,”

  “Let me say this,” I said, placing a finger over his lips, and we silently shifted so we were both on our sides, looking at one another. “I know I stayed quiet, and it wasn’t because I didn’t know how I feel. I know how I feel about you. About us.” The tone in my voice softened, and I stroked the line of his strong jaw with the tips of my fingers. “I was feeling so much, I didn’t know where to start, and this morning… It made me think. We could have ended up on completely different chapters of a book after two years.”

  “You would use a book analogy,”

  “Don’t be cute when I’m trying to tell you I’m on the same page as you when it comes to us,” I poured out and waited, hoping he got what I was trying to explain.

  Brandon

  “Same page?” I repeated, wondering if she knew what those words meant to me. Hoping to fucking God she was talking about the same thing I was thinking.

  “Same page,” she repeated, scooting her naked body closer to me, and I lifted the sheet over her. The room was chilly, and covering her sweet flesh would help keep me focused on what she was saying. “I don’t need time to know.”

  “Nina…”

  “Shhh.” She placed a finger over my lips. “I love you, Brandon Chu. I think I fell in love with you at first sight, that first time we looked at one another four summers ago. I never stopped.”

  “I have issues from the shit overseas,” I warned, not wanting to ruin the moment but wanting her to know what she was getting into by telling me this.

  “We will figure out how to cope… together,” she responded easily, and I leaned down, our foreheads touching.

  “I don’t deserve you.”

  “That’s not true,” she whispered back, stealing a small peck.

  “I fucked up. Ending shit with you. I don’t want you to think I might walk away again.”

  “Baby…” Her eyes smiled. “I’m in. You and me, for the long game. Last night, you said you wanted everything, and now I’m telling you, I’m in. We’re on the same page, Bran. I’ve always been on it. I might have finished school, but other than that, my life’s been on pause. I’ve been waiting for you to come back. I understood why you ended us. I did. Life was complicated, and the distance was killer.”

  “But?”

  “But you made the tough call. You were strong enough to do it, baby.”

  “Strong enough?”

  “That’s what you were. Because of you, we both achieved the goals we had set out for ourselves,” she said, and I had to grit my teeth together so I wouldn’t break down and cry like a little kid. Breaking it off had been risky and so fucking hard. I had doubted the decision countless times during the last two years. I’d stayed up endless nights wondering whether I had done the right thing. “Our roads have changed now, B. Realigned. We can continue on and be stronger… together.”

  Together. That one word undid me.

  “Fuck,” I cursed and shut my eyes tight as I held her even tighter. “Tell me, again,” I ordered gruffly.

  “I love you, Brandon.” Her words sunk into my heart, and I knew to the day I would die her voice would be the one it echoed. I opened my eyes to look at her, and there was no holding back the words this time. No chance for second thoughts or hesitations.

  “Marry me. Today.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Nina

  “MARRY ME. TODAY,” he said.

  He didn’t ask but told, and I’m sure anyone looking in from the outside would have been surprised by this, but I wasn’t. At the core of him, Brandon was still Brandon. The man who made me feel safe and beautiful. The man who made me feel loved. The man who, no matter how insane it was, leaped off the edge and took a chance.

  “Okay.”

  “I know it’s— Wait, did you say okay?”

  “Yes,” I whispered with a soft smile on my lips.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.” I nodded, taking another kiss. “My family’s still in town. How much would your mom hate not being here?” I questioned, completely and wholeheartedly in the moment and everything we were doing.

  “I don’t know. I called her last night when you went to sleep, and they’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

  “Shut up! Are you serious?” I laughed, burying my head into the crook of his neck, enjoying the feel of being naked and in his arms.

  He pulled back and sat us up so I could straddle his thighs. “I love you, my niña linda. I’ll make you happy. I promise,” he said, looking deep into my eyes.

  “We will make one another happy.”

  “Always.” His hands held my face in place, and he kissed me. Our limbs tangled, our mouths fused, the sounds of our lovemaking echoed against the four walls of that room we would one day return to on our fifth wedding anniversary. The room where we went from being two people restarting something who had begun four years prior to one soul, finally complete.

  From that moment on, Brandon Chu was my all.

  My lover, my best friend, my partner in every possible way. And I was his.

  Epilogue

  Nina

  Three months later

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE you’re actually going to be married!” Leti exclaimed as she looked at me, Macie smiling brightly behind her.

  “Why not?”

  “Umm, how about you guys just got back together?”

  “Great things can happen without you planning on them, Let,” Macie interrupted, surprising both of us with her sentiment.

  “Interesting.” I pressed my lips together, wondering if my best friend was keeping something from me.

  “That has a story right there!” Leti said, our attention on Macie.

  “Maybe, maybe not. Either way, right now is all about Nina and Brandon!” she diverted, and Leti and I both laughed.

