We rounded a corner and came across a nice open park. West led me over to a bench and we both took a seat as we stared out. At one point, I felt West’s eyes on me and I turned to see him watching me. I smiled under his gaze, but he didn’t return it.
“What is it?” I asked.
“You have no idea how beautiful you are,” he said, his voice thick. I blushed at his sweet words. Even though West had never been shy with his compliments, it still made my stomach flutter every time he sent one my way. “Lennon, any guy would be so lucky to have you.”
“There’s only one that I want,” I whispered back. West grinned at me then and it caused my heart to flip around in my chest.
“I’m yours Lennon. I never said I wasn’t. I just didn’t want you jumping into something so soon. I know you say that you’re okay, but you can’t expect me to believe that.”
“I am though,” I argued. West cupped my cheek in his hand the same way he had back at his house.
“How about for now, we just take things slow?” He asked. “There’s no need to rush. I’m not going anywhere.” I hesitated for a second before finally nodding my head.
We stayed at the park for a little while longer just enjoying being together again. When it started to get pretty dark, we finally made our way back to the truck. Since I had no intention of driving all the way back that night, West offered to let me stay in the spare bedroom.
I waited until everyone had gone to bed before I slowly crept out of my bedroom and made my way down the hall. I saw a faint glow coming from underneath West’s door so I tapped on it before slowly turning the knob and opening it. He looked over as I stepped into his room.
“Len?” He asked. I turned the lock before I walked over to his bed and stood at the edge of it.
“I know we’re taking things slow, and I’m okay with that, but I was hoping that maybe…just for tonight…” I hesitated. I wasn’t sure how to ask for what I wanted. I felt embarrassed. West was watching me with anticipation. “…could I stay in here with you?”
A slow smile spread across West’s face before he moved the covers to the side and let me climb in next to him. He held me against him like I was the most precious thing in the world. It didn’t take long before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, I woke up to a cell phone ringing. I looked over and noticed that it was West’s. I looked around for any sign of him, but he wasn’t there. Slowly, I stood up and walked out into the hallway. I could hear the shower running, and the closer I got, I recognized West’s off key singing.
I couldn’t help but smile at the way he butchered the classic Journey song. It was obvious he was in a pleasant mood. I wished I were brave enough to step into the bathroom and join him, but I knew I wasn’t. So, instead, I made my way to the kitchen. I looked around for something I could make and finally decided that I was in a very pancake mood. I’d never made them before, and I wasn’t entirely confident in my abilities, but I was going to go for it anyway.
I had a small stack ready by the time West sauntered into the kitchen. He smelled clean and manly with his usual citrus scent. He came over to where I was standing and pressed a sweet kiss to my temple. Then he walked over and opened the fridge to get himself a bottle of water.
“You don’t have to cook every time you come over, you know?” He teased. I smiled over my shoulder at him and the grin he gave me back made my knees weak. I’d forgotten how good he looked in the mornings and especially after a fresh shower.
“I don’t mind,” I said as I added another pancake to my stack. I rinsed out my pan before I started on my eggs. West watched silently as I made him a full plate of food. I know he liked to tease me about my lack of skill when it came to cooking, but I’d gotten better over the years and based on the way he licked his lips, I’d say he was too hungry to care anyway.
We sat and ate together and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was where we would be someday. Just enjoying breakfast together before he’d go off to practice and I’d go to wherever I would end up. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t easy to picture it. I smiled at the thought and West quirked one brow back at me.
“What?” I shook my head.
“Nothing just thinking.”
“About?” He prodded.
“This is nice. I like getting to sit and have breakfast with you in the morning.” He smiled a wide toothy grin back at me, and it was the most handsome I’d ever seen him. He looked happy, and I couldn’t help but think I’d had a part in making him that way.
After breakfast, we went for a drive. West wouldn’t tell me where he was taking me, but that didn’t keep me from trying to guess. When I saw the space shuttle up ahead, I nearly squealed with excitement. West chuckled as he pulled his truck into one of the spaces.
We spent the whole day learning everything there was to know about space, the shuttle, astronauts, and several other things that I never realized I wanted to know. It was incredible, and I will never forget the way it felt to walk around with my hand tucked snuggly inside West’s. For one whole day, we got to find out what it would be like to be a normal couple.
When we got back to West’s house, his roommate, Jeremy, came out to greet us. He was holding a cell phone in his hand. “Dude, this thing has been going off like the whole time you’ve been gone,” he said as he brought the phone over and dropped it in West’s hand. He glanced my way and flashed me a brief smile before turning back to West.
Sure enough, as it sat in West’s hand, it started going off again. West’s forehead furrowed in confusion as he looked down at the screen. “California?” He asked.
“That’s the same number that’s been calling,” Jeremy said a little excitedly. Realization washed over West’s features and he quickly tapped the button before holding up the phone to his ear.
