Us.

Chapter 36: One Week

Claire's P.O.V. (The next day)

"Hello?" I hear Braden's voice asks. "Oh, yes. Can you give me a moment?" He asks. I keep my eyes closed, and hope that he thinks I'm still asleep. I hear his footsteps come close to me, and he gently kisses my cheek. I re position my head and he kisses my cheek once again. "I love you." He says. I don't feel him next to me anymore so I open my eyes, and he's no where around.

"You good?" Jake asks. I look down and see Jake on the floor.

"Yeah." I say. I'm a lot better than yesterday. Barely any pain.

"He got a phone call." Jake says, gesturing towards the door with his head.

"Oh." I say. I can't imagine who would call him.

"Oh, and two guys came by while you two were asleep. They said they wanted to check on Braden. Said their names were Jesse and Aaron." Jake says like a question.

"We went to their party a few days ago." I say.

"Oh. Well, when he can, they want y'all to call them." Jake says.

"Okay." I say as I nod.

Braden comes back in from outside and closes the door. He comes around the corner of the couch and sits down next to me. His eyes are wide and he's breathing weird.

"Braden, what's wrong?" I ask.

"They want me to go early. They want me to go early." He says. He drops his head into his hands and breathes heavy.

"Jake, can you give us a minute?" I ask Jake.

"Yeah." He says as he stands up and leaves.

I place my hand on Braden's back. "Hey, what's this about?" I ask.

"My uncle just called. They want me to go early and start playing for them as soon as I can." He says.

My heart skips a beat and I breathe heavy. Is he gonna go? I want him to go live his dream, but I want him here with me.

"I-uh-I-you-uh-uh-um." I stutter. I don't know what to think, I don't know what to say either.

"What am I gonna do?" He asks.

"Do what you want to do." I say with tears forming in my eyes.

"This is such an amazing opportunity." He says with his head down.

"Then go." I say.

"But our life together is a more amazing opportunity." He says as he looks up at me. My heart breaks at the sight of him in pain over this decision, and he must see it because he then drops his head.

"Look at me." I say. He raises his head and looks into my eyes. "You do what you want to do. Leave me out of it. I am not going to be the reason you give this up because I'm not worth giving up your dream." I say as a tear slips down my face.

"Don't say that. I always thought that if an opportunity like this came up I would turn it down because I wanted you-" he says, but he stops abruptly. "What am I saying? There isn't even a dilemma here. I'm not going. I'm not going." He says.

"I am not going to be the reason you give up your dream." I say. He pulls me into his lap, and I straddle his waist. He places his hands on the side of my face.

"You're my dream. Always have been, always will be." He says. I can not be the reason he doesn't take this. This is too good of an opportunity to just give up over me.

"Do you understand how amazing this is? It's incredible, and I'm not worth giving this up." I say.

"If you're worth dying for, you're worth staying here." He says.