CHAPTER TWENTY
Casey
When I booked my tours last week, I thought I would be doing them alone. But standing here in front of the main reception at Royal Holloway, waiting for our guide to meet us, I’m so glad my plans have changed. I can’t think of anyone more than Edward that I would want to have at my side – and I only wish we had more time together.
But looking at schools is what I came here to do, and I can’t just take off to spend time with him – I’ve got to be responsible. This is about my future, and even if I’m having a difficult time now picturing one that doesn’t have him in it, I still have to focus on making the right choice of college.
We stand holding hands, and when a rep in a bright orange and slate grey uniform comes up to us, he doesn’t even bat an eyelid at us. “You must be Casey,” he says, though there’s an air of doubt to his statement – he can’t be sure, of course, since we’ve never met.
“That’s right,” I tell him. “I’m here for the tour.”
“Great! And, will…”
“Edward,” he supplies.
“Edward be joining us for the tour?”
“Edward will,” he intones, solemnly, though I can’t help but feel like he’s making fun.
“Alright,” the guide says, taking it in his stride. “If you’d like to follow me. We’ll start with the dorms. I will note that if you’re staying on campus, the rooms are single occupancy only. That does mean that off-campus boyfriends aren’t really supposed to visit, though you can get an occasional visitor’s pass if you need to drop by.”
I feel a warmth spreading through my chest, making me squeeze Edward’s hand tighter. With the age difference between us, at first I was a little worried that people wouldn’t see us as a couple. That maybe they would assume he was a father escorting his daughter around, especially considering that we both have American inflections in our accents – even if Edward’s is fading. To be recognized as a couple is strangely empowering. I decide that I like it a lot. I’d like it if everyone could look at us and know that we’re together.
But it does make me falter. As the guide shows us around the dorms, even letting us see what a typical room looks like when empty, and then around the rest of the campus buildings, I find my mind starting to wander. I can’t help but think about the fact that at the end of this week, I’m going back home.
And then I have a big decision to make. Whether to come back here, to England, or stay in the US to study.
It should have been a simple decision, about what the best school will be and whether I want to broaden my cultural experiences or do a more traditional college thing. But now it’s much more complicated, because of Edward. I might be coming back here so that I can be with him. Or I might be coming back here thinking I will be with him, only to find out that it’s over.
I know what he said before, that he’s been looking for someone like me for a long time. He as much as told me that he wants me to live with him, to be his wife, to give him children. Except he didn’t actually make that completely clear, and the thing is, this is just one week. One week of our lives. It feels so good, but what if I go home and Edward decides that it was all just an infatuation? What if he doesn’t want to know me anymore when I come back? What if he’s only saying this because there are just two days left before I go home?
I don’t want to believe it. Especially not given the fact that he’s been friends with my Dad for such a long time. But I can’t help but wonder. Nothing is secure, and I have this big decision hanging over my head, and only two days left to get any idea of what to do.
The college tours are one thing. I’ve seen enough to know that they’re both good schools, and the statistics and league tables tell me the rest. But what I really need to know now is where this is all going – and whether changing my school plans to be with Edward would be the best decision of my life, or the worst.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Edward
I wait outside for Casey as she asks a couple more questions and picks up a few leaflets and other bits of literature to help her with her decision. I made the excuse of getting a phone call from work, which wasn’t true at all, so that I could quickly duck out of the room and leave her to it. It’s a little white lie, that’s all.
Because I have some important plans to make, and I have to make them very quickly. Quicker than most people would think was reasonable, I suppose, but we only have two days left. And I’m used to having things go my own way. I have a good assistant and a lot of clout, and I can get things done when I need to.
“All done?” I ask Casey, looking up as she emerges from the building, stuffing a handful of papers and leaflets into her purse.
“Yeah,” she says, giving me a quick and tight smile. I wonder if she’s feeling emotional, this was her last college tour. Her time here is getting short, and what’s more, she’s facing a huge decision. I don’t blame her for getting a little in her own head, if that’s what’s happening. “I’m free now. What’s the plan for the rest
