Mr Rumming And The Teacher ??

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"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." -Babe Ruth

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"Remember when I said that I do not want to deal with crazy exes and paparazzi?" He sits beside me.

"I remember."

"So what the fuck was that? I can deal with the invasive paparazzi, I swear I could try for you but did you hear what she just said to me, how she looked down on me, not because of my financial standing like your brother does but for the way I look, for the fucking colour of my skin, Israel!"

"I know, if I knew she was coming I wou..."

"You don't know, you don't understand. She calls you Ciro, everyone calls you Ciro, I didn't even know you had a middle name."

"You didn't ask."

"You want me to marry you yet you can not even tell me your middle name? You want to marry me, not the other way, Mister." He swallows.

"I know and I am willing to do anything to make you happy, anything you want."

"Respect Israel, Re fucking spect! I don't want to have to endure the way your brother looks at me, I should never feel like that in a place you consider home. I should never be treated like a second rate citizen in a place where you are treated like a king. I could have been in Switzerland with Pali, Kevin and his family or spent Christmas with Pali's parents who have always treated me like their daughter, but I choose to be here with you because I saw this going somewhere."

"Saw?"

"Of course that is what you hear, you know what I am going to pack my things and head home." I stand up and he holds my hand ever so tenderly.

"Please don't leave, I am begging you, I will go on my knees, please don't go." I move my hand out of his and he stands up and nods his head before going downstairs.

I grab my suitcase and I start pulling my clothes out and putting them in my bag.

"Israel! Stop!" I hear faintly, I make my way downstairs to find Israel on top of Andrea, his fists covered in his brother's blood.

"Fighting your brother won't make me stay so you can stop." He looks at me before standing up and pointing at me with his bloody index finger.

"I was not hitting him to make you stay, I was hitting him because he hurt you, you want to leave, you can go, I want you to stay but I can not tie you to my bed and force you to stay. You want to leave, you can go but you and I both know that I will call you every day and I will be at your door, in your classroom, everywhere you are, I will be there because one thing that I will not allow is you leaving my life but you need space, I will give that to you but not for long."

"So you want me to leave, that's what I am hearing."

"You are infuriating, you know that. I want you to stay, I want you to be here tomorrow when my nieces and nephews open the gifts you got them, I want you here eating lunch with us, I want you around me more than I need air to breathe and you know that. I want you to stay but I won't force you to stay." Is he not gorgeous.

"Fine, I will stay, you can stop beating up people." I roll my eyes before he wraps his arms around me and kisses me with the life in him. For a moment we forget that his entire family was there during the entire scene. He places his forehead on mine.

"I don't like hearing you mention leaving me."

"I don't like leaving you but it's the only way to get your attention and even then you dumb things like beat up your brother." We release a laugh.