Time-Bomb-

He smiled even brighter at me. His eyes crinkled and even though he was trying to keep his composure, I could see the little tears building up in his eyes.
I don't think I really realized how big of a deal I was making at this moment. Looking back on it, it was kind of strange. Then again, when you think your boyfriend is dead and he somehow magically appears again you really don't know what else to do other than freak out.
"Could you excuse us?" He asked the teacher. His voice made me shiver. Having not heard it for so long, I nearly forgot it.
"Sure," the teacher smiled. I think she understood.
Vic gestured for me to follow him outside the classroom so I took my bag and walked away with him. I turned my face away from the class so they couldn't see me crying. Boy, was I crying.
Vic didn't say a word. He just kept walking. We walked into the parking lot and he opened his passenger door for me. I stood there in hesitation. He looked at me with a small smile.
I nodded and walked in, letting him close the door and get in to the left of me.
I wanted to ask where we were going but my breath was shaky from all of the tears.
He kept driving down the highway and got off on an exit that was unfamiliar to me. I hadn't been outside of the city very often.
I watched his hands grip the steering wheel. I missed his hands. It sounded strange but I really missed them. I loved the way his tan skin stretched over his bones. He caught sight of me staring from the corner of his eye and smirked, still keeping his vision straight ahead.
When he pulled over in a driveway to a small house and opened the door for me was when I finally decided to speak up.
"Vic, wh-"
"Sh," she said softly, "don't talk yet."
I bit my lip to keep my mouth shut and pulled my hands into my sleeves.
He walked to the front door with me shadowing behind him. He unlocked it and let me inside.
"This is my house," he smiled.
"Oh, wh-?"
"No questions. Not now, please," he pouted, "we can talk about everything later. Right now, let's just take this time to enjoy each other's presence."
I nodded.
"Thank you," he said and stepped closer to me so that our faces were only inches apart.
"You're so perfect," he whispered.
I looked down, trying to hide the blush he caused.
"I'll show you my room."
Vic took hold of my hand and held it like he would never let me go. We walked into a dark blue painted room with dark furniture. There was only one place providing light for the room which was a small window behind his bed.
He sat me down on the bed and joined beside me.
"I love you," he said as he pressed his forehead against mine.
"I love you too," I said breathlessly.
Was this real? Was it just a vivid dream? I was so wrapped up in my mess of tangled thoughts that I was surprised when Vic kissed me.
He laughed at my reaction.
"It's real, Kellin."
I just wanted to kiss him again. I didn't care about anything else. All I cared about was him.
"Kiss me," he said under his breath.
I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. He tangled his fingers into my hair. It was rhythmic and passionate.
His hands slid down from my shoulders to my hip bones.
I felt his cold fingers run up under my shirt and rest against my chest. With each time we kissed again I felt his fingers gently curl on the surface of my skin. He looked at me with more love and adoration that anyone had ever looked at me before. At that moment, I knew we would be together forever. He slipped my shirt off of me and pressed me down on his bed.
I wanted to show him how much I loved him.
I took his shirt off and enjoyed the feeling of his warm chest pressing against mine. I looked at the small bullet-hole just under the left side of his chest. I lightly brushed my thumb over it.
"I love you forever," I whispered.

...

