Page 26 of Love Always


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“Shit.”I said, standing up with my pants at my feet and my shirt soaked.

“It’s alright,” she giggled.“I’ll grab you one of my dad’s old t-shirts, hang on.”

While she ran upstairs for a new shirt, I took mine off and zipped up my pants.Fuck, what am I doing here?I asked myself, raking my hand through my hair.I don’t even really like this girl, do I?She’s so damn mean and stuck up, but damn, that was good.

Maggie returned, tossing me an old blackAerosmitht-shirt and I pulled it on.“I’m sorry, Maggie, I gotta go.”I told her, walking up the stairs.

“Wait, did I do something wrong?”she was pouting.

“No.No, it was great.I just … I have to go.I walked back and quickly kissed her on the cheek and ran up the stairs and out the door.

It took about ten minutes for me to walk a couple of blocks to the 711 and I called Dane from the pay phone outside to pick me up.He said he’d be there in a few minutes.I hung up the phone and picked it back up again, hesitating, with my fingers over the buttons.I shook my head and dialed Ellie’s pager number.The music played out in my ear “So don’t hang up the phone now.I’m tryin’ to figure out just what to do… BEEP”

Ellie and her boy bands; I smiled at the thought of her and her music choices then I entered my code that I only send to her when I’m thinking about her”1439914399” and hung it up just as Dane pulled into the parking lot.

“What are you wearing dude?”he asked as I climbed into his black Camaro and slammed the door.

“Don’t ask.”I said.

“I thought you were hanging out with Maggie tonight?”

“I was and now I’m not.Your place?”

“Oookay.”He put the car in drive and started to head to his house.“You gonna tell me what just happened?”

“She fucked me, and I freaked dude.”I swiped my hands through my hair, trying to gather my thoughts that were all jumbled in my head like puzzle pieces.I looked out the window and sighed.“And the whole time, all I could think about was that I wish this was Ellie.I freaked out and then she gave me a shirt and I told her I had to go.I don’t know why.”I probably just ruined any chance I had with Maggie.I’m not even sure if I want a chance with her.I’m so confused.

“Ah.Okay.”It was all he said in response and then we drove the rest of the way in silence, and I was grateful for that.I just needed to think.When we got to Dane’s, he grabbed two cokes from the fridge, and we sat on the couch in the living room.

He popped his open and turned to me, “Okay, hear me out.I know she’s not your dream girl, man, but maybe you just need to have some fun.Loosen up, ride the wave, see where it takes you.Maybe you end up with the right girl in the end, maybe you don’t.But at least you’ll have experienced something.”I thought about that for the next few minutes, sipping on my coke.Dane’s not usually this insightful with his advice, especially when it comes to girls, but this was pretty spot on with what I needed to hear.

“Maybe you’re right.Think I should call Maggie tomorrow and apologize for running out on her?”

He pointed a finger at me while he finished his gulp of coke, indicating he agreed with me.“That’s probably a good idea.I’ll drive you back over in the morning.”

“Thanks.”

Dane let me crash on his couch for the night.His parents were out at some fundraiser, schmoozing with their business partners.Usually they come home, falling out of a taxi and stumbling in after 1’oclock in the morning, but either I was so out of it that I didn’t hear them this time, or they never came home.I did get some much needed sleep and when I woke up, I was feeling energized and motivated.

After I got showered and changed, I called Maggie and told her I was sorry for leaving so quickly.I asked if she wanted to grab some breakfast and Dane took me to her house.I thought we would walk to McDonalds around the corner and talk, but when she opened the door, I could smell bacon sizzling in the kitchen.

“Thought I’d make up for your rough night with some bacon, egg and cheese bagels.”She smiled.

“That sounds great right about now.”I pulled out a stool at the island and sat down and she handed me a plate.She’s actually being nice right now; this is a big change.Maybe I could get used to this side of Maggie.

When we finished eating, I got up to put my plate in the sink, but she stopped me, placing her hand on top of mine on the counter.She hesitated for a second, keeping her eyes on our hands before looking at me and then back down at our hands.

“What happened last night – we don’t have to do it again if you don’t want to.”She paused again and then looking up at me and smiling, “I really like you, Lee, so, if you just want to hang out with me and not have sex, I’m okay with that.”

My eyes blinked a couple times, taking in the sincerity in her voice.I remembered what Dane said last night about riding the wave and seeing where it takes me, so I grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her hard.We stood up and she took my hand, guiding me upstairs to her bedroom.

Maggie and I became an official item that day.

Chapter Sixteen

ELLIE

19 years earlier