perfect, magical night to seal the deal with Big D. I knew this stupid formal thing would seem like exactly the right time. I snapped. I went completely mental, like when I thought of you with Dave.” His hands clenched, working his thumbs over his knuckles so that they cracked. “But this time was different—because I knew D deserved you. Still, all I could think about was you and D…together. I saw you smiling up at him and his hands…” He let out huff of air, and his eyes darted. “I walked into my house and Ellie immediately started bitching at me about God knows what. I couldn’t even listen to her. I just turned around and walked back out. I jumped into my car and took off, not even thinking about where I was going until I was on the highway to Indy.”
“Indianapolis?”
“Yup.”
“Indiana?”
“Is there another Indianapolis?”
“In your car?”
“Yeah.”
“So, it didn’t make it all the way,” she concluded, trying to piece together David’s evening. After all the incredible things he’d told her, he’d finally given her something tangible to wrap her mind around. She could imagine David’s crappy car speeding along a highway whereas she couldn’t yet fathom him having such intense feelings for her.
A small, ironic smile flashed across David’s lips. “It made it. I rolled into town and realized I had no idea which hotel this party was at. I’d left in such a rush, my phone was still back at the house, so no chance of looking up the info or calling anyone for it. I asked around with no luck. But that was a good thing. All the walking gave me time to think. I realized I was being a selfish prick. I had no right to insert myself into your big night.”
He pressed his lips together and tightened his eyes, squinting at his hands. It was a look of such raw pain that Jen had to fight an urge to jump up and wrap her arms around him.
He sniffed off the look, forcing a smile. “Besides, I had this vision of Big D and all his Sig Chi brothers pummeling me in the parking lot. I moped around the city for a while longer. Then I got back into my car and headed for home. I still knew I had to tell you how I felt, but it was only fair to let you and D have your night uninterrupted. I was driving home, wondering how I’d make it through until today without going insane, when the car crapped out along the side of the highway. Wouldn’t move at all. I hiked to the nearest exit and to a gas station and begged them to use the phone. Then I called the only person whose number I know from memory—Ellie”
Jen gasped. “What did you tell her?”
“I said I’d explain when she got there. As we drove home, since I was finally being honest with myself, I decided to keep that train rolling. I told her everything—how I didn’t love her, probably never did, and definitely never would.” He paused, locking his deep brown gaze on Jen through the screen of his long, messy bangs. “How you’re the only one I’ll ever really want.”
Jen held her breath for a second, liking it better when she wasn’t the focus of the story. “How did she take it?”
“Not well. She screamed horrible things at me most of the way home. You should definitely check under your bed tonight in case she’s hiding under there with a giant hatchet or something.” He gave Jen a wry smile and sighed. “She kicked my ass out of the car on a side road in the middle of a cornfield, way off campus. I walked for most of the morning and crashed on Beano’s couch all afternoon before coming here, which explains my stellar appearance.”
“So…I still don’t understand. You came here to tell me you love me but you can’t keep your dick in your pants long enough to ever be my boyfriend?”
David pushed himself to standing, keeping his gaze steady upon her. “I’m here to tell you that I love you, I have for a long time, and now, finally…I’m ready for you.” They stared at each other for a few silent moments before
“Indianapolis?”
“Yup.”
“Indiana?”
“Is there another Indianapolis?”
“In your car?”
“Yeah.”
“So, it didn’t make it all the way,” she concluded, trying to piece together David’s evening. After all the incredible things he’d told her, he’d finally given her something tangible to wrap her mind around. She could imagine David’s crappy car speeding along a highway whereas she couldn’t yet fathom him having such intense feelings for her.
A small, ironic smile flashed across David’s lips. “It made it. I rolled into town and realized I had no idea which hotel this party was at. I’d left in such a rush, my phone was still back at the house, so no chance of looking up the info or calling anyone for it. I asked around with no luck. But that was a good thing. All the walking gave me time to think. I realized I was being a selfish prick. I had no right to insert myself into your big night.”
He pressed his lips together and tightened his eyes, squinting at his hands. It was a look of such raw pain that Jen had to fight an urge to jump up and wrap her arms around him.
He sniffed off the look, forcing a smile. “Besides, I had this vision of Big D and all his Sig Chi brothers pummeling me in the parking lot. I moped around the city for a while longer. Then I got back into my car and headed for home. I still knew I had to tell you how I felt, but it was only fair to let you and D have your night uninterrupted. I was driving home, wondering how I’d make it through until today without going insane, when the car crapped out along the side of the highway. Wouldn’t move at all. I hiked to the nearest exit and to a gas station and begged them to use the phone. Then I called the only person whose number I know from memory—Ellie”
Jen gasped. “What did you tell her?”
“I said I’d explain when she got there. As we drove home, since I was finally being honest with myself, I decided to keep that train rolling. I told her everything—how I didn’t love her, probably never did, and definitely never would.” He paused, locking his deep brown gaze on Jen through the screen of his long, messy bangs. “How you’re the only one I’ll ever really want.”
Jen held her breath for a second, liking it better when she wasn’t the focus of the story. “How did she take it?”
“Not well. She screamed horrible things at me most of the way home. You should definitely check under your bed tonight in case she’s hiding under there with a giant hatchet or something.” He gave Jen a wry smile and sighed. “She kicked my ass out of the car on a side road in the middle of a cornfield, way off campus. I walked for most of the morning and crashed on Beano’s couch all afternoon before coming here, which explains my stellar appearance.”
“So…I still don’t understand. You came here to tell me you love me but you can’t keep your dick in your pants long enough to ever be my boyfriend?”
David pushed himself to standing, keeping his gaze steady upon her. “I’m here to tell you that I love you, I have for a long time, and now, finally…I’m ready for you.” They stared at each other for a few silent moments before
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