  Once Brandon and I had gotten out of bed after his proposal, he had filled me in on everything he had been up to while I had slept. He shared how my dad had seen him during graduation and they’d spoken. I could see my dad wanting Brandon to know he understood where he’d come from when he had ended things between us. My dad was a fair man with a kind heart and had told me just as much in the past. The part that surprised me was how after I had fallen asleep, Brandon had called my dad, probably waking him up, a risk all on its own if anyone knew Gerardo Montenegro. But Brandon risked it and had pushed it one step further by
asking for my hand in marriage. What I would have given to have been a fly on the wall of that phone conversation. To my surprise, after an emotional conversation, my dad gave Brandon his blessing. Once Brandon had his future father-in-law in his pocket, he made the call to his own parents back in California.

  He had been that sure about us.

  So, maybe that in part had to do with how calm I felt. Or maybe it was because we didn’t get married that very day. We’d decided there was no rush. Instead, we’d picked up his parents, had dinner with both sets, and had gone sightseeing the next day. Once both sets of parents were gone, we’d packed my place up and done the road trip across America with my best friend and his. Yup. Macie was coming back home with me, and the news had been the cherry on an already amazing sundae.

  Both Macie and I had accepted the administrative positions we had been offered at the University of the Desert in Southern California. Brandon and I and our moms had dived in and planned a gorgeous day to celebrate our commitment in front of our loved ones in less than three months.

  Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t naïve. I might have had hearts in my eyes, but I knew it would be tough. I was a realist, after all. We were both back home, living in a tiny studio apartment five miles away from work, and Brandon was just starting a new job. But I was excited for everything the future had in store for us. Because it would be a future we would be facing together.

  A knock came at the door, snapping me out of my thoughts, and Macie quickly moved to open it just slightly so no one would see me in my dress. Sam’s deep voice sounded from the other side, and I saw the way my best friend looked at him and wondered if maybe the sparks I had seen on the road trip were more than momentary.

  “Looks like the future hubs has sent you a present!”

  “Okay, I gotta give it to Brandon. He’s pretty romantic.”

  She handed me a gorgeous box wrapped in what looked like white satin with a champagne organza bow, a note next to it. My name in Brandon’s masculine handwriting sat there, and I took in a deep breath.

  With unsteady hands, I took the note and opened it.

  Niña Linda,

  In five more minutes, you’ll be walking down the aisle to become my wife. My wife!

  I can’t wait to be your husband. I love you so much. I’m lucky, I know I am.

  One small glance in your direction, or when you look at me, and I’m reminded of how

  lucky I am you love me the way I love you. Thank you for giving me forever.

  I promise to work so you never regret saying yes.

  Always Yours,

  B

  “Shit!” Leti cursed, moving quickly around me, grabbing a box of tissues. “You cannot cry! You cry, and you will mess up my masterpiece.” I laughed at her crazy, taking deep breaths in the hopes of keeping the happy tears at bay. My little sister had spent a lot of time on my makeup.

  “I’m okay.” I opened the box and was stunned at what lay there. My necklace. The one he had returned. But it couldn’t be because I was wearing it and this one was bigger. Shinier. I wasn’t a jeweler, but I knew those were real diamonds around it.

  “Holy shit! Is that real?” Leti exclaimed, and I smiled.

  “Oh my,” Macie whispered as I traced the heart.

  “Fuck, it’s okay to cry,” Leti granted permission as a tear rolled down her own face, making me giggle. I pressed my lips together, picking up the pendant and turning it around.

  Five More Minutes was inscribed in the back, and there was no holding back the tears then.

  “Help me put it on?” I asked Macie, and she silently nodded, tears in her eyes too.

  “You do that while I fix her eyeliner!” Leti bossed around, scrambling around me. They worked around me as I sat there, holding his note. His words in my hands, engraved in my heart, I was ready.

  Before I knew it, I was ready again and my dad and I were waiting outside the chapel doors, the bridal party already having walked in.

  “Ready, Mija?” my dad asked, and I smiled up at him. I was wonderfully calm. Me. The girl who had a plan for everything before this moment was actually throwing her hands up and letting life happen. It was a great feeling.

  “He’s a good man, Nina. Quidensen siempre.” Take care of one another always. My dad’s sweet words settled deep, and everything in front of me turned blurry just as the music started to play in the chapel. “No tears. Your sister would kill me if I made your makeup run.” He winked with a teasing tone, and I laughed. He was right. Leti would never let him live it down.

  “Love you, Dad.”

  “Love you too, Nina.” We took a step forward, and he stopped. I looked at him. Something was playing over his face. My dad was a lot like me; we couldn’t hide our emotions.

  “What is it?” I asked, and the expression cleared up, a small smile on his face, his eyes going kind.