A few hours later we lay under his covers, he had me scooped up in his grasp.
There wasn't another place in the world I'd rather be.
"Kells, I want to be with you forever," he said.
"Me too," I whispered.
"Vic?"
"Yes?"
"How are you... Here?"
He wet his lips with his tongue and tightened his grip on me.
"I saw it coming," he said, "I knew that if I didn't get hurt, then you would. So I tried my very hardest to make sure the bullet hit me without hitting any vital organs."
"And then when they took you to the hospital..?"
"I was out for a while. Lots of blood loss. To be honest, the didn't think I would make it. But when I woke up about two days later they knew I'd be fine. The bullet had shattered when it entered by body so the hospital had to keep me in to remove every piece."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I asked sadly.
"They tried, Kellin. Mike and Jaime both tried."
I wanted to beat myself up when I realized that's why they were trying to talk to me.
"Fuck."
"Hey, hey, calm down. It's all okay now. I get that you didn't realize that's what they were trying to do. I'm really sorry you spent this last month thinking I was gone. I can see how much it's affected you."
"I-I- Vic you don't get how much it hurt," I said, crying again. It was so painful living without him. I couldn't imagine a lifetime like that.
"I know, Kells. I was so worried about you, you know?"
"R-really?"
"Yes. I couldn't go a day without thinking about you."
I smiled softly as he wiped the tears falling down my cheeks.
I rested my head on his chest while he ran his fingers through my hair.
I heard his front door unlock and flinched upwards.
"Oh, I forgot my parents were home early today. Uh, put some clothes on," he said awkwardly as he slipped his pants up his legs and pulled a t-shirt over his head. I laughed when I realized he'd put on my shirt but I just ignored it and put his on.
"You're going to meet my parents," he smiled slyly.
"Woah woah woah, I didn't agree to that!" I said nervously.
"Please," he pouted.
"They know about you already, Kells, everything will be fine."
I felt little butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I was so afraid that Vic's parents wouldn't like me.
"Mijo! Donde estas?"
I yelped and scooted back in his bed.
"Calm," he said.
"Aquí mama, en mi cuarto."
I wish I could understand Spanish. I crossed my arms over my chest. Vic just laughed at me while I slumped down in his bed.
"Hijo, tengo comi-"
"Quien es?" The woman with blonde hair asked, or said, I wasn't really sure.
"El es Kellin, mi novio," Vic said. I don't know if I was imagining it but he seemed pretty nervous.
"Tu novio?"
"Si."
The woman smiled.
"Hello," she said.
"Hi," I replied.
"I'm Mrs. Fuentes, you are Kellin?"
"Yes."
"Ay que chulo," she said as she turned back to Vic.
"I know. I have good taste, si mama?"
"Yes, hijo."
"Kellin, will you be staying for dinner?"
I looked at Vic for permission.
He nodded and flashed me his perfect smile again.
"I guess so," I laughed.
"Good," Mrs. Fuentes smiled and left us to ourselves.
"Wait till you meet my papa," he chucked, "then you'll see where I get my insanity from."

Turns out his dad loved me just as much as his mom did. I did understand why Vic was so crazy, though. Mr. Fuentes was so jovial and humorous. Not to mention insightful. We all sat at the table. Mr and Mrs Fuentes, Mike, Vic, and I. We shared a good few laughs. I was even starting to warm up to Mike. I felt like maybe I could give him a chance. After all, he is my boyfriend's brother. My boyfriend. I looked at Vic and watched him stare back at me with utter adoration.
After dinner Vic took me back into his room and told me to keep my eyes closed. I listened to him shuffle around in one of his drawers. He stepped in front of me and tapped my shoulder letting me know it was okay to open my eyes now.
"Listen, Kells. I know I confuse you a lot. I have that affect on people. But I want you to know one thing for sure. I am entirely and whole-heartedly in love with you... And... I know it's not much, but... I have this, uh..." He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a small box.
Oh god it couldn't be...
"It's a promise ring," he said.
I relaxed the tension in my shoulders a little bit.
"Don't think I'm gonna ask you to marry me yet," he laughed, "after all, you are only a freshman."
I giggled a little bit and let a little tear slip from the corner of my eye.
"Aw, babe, don't cry. You're gonna make me cry too."
"So, do you... Promise that you love me too?"
I nodded and laughed breathily as he pulled me in for a hug. He took my hand and slipped the silver ring on my finger.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too," I smiled and passionately kissed him.
It was like a dream come true to have found someone like him. And now I knew that he felt the same way about me.

*Three Years Later*

After I graduated for my senior year Vic decided to quit his job as a TA and go to college with me. It was nice because we would be able to start at the same time. We wanted to go into different career paths, but we could make things work.
I moved in with him to his apartment. Being 18 meant I could finally leave my mom, well, Lisa, to have some peace and quiet on her own. She took me in and adopted me after my freshman year of high school. Told me she'd been thinking of doing it for a while. Now she's a nurse at a children's hospital, she's very happy.
As of lately I'll begin attending University of Los Angeles with the love of my life. I'm studying to be an architect. Vic wants to become a teacher. I'm not sure why once he left school he would want to go right back to it but hey, no judging here.

