Hearts On Campus: An Instalove Possessive Age Gap Romance by Flora Ferrari (uplifting books for women .txt) 📗

respect from now on after this. I’ll go, but she stays. She completes her year here and then she’s off to Boston for her post-graduate studies, and it’s none of your damned business who she marries,” I end up shouting.

“Marries?” everybody including her says in unison, and I turn to Katelyn, going for broke I guess. But it’s what I’ve really wanted to ask her since the first night, the first second I laid eyes on her.

“I have to have you, Katelyn. Now and always,” I tell her. “I’ve loved you like nothing else since meeting you and these past few days? We can have them ten thousand times over, every day can be ours, together.”

I see her lip tremble, and she looks pale, a tear forming in her eyes.

“Don’t say anything,” I tell her, “Unless it’s to say yes. Just say yes and we’ll figure everything else out as we go. I love you Katelyn and I won’t let you or anyone else convince me you don’t want what I want, that we don’t deserve to be the two happiest people alive.”

There’s an awkward silence for a moment, but I hold her eyes with mine, mouthing I love you to her one more time before she whispers the one word I’ve longed to hear.

“Yes.”

“What did she say?” Bernstein shouts, craning his neck to hear.

“She said yes, you fool,” Masters cries.

“She said yes!” I shout.

I take her in my arms, and kissing her deeply I hear the sound of paper being torn behind me.

With the exception of one single sheet.

“I think the college can accept your terms, Mr. Heart. And also congratulate you on your early retirement, and impending nuptials,” Masters says warmly, shaking my hand and patting my back.

“What did he say?” Bernstein creaks, irritated at not being able to hear.

“He said congratulations!” Simon shouts, and we all laugh together, wrapped up at the moment.

“I did say yes,” Katelyn whispers in my ear. “Yes to everything, and I would’ve said yes that first night too. Today, tonight, and every other night,” she says, kissing me like she’s never kissed me before.

Kissing me like a bride should kiss her husband to be.

EPILOGUE

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Katelyn

“Are you sure you even want them here? I mean, after everything they did to you?” Wes asks.

“They’re not so bad,” I tell him, reminding him if it wasn’t for the professor or the Dean, I wouldn’t be in Boston working on something I really care about.

Almost as much as I care about Wes.

“I don’t know why they have to give you away though, I mean best man too? It’s creepy Katelyn. It’s unnatural,” he hisses, teasing me by pretending to be so grossed out by the only two men who are the nearest thing we have to family, apart from ourselves that is.

He makes a face, sticking his tongue out at me as he adjusts my dress at the back.

“Well, I haven’t forgotten what they did, how they treated you. How they treated us,” he says with conviction, making me wince as he pulls something too tight.

“Alright Wes, easy on the ropes back there, I can’t breathe,” I gasp.

“Sorry honey,” he murmurs. “Are these strings getting shorter, or am I just imagining things?” he murmurs to himself.

“What are you doing back here anyway? You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, it’s bad luck,” I remind him. Changing the subject as I try to suck some more of my belly in.

“Like the same not seeing the bride before the wedding bad luck I made you scream out about three times last night?” he asks, letting one of his hands slip and somehow grab hold of my chest.

I could slap it away, but I love Wes’s touch. I crave it.

Wedding day or not, he can touch me anywhere, anytime.

This is the last day I’ll probably even fit in this dress anyway, I had it re-sized and altered so many times now, there won’t be anything left of it to let out if we don’t get married today.

He’s so sweet, about everything.

I can eat what I want, and when I forget he makes me eat. I can sleep in late and he does all the chores, won’t even let me lift a finger.

And he keeps telling me not to be silly when I want to complain about gaining a few pounds.

A few pounds? More than just a few.

It’s weird though, it’s like he wants me to be bigger, and it excites him. That much is obvious.

“More of you to love, baby girl,” he groans whenever he grabs hold of me, exploring his favorite parts, the ones that always make me squeal and squirm too.

“They’re almost ready” someone chimes in, the wedding planner who pokes his head around the door, wagging his finger at me and looking at his timepiece.

“If I’m paying for the damned wedding, I’ll do what I like. Including groping my bride to be right before we tie the knot,” Wes says to himself, straightening his bow tie and locking the door after he closes it in the guy’s face.

“Be out in a minute,” I blush, and nudge him, motioning to get him out there.

“Go wait for your bride, handsome,” I tell him, my voice breaking with emotion as I pick up the bridal bouquet.

“Honey, what is it?” he asks, figuring it’s more than just last minute nerves.

God knows my stomach’s been doing the butterfly express all morning. But there’s something else, he can tell.

“Katelyn, what’s wrong?” he asks, my nerves turning to icy panic for a moment when I see his face. Those eyes.

“I was gonna tell you later… tonight…” I whisper, crying real tears now, my eyes blurring red.

“Oh sweetie, what is it?” Wes begs, pleading with me to tell him what the matter is.

I take his hand and press it to my belly.

“That first night,” I tell him. “That first, wonderful night you made me yours…”

His eyes light up with recognition, and I’m sure we both feel a little kick