on hers and then he wandered down the hallway, back to the elevator. She watched him until he disappeared around the corner, then went back into her room, closed the door and slunk against it. Damn, that was kind of hot. She needed to date more often. Fingers against her lips, she couldn't help but smile.
**********
Boston, Massachusetts, eleven and a half years earlier...
Only a couple days left to go, and they'd be done with college. Well, Catie would. Jenna was headed to Minnesota for grad school. Chris would join her on a flight to L.A. in a few days. He was headed back to Hollywood in hopes of making it as a celebrity stylist. Jenna was visiting her father for a couple months until grad school started.
There was a knock at her door and Jenna thought that was strange, since she had very few friends and didn't expect company until later. When she looked in the peephole, she saw Eric. Huh. They weren't supposed to meet until tonight.
She opened the door and smiled, eyebrows raised. “You're about eight hours early,” she said. “I thought you had to work?”
“Can I come in?” he asked, brows furrowed.
Jenna stepped aside and let him into the apartment, then closed the door behind them. She put her hands in her jeans pockets and shrugged her shoulders. “So,” she said.
Eric was uncharacteristically fidgety and he hadn't yet kissed her. He began to pace. She just waited patiently.
Finally, he said, “There's just no easy way to say this.”
“Spit it out, Eric.”
He sighed. “Look, I love you, Jenna. You know I love you. But I can't see how this will work once you're in Minnesota.”
Jenna inwardly sighed in relief. Oh, thank God. Now she was saved from having to be the bad guy. “No, you're right. It's really not practical.” Let him think it was about that.
“Right? I mean, I'll be touring all the time or working at the book store. I can't imagine how easy it will be to get away to see you. And you'll be in grad school, so it's not like you'll have a ton of free time. We'll never see each other. It's been hard enough to see each other the last year when we've been in the same city. Christ, we live a ten-minute walk away and we're lucky to get together twice in a week.”
Jenna nodded. “Absolutely. You're right. It wouldn't be fair, to either of us, to stay together when it would be impossible to make it work.”
He stopped pacing and walked slowly toward her. He held her face in his hands. “You know it's not what I want, right? I wish we could do this. I just can't see how.”
“It's okay, Eric. I understand. Really, I do.” To be honest, I'm relieved. I was planning to dump you in eight hours anyway, but you've saved me the trouble.
Eric rubbed his thumb over her lips. She felt the callous and a very tiny part of her was sad. She'd miss him. He was a great guy and a good lover. But she felt no real spark. Nothing. It had just been easier to keep seeing him than it was to find someone new. And she did care about him. Just not enough to do the long-distance thing.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For loving me enough to let me go.”
Jenna fought the urge to tell him that she didn't actually love him. It didn't matter. They were through and it was best to just let him think it had been something more than it was if that made him happy.
Eric leaned close and pressed his lips to hers. Okay, so she'd miss kissing him. He was a good kisser. It started to get a little steamy, with him pulling her close and plunging his tongue into her mouth. Well, one last roll in the sheets for old time's sake would be good , she thought. But then he abruptly wrenched away.
“We can't. I want to be with you, but we can't. It will just make ending things that much harder.” He stepped toward her again and kissed her cheek. “I'll miss making love to you.” He gave her a sad smile and then said, “Goodbye, Jenna. And good luck in Minnesota.”
With that, he squeezed her hand and
**********
Boston, Massachusetts, eleven and a half years earlier...
Only a couple days left to go, and they'd be done with college. Well, Catie would. Jenna was headed to Minnesota for grad school. Chris would join her on a flight to L.A. in a few days. He was headed back to Hollywood in hopes of making it as a celebrity stylist. Jenna was visiting her father for a couple months until grad school started.
There was a knock at her door and Jenna thought that was strange, since she had very few friends and didn't expect company until later. When she looked in the peephole, she saw Eric. Huh. They weren't supposed to meet until tonight.
She opened the door and smiled, eyebrows raised. “You're about eight hours early,” she said. “I thought you had to work?”
“Can I come in?” he asked, brows furrowed.
Jenna stepped aside and let him into the apartment, then closed the door behind them. She put her hands in her jeans pockets and shrugged her shoulders. “So,” she said.
Eric was uncharacteristically fidgety and he hadn't yet kissed her. He began to pace. She just waited patiently.
Finally, he said, “There's just no easy way to say this.”
“Spit it out, Eric.”
He sighed. “Look, I love you, Jenna. You know I love you. But I can't see how this will work once you're in Minnesota.”
Jenna inwardly sighed in relief. Oh, thank God. Now she was saved from having to be the bad guy. “No, you're right. It's really not practical.” Let him think it was about that.
“Right? I mean, I'll be touring all the time or working at the book store. I can't imagine how easy it will be to get away to see you. And you'll be in grad school, so it's not like you'll have a ton of free time. We'll never see each other. It's been hard enough to see each other the last year when we've been in the same city. Christ, we live a ten-minute walk away and we're lucky to get together twice in a week.”
Jenna nodded. “Absolutely. You're right. It wouldn't be fair, to either of us, to stay together when it would be impossible to make it work.”
He stopped pacing and walked slowly toward her. He held her face in his hands. “You know it's not what I want, right? I wish we could do this. I just can't see how.”
“It's okay, Eric. I understand. Really, I do.” To be honest, I'm relieved. I was planning to dump you in eight hours anyway, but you've saved me the trouble.
Eric rubbed his thumb over her lips. She felt the callous and a very tiny part of her was sad. She'd miss him. He was a great guy and a good lover. But she felt no real spark. Nothing. It had just been easier to keep seeing him than it was to find someone new. And she did care about him. Just not enough to do the long-distance thing.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For loving me enough to let me go.”
Jenna fought the urge to tell him that she didn't actually love him. It didn't matter. They were through and it was best to just let him think it had been something more than it was if that made him happy.
Eric leaned close and pressed his lips to hers. Okay, so she'd miss kissing him. He was a good kisser. It started to get a little steamy, with him pulling her close and plunging his tongue into her mouth. Well, one last roll in the sheets for old time's sake would be good , she thought. But then he abruptly wrenched away.
“We can't. I want to be with you, but we can't. It will just make ending things that much harder.” He stepped toward her again and kissed her cheek. “I'll miss making love to you.” He gave her a sad smile and then said, “Goodbye, Jenna. And good luck in Minnesota.”
With that, he squeezed her hand and
Similar Books
