nutshell, it’s about Jungian individuation in Shakespeare.”
“That’s a heavy topic.”
“It’s fascinating when I’m in a good head space, but crippling when I’m not. I had to walk away from it after the fiasco with Nicola. Then I spent a month re-reading what I’d written before. It was like someone else had written it. It was almost like starting from scratch.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“Then I had to prepare it for acceptance here at U of T. Nothing I’d done at Oxford guaranteed I’d get the go-ahead over here.”
“I hate that girl. When I think of the way her false accusations have affected you, it’s…” I shook my head.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Old wounds.”
He held me for a few moments, and we lay there in silence. Then I remembered something.
“Hey, Daniel?”
“Hmm?”
“What’s your middle name?”
“Garrison. Same as my dad’s.”
“That’s a cool name.”
He smiled up at the ceiling. “What’s yours?”
“Lynn.”
“Aubrey Lynn. I like that.”
“Thanks. Okay, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”
He shifted slightly to look down at me. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. Remember I told you I was thinking about crazy stuff earlier before I cock-blocked you? This is what I was thinking about. I need to know.”
“Hang on. I was on the verge of jizzing in my jeans, and you were thinking about middle names and ice cream?”
I laughed. “I was caught up in the moment, but it was hard to lose myself in the throes of passion when there are so many things I don’t know about you.”
“Of course. How ridiculous of me. Vanilla. That’s my favorite flavor of ice cream. No scratch that, French vanilla. What’s yours?”
“Chocolate. I love anything chocolate. When’s your birthday?”
“June twenty-sixth. You?”
“December thirteenth. And get this—I was born on a Friday.”
“Seriously? Then it’s official. I fucking love Friday the thirteenth,” he declared.
“Yeah, I think maybe I’m won over, too,” I said. “Okay, one last question. I take my coffee with milk and sugar. How do you take it?”
“Black.”
“Ew, really?”
“Yeah, I don’t like it all creamy.”
I snickered, unable to contain my naughty smile.
He rolled me onto my back and propped himself up on his elbow again. “Do you have to turn everything into a dirty joke? No wonder Penny likes you so much. You’re cut from the same cloth.”
“And you adore her, so I’m not about to change now.”
“Good. I love you exactly the way you are.”
“Do you mean that?” I asked.
“Of course. You’re perfect just the—”
“No, the other part. The love part,” I said, squirming a little.
“Well, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s sort of a figure of speech, isn’t it? What do you think? Can you see yourself falling in love with me one day?”
The room was extremely quiet all of a sudden, making my breathing and my pounding heart seem very loud. I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and shrugged self-consciously. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s already happening.” I held my breath, waiting for his reaction.
“Maybe?” he asked.
“I’d say a definite maybe, yeah.”
“I’ll take it,” he said, kissing me softly. “And God knows I shouldn’t say this, but since I already suggested as much when we were out for our walk earlier—I definitely maybe feel the same way.”
“Really?”
Daniel Grant is definitely maybe falling in love with me! I kissed him enthusiastically, but he pushed me away gently.
“I can’t breathe.” He laughed.
“Sorry,” I said, unable to contain my smile.
“Don’t be. You’re wonderful.” He brushed my hair over my shoulder. “So, do you have your phone with you tonight?”
“Yes. It’s in my coat pocket.”
“Mind if I grab it?”
“No, go ahead.”
He left and returned a moment later with my phone. He dropped back onto the bed.
“Will
“That’s a heavy topic.”
“It’s fascinating when I’m in a good head space, but crippling when I’m not. I had to walk away from it after the fiasco with Nicola. Then I spent a month re-reading what I’d written before. It was like someone else had written it. It was almost like starting from scratch.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“Then I had to prepare it for acceptance here at U of T. Nothing I’d done at Oxford guaranteed I’d get the go-ahead over here.”
“I hate that girl. When I think of the way her false accusations have affected you, it’s…” I shook my head.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Old wounds.”
He held me for a few moments, and we lay there in silence. Then I remembered something.
“Hey, Daniel?”
“Hmm?”
“What’s your middle name?”
“Garrison. Same as my dad’s.”
“That’s a cool name.”
He smiled up at the ceiling. “What’s yours?”
“Lynn.”
“Aubrey Lynn. I like that.”
“Thanks. Okay, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”
He shifted slightly to look down at me. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. Remember I told you I was thinking about crazy stuff earlier before I cock-blocked you? This is what I was thinking about. I need to know.”
“Hang on. I was on the verge of jizzing in my jeans, and you were thinking about middle names and ice cream?”
I laughed. “I was caught up in the moment, but it was hard to lose myself in the throes of passion when there are so many things I don’t know about you.”
“Of course. How ridiculous of me. Vanilla. That’s my favorite flavor of ice cream. No scratch that, French vanilla. What’s yours?”
“Chocolate. I love anything chocolate. When’s your birthday?”
“June twenty-sixth. You?”
“December thirteenth. And get this—I was born on a Friday.”
“Seriously? Then it’s official. I fucking love Friday the thirteenth,” he declared.
“Yeah, I think maybe I’m won over, too,” I said. “Okay, one last question. I take my coffee with milk and sugar. How do you take it?”
“Black.”
“Ew, really?”
“Yeah, I don’t like it all creamy.”
I snickered, unable to contain my naughty smile.
He rolled me onto my back and propped himself up on his elbow again. “Do you have to turn everything into a dirty joke? No wonder Penny likes you so much. You’re cut from the same cloth.”
“And you adore her, so I’m not about to change now.”
“Good. I love you exactly the way you are.”
“Do you mean that?” I asked.
“Of course. You’re perfect just the—”
“No, the other part. The love part,” I said, squirming a little.
“Well, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s sort of a figure of speech, isn’t it? What do you think? Can you see yourself falling in love with me one day?”
The room was extremely quiet all of a sudden, making my breathing and my pounding heart seem very loud. I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and shrugged self-consciously. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s already happening.” I held my breath, waiting for his reaction.
“Maybe?” he asked.
“I’d say a definite maybe, yeah.”
“I’ll take it,” he said, kissing me softly. “And God knows I shouldn’t say this, but since I already suggested as much when we were out for our walk earlier—I definitely maybe feel the same way.”
“Really?”
Daniel Grant is definitely maybe falling in love with me! I kissed him enthusiastically, but he pushed me away gently.
“I can’t breathe.” He laughed.
“Sorry,” I said, unable to contain my smile.
“Don’t be. You’re wonderful.” He brushed my hair over my shoulder. “So, do you have your phone with you tonight?”
“Yes. It’s in my coat pocket.”
“Mind if I grab it?”
“No, go ahead.”
He left and returned a moment later with my phone. He dropped back onto the bed.
“Will
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