girls. You’re a good looking young man, new athlete on campus. They’ll be sniffing around you every chance they get. How’s she know you’ll be able to handle that? Better yet, do you know you’ll be able to handle that? You could worry the same thing about her, you know. First time living out from under her dad’s roof, first time you guys have been apart, and boys will notice her, son. Maybe you ought to cool off and see where things go? That out of sight out of mind stuff can get tricky.”
“Dad, guys notice her now. Girls notice me now. She will never be out of my mind. I want Laney, only Laney.”
“Yeah, I know. Now go tell her.”
Chapter 10
Backburner
~Laney~
I may be almost nineteen years old and about to start college, but The Fox and the Hound is a classic, and this really is therapeutic; anything Disney is , really. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve made Evan sit through this movie; basically anytime he’d screwed up and I felt he needed a reminder of friendship. Right now I’m watching to remind myself. Oh, here it comes…
“Copper, you’re my best friend.”
“And you’re mine too, Tod.”
“And we’ll always be friends forever. Won’t we?”
“Yeah, forever.”
Wait for it, wait for it….and there’s the tears.
I can’t fight with Evan.
In a few weeks he’ll be gone. There’s no way I’m spending our dwindling time together fighting. Time right now is precious. He is precious. I’m not too proud to extend the branch first, but I’m snuggly, so a text will have to do.
Laney: Hey Tod
….oh I know he got it, the text and the reference. Is he really ignoring—
Evan: Hey Copper
Laney: You’re my best friend
Evan: And you are mine, and so much more, forever
Laney: Where are you?
Evan: Sitting under your window
Laney: Creeper
Evan: Guilty
Laney: Movie?
Evan: Open up
The window isn’t locked and he knows it. He chastises me for it constantly, but I’m actually proud he held out for once and let me come to him. I want things to be okay so badly. I hate fighting with him and feeling insecure, but I couldn’t live through him cheating on me.
Cheating is more than betrayal. It’s letting a selfish, physical need take over with blatant disregard for the other person’s feelings, as if they’re of no value. If Evan ever treated me with that type of disrespect, it would change us forever. It would hurt way more than this.
Do I want to think of him with another girl? Hell no. But thinking of him not caring if he hurts me, even for the few minutes it takes to get to the goal line hurts much worse. If we’re not “together,” not only is he not physically cheating, he’s not emotionally cheating…the ultimate deal breaker for me.
I scoot over and make room for him, pulling down the covers. “Evan, I don’t want to fight with you. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want you to hurt me. Please say we’re okay.”
I feel him sigh, reaching out his arm so I can snuggle in against him. He’s so warm and solid; this is the best spot in the whole world.
“This is all because I broke a promise to you. I’ve never broken a promise to you and this is why; look at us. I’m supposed to be with you, I said I would be.” He looks so sad and broken. “Laneybaby, I’m so sorry I walked away. I just had to make sense of what you said and how it made me feel. All I heard was that you don’t trust me, but I realize you were saying that you do trust me, enough to tell me your fears. Maybe you were a little harsh.” He smiles slightly, but not a real smile. He props up on one elbow, looking down at me lovingly, desperately. “I get what you’re saying, Laney, I do. There’ll be girls and parties, but there’ll be boys and parties where you are, too. All I can tell you, with all my heart, is that there is only one you. I’d never risk this; us.”
God, he’s amazing. I know he believes everything he just said, and I know he’d die
“Dad, guys notice her now. Girls notice me now. She will never be out of my mind. I want Laney, only Laney.”
“Yeah, I know. Now go tell her.”
Chapter 10
Backburner
~Laney~
I may be almost nineteen years old and about to start college, but The Fox and the Hound is a classic, and this really is therapeutic; anything Disney is , really. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve made Evan sit through this movie; basically anytime he’d screwed up and I felt he needed a reminder of friendship. Right now I’m watching to remind myself. Oh, here it comes…
“Copper, you’re my best friend.”
“And you’re mine too, Tod.”
“And we’ll always be friends forever. Won’t we?”
“Yeah, forever.”
Wait for it, wait for it….and there’s the tears.
I can’t fight with Evan.
In a few weeks he’ll be gone. There’s no way I’m spending our dwindling time together fighting. Time right now is precious. He is precious. I’m not too proud to extend the branch first, but I’m snuggly, so a text will have to do.
Laney: Hey Tod
….oh I know he got it, the text and the reference. Is he really ignoring—
Evan: Hey Copper
Laney: You’re my best friend
Evan: And you are mine, and so much more, forever
Laney: Where are you?
Evan: Sitting under your window
Laney: Creeper
Evan: Guilty
Laney: Movie?
Evan: Open up
The window isn’t locked and he knows it. He chastises me for it constantly, but I’m actually proud he held out for once and let me come to him. I want things to be okay so badly. I hate fighting with him and feeling insecure, but I couldn’t live through him cheating on me.
Cheating is more than betrayal. It’s letting a selfish, physical need take over with blatant disregard for the other person’s feelings, as if they’re of no value. If Evan ever treated me with that type of disrespect, it would change us forever. It would hurt way more than this.
Do I want to think of him with another girl? Hell no. But thinking of him not caring if he hurts me, even for the few minutes it takes to get to the goal line hurts much worse. If we’re not “together,” not only is he not physically cheating, he’s not emotionally cheating…the ultimate deal breaker for me.
I scoot over and make room for him, pulling down the covers. “Evan, I don’t want to fight with you. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want you to hurt me. Please say we’re okay.”
I feel him sigh, reaching out his arm so I can snuggle in against him. He’s so warm and solid; this is the best spot in the whole world.
“This is all because I broke a promise to you. I’ve never broken a promise to you and this is why; look at us. I’m supposed to be with you, I said I would be.” He looks so sad and broken. “Laneybaby, I’m so sorry I walked away. I just had to make sense of what you said and how it made me feel. All I heard was that you don’t trust me, but I realize you were saying that you do trust me, enough to tell me your fears. Maybe you were a little harsh.” He smiles slightly, but not a real smile. He props up on one elbow, looking down at me lovingly, desperately. “I get what you’re saying, Laney, I do. There’ll be girls and parties, but there’ll be boys and parties where you are, too. All I can tell you, with all my heart, is that there is only one you. I’d never risk this; us.”
God, he’s amazing. I know he believes everything he just said, and I know he’d die
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