whole life.
“Have we not read the Student Handbook? Because I’m pretty sure they might frown upon that.”
“Well, you can’t just turn around to drive home now,” she countered with such simple matter-of-factness, as if that wasn’t exactly what he had to do.
“Rory?”
A girl with a loose blonde braid and a quilted duffel bag slung over one arm slowed to a stop on the sidewalk.
Her face lit up in recognition. “Allison! Hi, how are you!” She glanced back towards him, her hand in his. “This is my boyfriend, Matt.”
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
“Allison and I met at orientation. She’s going to be living in Boland, too,” she briefly explained, and then returned her attention to her new friend. “Have you met your roommate yet?”
“Yeah, her name’s Tara. She’s from New York, I guess. She’s seems nice. We were actually thinking about planning a little thing on our floor tonight. Order a bunch a pizzas or something later, if you’re interested.”
Her lips parted as if to respond, but then she seemed to change her mind, and shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe. But thanks for letting me know!”
Allison smiled, moving on. “Okay, well, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other.”
As Rory smiled after her, Matt’s gaze slowly swept over her face. She would never get this moment back, right on the edge of everything she ever wanted. And he’d never felt so far away.
“You should go,” he urged her gently, though it killed him a little bit to do so. “It’ll give you a chance to get to know some people before classes start.”
“But what about you?”
“I really gotta go. My brother needs his truck back tonight.”
“Matt…”
He silenced her quiet protest with another lingering kiss. He’d said his goodbyes to her a hundred times already this summer, in a thousand different little ways. He couldn’t do it again. He didn’t have any more left in him.
“Five weeks, right? You’ll be here for that long weekend?”
“Five weeks,” he agreed. They decided it sounded better that way, rather than measured in months—though it might as well have been years. He narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head to appraise her. “What is it?”
“What am I supposed to do without you?” she whispered.
It was a rare show of vulnerability for her to admit she depended upon him in any way, and normally it would have caused his heart to soar. Instead, Matt felt a swift drop inside his chest, sinking like a heavy stone in the deepest ocean.
“You’ll figure it out.” He hugged her close one more time before he released her and drew in a shaky breath, managing a smile—or at least something that resembled one.
“Call me as soon as you get home?” she asked. “Let me know you got back okay?”
“Of course.”
Hesitating, she lifted a hand to discreetly swipe at her eye, and then leaned up to give him one last kiss before turning away. She paused to greet some other new students gathered on the dorm steps, and after some initial reluctance, was drawn into the conversation.
Matt lingered another moment, maybe hoping to catch her eye one more time, even if just to smile or wave or exchange a glance. Finally he climbed into the driver’s seat of his brother’s truck, checking the rearview mirror before starting up the engine. He would need to stop for gas. It would be a much longer ride on the way home.
By the time Rory finally looked back, he was already gone.
***
The tiny brass bell above the door chimed as she stepped out of the crowded clothing boutique. Sipping an iced coffee, she perused the items folded on the table outside in the shade of the awning. It was the annual Memorial Day weekend boat regatta, parade, and sidewalk sale, and she was in dire need of some more appropriate summer attire outside her basic black PR girl style. She’d packed in anticipation of Jonathan’s play opening and private cocktail reception, and needed something a little
“Have we not read the Student Handbook? Because I’m pretty sure they might frown upon that.”
“Well, you can’t just turn around to drive home now,” she countered with such simple matter-of-factness, as if that wasn’t exactly what he had to do.
“Rory?”
A girl with a loose blonde braid and a quilted duffel bag slung over one arm slowed to a stop on the sidewalk.
Her face lit up in recognition. “Allison! Hi, how are you!” She glanced back towards him, her hand in his. “This is my boyfriend, Matt.”
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
“Allison and I met at orientation. She’s going to be living in Boland, too,” she briefly explained, and then returned her attention to her new friend. “Have you met your roommate yet?”
“Yeah, her name’s Tara. She’s from New York, I guess. She’s seems nice. We were actually thinking about planning a little thing on our floor tonight. Order a bunch a pizzas or something later, if you’re interested.”
Her lips parted as if to respond, but then she seemed to change her mind, and shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe. But thanks for letting me know!”
Allison smiled, moving on. “Okay, well, I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other.”
As Rory smiled after her, Matt’s gaze slowly swept over her face. She would never get this moment back, right on the edge of everything she ever wanted. And he’d never felt so far away.
“You should go,” he urged her gently, though it killed him a little bit to do so. “It’ll give you a chance to get to know some people before classes start.”
“But what about you?”
“I really gotta go. My brother needs his truck back tonight.”
“Matt…”
He silenced her quiet protest with another lingering kiss. He’d said his goodbyes to her a hundred times already this summer, in a thousand different little ways. He couldn’t do it again. He didn’t have any more left in him.
“Five weeks, right? You’ll be here for that long weekend?”
“Five weeks,” he agreed. They decided it sounded better that way, rather than measured in months—though it might as well have been years. He narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head to appraise her. “What is it?”
“What am I supposed to do without you?” she whispered.
It was a rare show of vulnerability for her to admit she depended upon him in any way, and normally it would have caused his heart to soar. Instead, Matt felt a swift drop inside his chest, sinking like a heavy stone in the deepest ocean.
“You’ll figure it out.” He hugged her close one more time before he released her and drew in a shaky breath, managing a smile—or at least something that resembled one.
“Call me as soon as you get home?” she asked. “Let me know you got back okay?”
“Of course.”
Hesitating, she lifted a hand to discreetly swipe at her eye, and then leaned up to give him one last kiss before turning away. She paused to greet some other new students gathered on the dorm steps, and after some initial reluctance, was drawn into the conversation.
Matt lingered another moment, maybe hoping to catch her eye one more time, even if just to smile or wave or exchange a glance. Finally he climbed into the driver’s seat of his brother’s truck, checking the rearview mirror before starting up the engine. He would need to stop for gas. It would be a much longer ride on the way home.
By the time Rory finally looked back, he was already gone.
***
The tiny brass bell above the door chimed as she stepped out of the crowded clothing boutique. Sipping an iced coffee, she perused the items folded on the table outside in the shade of the awning. It was the annual Memorial Day weekend boat regatta, parade, and sidewalk sale, and she was in dire need of some more appropriate summer attire outside her basic black PR girl style. She’d packed in anticipation of Jonathan’s play opening and private cocktail reception, and needed something a little
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