  “I might be giving you away, but I’m not really. You and Brandon ever need us… your mom and I are always here.” His voice cracked, and I had to blink furiously.

  “Dad.” I hiccupped, but he winked and patted my hand with his as he took another step forward. He’d said what he needed, and it was more than enough. With a sniffle and a cheesy smile, I followed his lead.

  My eyes pinned directly on the man at the end of the aisle. In a black suit, my man was standing tall, and I saw the moment he turned and set eyes on me for the first time.

  It was like the first day on the beach four years ago all over again. So many don’t believe in love at first sight, and before Brandon, I would have agreed. I would have looked at someone with laughter in my eyes, smirking, believing to the bone there was no such thing. But I had been wrong.

  Every time my eyes caught a glimpse of him, my heart fell in love all over again, like the very first time. Today was no different.

  He turned, and his eyes locked on me, and even with the distance of the aisle between us, I could see everything play out. He blinked. His handsome, clean-shaven face stoic, not giving an inkling of a hint away. Then a second blink. His beautiful dark eyes, ones I hoped he inherited to our kids one day, narrowed and filled with wonder. Almost like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing was real. I was that person for him, and he was that for me. There was no doubt in the love we shared.

  And like the first time, he smiled, and our hearts connected. Everything and everyone around us faded, blurs to a mere existence, as I walked toward the man of my dreams to become his wife.

  Epilogue 2

  Nina

  Ten years later

  I HEARD HIM grumble, but I kept my eyes shut.

  ”Babe,” he muttered, and I held my body still. I wasn’t ready. I needed more time. “Babe.” He nudged me slightly, and my lips twitched as I forced to keep my eyes closed. “Nee… Babe, it’s your turn,” he rumbled with sleep laced in his sexy voice.

  “Hmm,” I hummed, hoping to keep the charade up to steal five more precious minutes of sleep.

  “It’s your turn.”

  “Mhhmm…” I kept it up. And felt his hand cup my face. I wasn’t going to look at him, but I knew he had his eyes on me.

  “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he mumbled, pressing his lips to mine.

  “I’m lucky you think I’m cute,” I mumbled back, a smile on my face, my eyes still shut

  “I know you are,” he responded, and I heard him slip out of our bedroom. It wasn’t until then I opened my eyes. I heard his voice come in through the baby monitor.

  “Shhh… What’s the fuss about?” he sweetly asked our youngest.

  Our family was complete.

  Camila Chu was perfect. With her soft tan skin and the shape and color of her daddy’s dark eyes. I loved her with everything I had, but she was our fourth, and I was exhausted.

  Happily exhausted.

  Who would have ever thought that would have been a thing? I personally wouldn’t have. But it truly, truly was. Maybe it was because of the fact I knew how easily our journey could have gone differen
tly. How the life we had created might not have happened if he hadn’t come back when he had.

  “Shhh… You’re okay, mi niña bonita. Let’s see…. Twinkle, twinkle little star…” I heard him start to sing. She loved when her daddy sang; it soothed her. I pictured the scene in the nursery as he walked back and forth, her head resting on his shoulder, his hand cupping the back of her head carefully. The contrast of her dark hair and his light skin. She was at that point in life where teething was a bitch, and if she wasn’t hungry or had a stinky diaper, there wasn’t much we could do. My least favorite part of parenting to date. “There you are….” he cooed. “All better…. Shhh… my sleepy girl,” he whispered, and I smiled, opening my eyes, rolling to face the bedroom door as I adjusted the surprise I had set out with after he had fallen asleep.

  A little while later, I watched him step into our room, a playful glare darted toward me when he noticed I was awake, but I simply smiled back.

  “Faker,” he mumbled, and I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t fall into a fit of giggles.

  “You’re just so good with her,” I whispered, still grinning as I watched him close and lock the door behind him. I loved watching my husband.

  My husband.

  Ten years, four kids, a mortgage, a tank full of fish later, the word still got to me. The sight of him still took my breath away. Bare chested with lean muscle, he was still in amazing shape. He made it a point to chisel out time in his day, and I helped make sure he found it. It was one of the many ways he found helped cope with the remnants of his time as a Marine and the things he’d seen.

  Just like he helped me find a moment to read a couple of chapters a day with a glass of wine after a long day with the kids and work. We did that for one another.

  “You can’t look at me like that,” he warned, but I played coy.

  “Like what?” I whispered with a wicked smile.

  “You know like what.”

  “It’s six weeks today,” I whispered, sitting up, letting the comforter fall. His eyes narrowed as he took in what I had changed into after he’d fallen asleep. No matter my size—and with four pregnancies, it had definitely fluctuated—he had never stopped wanting me. He always made me feel wanted. Sexy in my own skin.