“This is Weston Blake.” I looked to Jeremy for some sign of what was happening since he seemed to have a clue, but his focus was honed in on West. “Oh, hey…yeah?…thank you…” a wide smile spread across West’s face as he listened intently to what the person on the other end of the phone was saying to him. “Seriously?…Yeah…Of course, I’ll be there…Thank you.” West ended the call and looked over at a beaming Jeremy.
“Dude?” Jeremy questioned.
“Yeah.” That was all West said back, but it was enough apparently. Jeremy threw his fist in the air with a loud ‘fuck yeah’ added to it. West looked over at me, and he looked happier than I had ever seen him. Then without warning, he pulled my face to his for a passionate kiss. My hands rested over his that were cupping my face as I melted against his lips. He pulled back, leaving me feeling a bit dizzy and all kinds of confused.
He climbed out of the truck right after that and I quickly followed suit. Jeremy clapped a hand on his back and the two of them looked beyond excited. West pulled me against him as we walked into the house.
Paul was sitting in the kitchen munching on a sandwich when the three of us walked in. Jeremy immediately went over to him and shook him as he explained that West had just got ‘the call’. Paul’s eyes widened as he looked over at me and West.
“No way!” He exclaimed. West nodded enthusiastically. “Dude, that’s amazing! Congrats!” I was at such a loss, but it seemed foolish of me to ask what was going on right then. They were too busy celebrating whatever good news West had just received. So, I put a smile on my face and waited for my chance to be alone with him again so I could ask.
After another round of congrats and shocked happiness, West and I finally made our way back to his bedroom. He was still in a state of utter bliss, and his overall attitude was infectious. I couldn’t help but smile as he fell back onto his bed with a wide happy grin spread across his handsome face.
“So…” I started. He looked over at me, eager for what I might say. “What was that phone call?”
“Oh my god, I’m sorry, I didn’t even think,” he began. He sat up on the bed and I slid on my knees on top of his mattress. He turne
d to face me. “That was Roy Ornell. He’s a sports agent out in California.”
“West, that’s great!” I said happily. Now, it completely made sense why all the guys had been so excited. A call from an agent was the first step to West going pro.
“Yeah, he said he caught the game this weekend. He thinks he can get me into some meetings with some coaches and stuff. I might get to go pro, Len.” I didn’t need to be told what a huge deal this was for him. I already knew.
“That’s…wow.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. I also wasn’t sure what that would mean for us. Did he want me to wait? I would. I would wait forever for West. “When will you be back?”
I expected him to say a few days, maybe even a week at most. He glanced off to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. I immediately knew I wasn’t going to like his answer. “I might not come back,” he said. “If I get a contract, then that means I’ll be playing pro ball. I won’t be coming back to school if that happens.” It felt like the world suddenly started to spin. How could this be happening? How were we being pulled apart again?
“Oh…” I began. I could feel my eyes begin to water, and I tried like hell to keep the tears at bay. “…that’s great.”
“Len…” he coaxed. I stood up from his bed and wiped quickly at my eyes. It was no use. The tears were already starting to fall. I heard him stand up from the bed, but I couldn’t bring myself to face him. I knew this was a huge opportunity for him. I was so proud of him for making his dreams come true. I just hated what that meant for us. My chest ached at all the time I had wasted by not ending things with Stetson when I should have. Then again, it probably wouldn’t have changed anything. It seemed like maybe West and I were actually destined to be apart rather than together like I had always hoped.
“Please don’t be upset,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. He felt so warm and comfortable. He felt like home, and that made this whole thing somehow worse.
“No, this is great, West. I’m so happy for you.” My voice shook with my words and it made him squeeze me even tighter.
“I want to ask you something,” he whispered against my hair. I nodded my head.
“Okay.”
“I want you to look at me when I do.” I let out a shaky breath while I tried to compose myself enough to turn and face him. When I felt like I wasn’t going to burst into tears, I finally turned in his grasp so we were face to face. Those stormy blue eyes of his looked more intense than I had ever seen him. It was obvious that whatever he was about to say was something serious. I braced myself for anything.
“I won’t ask you to be with me, because I don’t think that’s fair. I won’t ask you to wait for me, because I don’t really think I’m worth that.”
“We-” I began, but he cut me off.
“I will ask you not to push me away again though. I can’t lose you again, Lennon. I hate not having you in my life, and I don’t want to do that anymore. So, while it might not be exactly what I want for us, it’s what I’m going to ask you for.”
Rather than answer him with words, I leaned up and pressed my lips against his. His arms wrapped themselves around me as he held me closer. It wasn’t what I had in mind for us, not by a long shot, but I had to believe that someday, somehow we would be together again.
After all, Weston Blake was my meant to be.
Thirty-Seven
I hated West being in California. It might not have been so bad, but thanks to his schedule and mine basically being during opposite ends of the day, we seldom got to talk to each other. The few times we did manage to get a hold of the other on the phone, the conversations were brief and lacking. I was missing him like crazy and in turn was driving the girls a little crazy too.