I was sitting in the apartment waiting for Vic to come back. We had a few hours to hang out in between classes on Tuesdays.
"Honey I'm hooome!" He called.
I laughed and set down the stack of papers I was reviewing for my math class.
"Hey," I said and pecked him on the lips.
He pouted like a little puppy.
"Aw, what's the matter?" I teased booping my finger on the tip of his nose.
"You haven't seen me in three hours all I get is a little kiss?"
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"You're so cute," I said as I pulled him in by the hips and kissed his neck.
Of course, someone had to knock at our door right when we were about to... You know...
We quickly played a game of Rock Paper Scissors. I groaned when he laughed in victory covering his paper over my rock.
"I'll be waiting for you in the bedroom," he winked.
"Whatever," I said lightly.
I walked to the door and opened it with a smile on my face.
"Are you Kellin Quinn?" The woman asked.
"That would be me," I smiled.
"I have some information regarding your mother and father."
I froze in place.
"Uh, okay..."
"Take this," she said and she handed me a parcel, "my number is in there. Call me if you need anything."
I nodded, "thank you."
I closed the front door and sat at the kitchen table staring down at the package full of questions I've waited my whole life to be answered.
"What's that?" Vic asked as he slumped his arms over my shoulders and ran his fingers through my hair.
"Oh.. Uh. Are you going to open it?"
"Yes."
"Any day now, then," he teased.
Was I really ready for this?
"I can open it for ya," he said and tried to reach for it.
I slapped his hand, "hands of sticky fingers."
He chucked and kissed my cheek.
"Just do it."
I took a deep breath and ripped open the package.
I pulled out the bigger of the two envelopes.
It read:
"Kellin,
We're sorry that you had to find out this way. Your parents passed away many years ago. Even so, it should be looked upon as an advantage to you. They have left you all of their wealth in their wills. It was specified to give you this money once you reached the age of eighteen. We suggest that you save the money to build yourself a well-structured lifestyle."
"Huh."
"Kellin that's great!"
"Yeah, it really is," I said awkwardly, "why aren't I so happy, then?"
Vic bit his lip.
"Because you spent all of this time not knowing what happened to your parents. Something like this is thrown at you, and, well..."
I shrugged it off and opened up the other envelope.
My eyes widened as I read through it.
"Holy crap!"
I took a good, long, look at the amount said to be stored in the bank for me.
I had one million from the house being sold, another half million for furniture, and three million in savings. Not to mention all of their personal/ valuable items were stored for me to keep.
That added up to 4.5 million dollars.
I set the package aside and started straight ahead. Vic liked to describe my expression to look like I just discovered a palace made of pure gold.
"Congratulations!" He exclaimed.
"Wait there's one more thing!" I said as I pulled out two small envelopes.
One of them addressed: to our baby boy. The other: to the one he falls in love with.
I opened up the letter to me with much delicacy. It was short and sweet. Reassurance, really. Now I really knew that they loved me. I smiled as I held the letter to my chest.
Vic picked up the other letter.
"Save this for the man you're gonna marry," he smiled sadly.
I looked at him confusedly.
"Well then. Open it."
He smiled at me and opened the letter. I watched as his eyes scanned over the letter. He laughed lightly and folded it back into perfect shape. I know he didn't want me to notice but he rubbed his hand over his eye so I couldn't see him tear up.

He never did tell me what the letter said, but I didn't mind.

He took me back to our bedroom and we laid there together, solely enjoying each other's company. He rubbed my hand gently.
"I love you."
"I love you too."

I decided I was going to save the money for us to buy a house and live together in the future. The future held such great days.

A few months later Vic asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. It's sort of funny how life works out. Four years ago I would have never expected to have any future with him. It just goes to show how unpredictable life can be, psychic abilities or not.
Every moment I spent with Vic felt like the best time of my life. We were going to spend our lives together, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Notes