To get rid of the suds still dripping off my hands, I give them a quick rinse, wipe up the drips from the floor, and then head into the office. It’s mostly Trent’s, but I have a small corner desk and my laptop.
The first email I have makes me cringe, something about a reminder for the reunion.
And then my mind goes somewhere I was hoping to avoid.
David Tinkertton.
Maybe he won’t go. Maybe I can avoid him completely.
All doubtful. Even ten years later, I still get random Facebook messages and comments from him. He never let go, and while Trent isn’t mad about it, he doesn’t love it either.
Though, he has nobody to blame but himself.
Chapter 7
Eleven Years Ago
It’sbeenmonthssinceTrent shattered my heart, and I’ve yet to move on. Veronica thinks I’m being melodramatic because I still cry about him. But she doesn’t understand how much of the relationship she didn’t see and how much I loved him. Love him. Because if I’m honest with myself, I still do.
How could I not? He was my first everything.
She thinks the best way to get over him is to get with somebody else, but it just feels icky and wrong to think about letting another person touch me the way Trent did.
“What do you plan to become, a nun? Comeon,Les.” She cracks her gum as she pesters me yet again about moving on. Her shoulder rests against the locker next to mine, David Tinkertton’s.
He’s nice enough, and definitely attractive with his dark hair and green eyes, but he’s quiet and sullen. When I say ‘hi’ I usually get a small nod in return.
According to the rumor mill, he’s had a crush on me since eighth grade, not that I’d ever know or truly be able to tell since he can barely look at me.
I slam my locker shut just as he walks up. Veronica falls into step beside me as we walk toward pre-calc. A prickling at the back of my neck makes me turn around, and I find David’s green eyes locked on me. So maybe he can look at me, just not when I’m looking back at him.
Something burns in his irises before his cheeks pinken and he turns away.
Interesting.
The rest of the day drones on. It’s not until I’m at my locker again gathering my things to leave that I feel the burn of somebody staring at me again. I used to feel it all the time when Trent was here, because he was always looking at me from across the hall or anytime we were even near each other.
But now, I know it’s somebody else.
I lift my gaze to find David glancing in my direction.
“Hi.” Being polite isn’t the worst thing in the world.
“Hey.” Shock coils up my spine as this is the first time he’s responded to me. It’s not like we’ve never talked, things just changed as we got older, and now we’re in two different social circles. Besides, he’s very quiet.
“How come you don’t talk to me?” If I have his attention and he’s talking to me, I may as well try to get something out of it. Worst case he clams up again.
“Because I’m intimidated by you.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Me? Why?”
“You were a sophomore dating a senior, and you’re stunningly beautiful. Please tell me you know that.” The way his brow furrows I assume he’s serious.
I loop a curl behind my ear. “I don’t, but we all see ourselves in different lights.”
We stare at each other in silence for a minute with our locker doors both open. “Are the rumors true?” I don’t know why I blurt that out, something about his presence makes me lose my filter.
“I suppose you’re only asking about a certain set of them, which yes, they are. But why do you care if I have a crush on you? Or had?” His face scrunches as he asks.