They let it carry on for a few months, but by March, they’d had enough of my moping around. So, they came up with a plan that I knew nothing about. I’ll hand it to them, for being girls that were terrible at keeping things secret, they’re ability to hold this in was kind of astounding.
So, anyway, a few days after St. Patrick’s Day, I was working in the library when I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize. I ignored it the first few times, but by the fourth call, I figured it must be something important, and I answered.
Some guy who’s name I don’t remember frantically told me that my house was on fire and that I needed to get home immediately. So, I made my excuses to the head librarian and I dashed like a mad woman back home. Imagine my surprise, when I pulled up and noticed the house was still in the same slightly less than perfect condition it had been in when I left.
I figured since my boss already expected me to be gone for the evening, I took the opportunity and called it an early night. I thought there might be a chance that I could catch West before he turned in for the night and then maybe we could have an actual decent conversation for once.
I made my way inside and the first red flag went up. The entire place was pitch black, and the girls seldom ever left it that way. Even when they went out, they usually made sure to keep one light on to ward anyone off that might have tried to get inside seeing as how the place was empty.
I flicked the switch by the door and the second the room was bathed in a warm glow, the place erupted with shouts of surprise. I nearly jumped out of my skin and I placed my hand over my chest as a way to try and calm down my rapid heartbeat.
The girls made their way toward me and pulled me into a friendly hug. “We so got you,” Layla said triumphantly. Bri and Jessie echoed her self-praise. Then I saw a familiar face coming toward me from the crowd. Katie. I smiled wide before stepping toward her and pulling her into a hug.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m here for your surprise impromptu super early birthday party, what else?” She asked, grinning that trademark ‘Blake’ grin.
“What?” I asked as I turned toward the girls.
“Well, we were thinking that you could use a little pick me up. You’ve been kind of mopey lately and what better way to get you out of that funk than by throwing an epic party,” Layla said as she held her arms open above her head.
“And since your birthday isn’t for another six weeks, we figured you’d never see it coming,” Bri added. Jessie beamed next to her. I couldn’t help but smile. I really was incredibly lucky to have met those girls. They always knew just how to make me feel better.
“Now, let’s go get you changed,” Katie said before she started nudging me down the hall toward my bedroom. Once we were alone, she turned on me. “Len, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, hoping she bought it. The skeptical eyebrow raise she gave me said otherwise.
“The girls told me that you’ve barely left your room since before Christmas break. What’s going on?”
“Nothing, you know how they can be a little overly dramatic.” She frowned before she came over and took a seat on the edge of my bed.
“Len, whatever it is, you know you can tell me. I know we don’t get to talk as much anymore, but I’m still your best friend and you’re still mine.” I smiled back at her.
“Thanks Katie. I’m fine. Really, I’ve just had a lot on my mind and I’ve been really trying to focus on school this year. Senior year is right around the corner and I don’t want anything to keep me from graduating.” She rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, because that’s a possibility, and that’s still like a year away.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Okay, well, I mean it. If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, about this outfit.” She motioned toward me and crinkled her nose in disgust. I looked down at my plain white tee shirt and skinny jeans. Then I looked back at Katie.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Well for one thing, it doesn’t exactly scream sexy. I’m sure it sends all the guy at the library into a frenzy, but I’m afraid it won’t do much for this crowd. We need something amazing, something you won’t find in a lib
rary.” I’d learned over the years that it was better just to go along with her rather than argue. She was going to get her way in the end anyway, so I might as well just go willingly.
She raided my whole closet before pulling out this nice blue dress that I was saving for the next time West was in town. I had bought it with him in mind, seeing as how Navy blue was his favorite color. Katie held it up and I could see her eyes widen from where I was standing.
Her reaction wasn’t completely surprising. The dress was definitely more risqué than most things I wore. She held it out to me. “This is hella hot, Len.” I walked over and took the dress from her.
“Thank you,” I said before I returned it back to my closet. Katie frowned from next to me.
“What are you doing? You should totally wear that.” I shook my head.
“No, it’s for something special.” Her frown deepened.
“Babe, why are you so scared to let people see you?” She asked. I looked back at her with a questioning glance.
“I’m not.”
“You are. You hide behind clothes that are too big for you. You work in a library so you don’t have to worry about people talking to you…”
“I work in a library because I love books,” I corrected her.
“I just think you’re missing out on all the fun you could be having. College is supposed to be the time of your life. It’s when you find out who you are.” Her words were similar to the same ones West had told me just before I first left Leering. I couldn’t help but think that maybe I had been letting college slip right by me. I looked back at Katie.
“Okay, but pick something else. I don’t want to wear that.”
She looked slightly disappointed, but I think she saw the silver lining that I was opening up. She went to work and by the time she was done, I looked like a completely different girl. My long hair was curled and twisted up on top of my head. My make up was done to perfection and my outfit was still me, but with a twist.
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