conversation dwindled into nothing and an awkward silence soon took its place in the space between us.
“So, this is fun,” I snorted sarcastically. Spencer was still Spencer, rife with his judgmental attitude and pathetic little insecurities.
“Sorry,” Spencer replied, finishing his beer. “Just lost in thought.”
Yeah, right, I thought.
His phone buzzed from his pocket, and impulsively he pulled it out to check it. He looked annoyed as he typed a quick message back to the sender. So much for no cell phones.
“Why don’t you ever come home in the summer?” I asked. “I always thought I’d run into you around town.”
“I’ve never had a good reason to,” he said with a shrug. “Summers in Nashville are great. I used to stay in the frat house, but some of my friends and I got an apartment this year. It’s a year lease. May as well stay, if I’m paying.”
“You’re in a frat?” My jaw dropped. “I should’ve known. Very corny, Spencer.”
“I know,” he said with an eye roll. “My dad thought it would be a good way for me to make lifelong connections that would help me out down the road.”
His phone buzzed again, and once again he checked it and typed out a quick response.
“I thought we said no phones tonight?” I said, watching his face contort into an annoyed wince. I could feel the undercurrent of an argument forming, just like old times, and Spencer was too preoccupied to even hear what I’d just said. “I need a ride to my car.”
He looked up from his phone. “You’re not ready to go, are you?”
I thought about reaming him for turning into a jerk in the middle of our date and ruining what should’ve been a magical evening, but it wasn’t worth the effort. In that moment, all I could think about was getting to Julian. I hated myself for ditching him in his moment of need for a little bit of gratification with stupid Spencer.
Stupid, stupid girl.
“I really need to go check on Julian,” I said, annoyed that he was delaying things for no good reason. “I’m worried about him.”
“You really care that much about him?”
“I do,” I said. It was the truth.
“I’ll get the check.” He looked irritated as he got up from our cozy booth and flagged down our waitress.
I heard a buzz from across the table and realized he’d left his phone. I flipped around to see him standing up at the cash register, paying, and I reached across the table and grabbed his phone. I deserved to know who was so damn important that it warranted him spoiling our little evening together.
The screen showed a new text from someone named Elise that read, “Don’t ignore me. Big mistake.”
Great, he’s been texting a girl for the last ten minutes. I sighed. Clearly, they’re fighting. It’s probably his girlfriend back at Vanderbilt. I should’ve known.
Spencer returned to the table and stuffed his wallet into his back pocket. “Ready?”
I scooted out from the booth, slinging my bag over my shoulder and grateful that we were getting the hell out of there.
“Did I say something tonight that upset you?” he asked as we shuffled through the snow on our way back to his Range Rover.
I shrugged. “You just seemed a little distracted tonight.”
We climbed in the car, and he turned the radio on with the volume low. I took it as a sign that he didn’t want to talk anymore. I rolled my eyes and stared out the passenger window, mentally calculating how many minutes we were from my car down at Mulligan’s. I half hoped he’d notice that something was bothering me, but he never did. Once again, nothing had changed.
He pulled up to Mulligan’s next to my parked, snow-covered car.
“Thanks for dinner,” I mumbled as I climbed out and slammed the door. I hated leaving things on a sour note with him, but he’d ruined our date. Years of deep longing to prove to him that he’d make a mistake, and we were about to leave things right where they’d been for years. The deafening
“So, this is fun,” I snorted sarcastically. Spencer was still Spencer, rife with his judgmental attitude and pathetic little insecurities.
“Sorry,” Spencer replied, finishing his beer. “Just lost in thought.”
Yeah, right, I thought.
His phone buzzed from his pocket, and impulsively he pulled it out to check it. He looked annoyed as he typed a quick message back to the sender. So much for no cell phones.
“Why don’t you ever come home in the summer?” I asked. “I always thought I’d run into you around town.”
“I’ve never had a good reason to,” he said with a shrug. “Summers in Nashville are great. I used to stay in the frat house, but some of my friends and I got an apartment this year. It’s a year lease. May as well stay, if I’m paying.”
“You’re in a frat?” My jaw dropped. “I should’ve known. Very corny, Spencer.”
“I know,” he said with an eye roll. “My dad thought it would be a good way for me to make lifelong connections that would help me out down the road.”
His phone buzzed again, and once again he checked it and typed out a quick response.
“I thought we said no phones tonight?” I said, watching his face contort into an annoyed wince. I could feel the undercurrent of an argument forming, just like old times, and Spencer was too preoccupied to even hear what I’d just said. “I need a ride to my car.”
He looked up from his phone. “You’re not ready to go, are you?”
I thought about reaming him for turning into a jerk in the middle of our date and ruining what should’ve been a magical evening, but it wasn’t worth the effort. In that moment, all I could think about was getting to Julian. I hated myself for ditching him in his moment of need for a little bit of gratification with stupid Spencer.
Stupid, stupid girl.
“I really need to go check on Julian,” I said, annoyed that he was delaying things for no good reason. “I’m worried about him.”
“You really care that much about him?”
“I do,” I said. It was the truth.
“I’ll get the check.” He looked irritated as he got up from our cozy booth and flagged down our waitress.
I heard a buzz from across the table and realized he’d left his phone. I flipped around to see him standing up at the cash register, paying, and I reached across the table and grabbed his phone. I deserved to know who was so damn important that it warranted him spoiling our little evening together.
The screen showed a new text from someone named Elise that read, “Don’t ignore me. Big mistake.”
Great, he’s been texting a girl for the last ten minutes. I sighed. Clearly, they’re fighting. It’s probably his girlfriend back at Vanderbilt. I should’ve known.
Spencer returned to the table and stuffed his wallet into his back pocket. “Ready?”
I scooted out from the booth, slinging my bag over my shoulder and grateful that we were getting the hell out of there.
“Did I say something tonight that upset you?” he asked as we shuffled through the snow on our way back to his Range Rover.
I shrugged. “You just seemed a little distracted tonight.”
We climbed in the car, and he turned the radio on with the volume low. I took it as a sign that he didn’t want to talk anymore. I rolled my eyes and stared out the passenger window, mentally calculating how many minutes we were from my car down at Mulligan’s. I half hoped he’d notice that something was bothering me, but he never did. Once again, nothing had changed.
He pulled up to Mulligan’s next to my parked, snow-covered car.
“Thanks for dinner,” I mumbled as I climbed out and slammed the door. I hated leaving things on a sour note with him, but he’d ruined our date. Years of deep longing to prove to him that he’d make a mistake, and we were about to leave things right where they’d been for years. The deafening
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