position.”
“Now I think it was his fault.” She crossed one leg over the other and crossed her arms, evidently getting ready for a show down. “I also think you’re stupid for putting yourself in that position, and I’m not the only one that feels that way. Do you know how many girls Ian Crawford has gotten with? Carly was telling me just how big a player he is the other day, weren’t you, Carly?”
Carly’s face turned bright red. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.
Melissa turned back to me, smiling smugly. “We were saying he might be hot, but he isn’t interested in actually dating a girl.”
I raised my chin. “He’s dating me.”
If possible her eyes narrowed even more until they were angry slits. I could feel the resentment coming off her in waves. “For now. Until he gets tired of you.”
“Hey,” Lena cut in. “That’s not cool.”
“He won’t,” I said.
Melissa snorted. “What makes you so special?”
I ignored her comment both because I didn’t have an answer for it and because I knew if I focused on it for even a second longer, I might cry. As it was I felt my resolve breaking. “You used to like him. I think you just have a problem with me dating him.”
She rolled her eyes. “His ego is already rubbing off on you.”
I stood and shoved my chair back. My hands were shaking so hard, I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry my tray. So I just left it. I turned and stormed out of the cafeteria knowing full well it looked like I was throwing a fit, but knowing the alternative was worse. There was no way I was going to break down and cry in front of a hall full of people.
Outside I heard Lena calling my name and I stopped by a tree to wait for her. Somehow I felt more hidden there. People walked past, glancing at me questioningly or trying not to look at me at all.
“Are you okay?” Lena asked, catching up with me.
“I’ll be fine,” I muttered, wiping the tears from my eyes. “It wasn’t like Melissa and I were good friends or anything.”
“Don’t let it bother you. Vanessa is in the past.”
I nodded. I really didn’t want to drag out the conversation. Especially when someone walking by could overhear us “I’ll be okay. Really. Thanks for coming after me though.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“All right, I’ll go finish my dinner then,” she said but waited a moment in case I changed my mind. “Come to my room later if you want to talk.”
“I will.”
She gave me a tight hug and then returned to the cafeteria, and I headed back to my room, where I changed into my running clothes before hitting the pathways. Like before I ran the path along the woods and into the community of houses at the edge of campus, and then returned through Quad.
As I walked through the dark field and past the fountain, a smile tugged at my lips as the memory of the last time I cut through here at night after a run. I remembered lying on my back on the grass under the stars and Ian’s head appearing above mine, a grin on his face and his green eyes bright with mischief. I’d wanted him to lean down and kiss me. Instead he’d made one of his wise-ass cracks about me being on my back. Warmth suffused my being as I remembered the way he’d walked me home and how determined he was to prove he wasn’t an asshole. Challenge Accepted . I giggled to myself.
Ian was a good person, I was certain of that. I couldn’t take away all the effort he’d made with me, and the intense feelings between us, just because of his past with Vanessa. Who cared what anyone else thought? It was Ian and me now. And as for what the future would bring…Well I would just have to take that risk.
When I got back to the room, Melissa was studying at her desk. She ignored me and I ignored her. I pulled out a large purse and threw everything I’d need into it: cosmetic bag, pajamas, clothes for tomorrow. Then I filled my messenger bag with books for tomorrow’s classes and left.
Ian
“Now I think it was his fault.” She crossed one leg over the other and crossed her arms, evidently getting ready for a show down. “I also think you’re stupid for putting yourself in that position, and I’m not the only one that feels that way. Do you know how many girls Ian Crawford has gotten with? Carly was telling me just how big a player he is the other day, weren’t you, Carly?”
Carly’s face turned bright red. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.
Melissa turned back to me, smiling smugly. “We were saying he might be hot, but he isn’t interested in actually dating a girl.”
I raised my chin. “He’s dating me.”
If possible her eyes narrowed even more until they were angry slits. I could feel the resentment coming off her in waves. “For now. Until he gets tired of you.”
“Hey,” Lena cut in. “That’s not cool.”
“He won’t,” I said.
Melissa snorted. “What makes you so special?”
I ignored her comment both because I didn’t have an answer for it and because I knew if I focused on it for even a second longer, I might cry. As it was I felt my resolve breaking. “You used to like him. I think you just have a problem with me dating him.”
She rolled her eyes. “His ego is already rubbing off on you.”
I stood and shoved my chair back. My hands were shaking so hard, I knew I wouldn’t be able to carry my tray. So I just left it. I turned and stormed out of the cafeteria knowing full well it looked like I was throwing a fit, but knowing the alternative was worse. There was no way I was going to break down and cry in front of a hall full of people.
Outside I heard Lena calling my name and I stopped by a tree to wait for her. Somehow I felt more hidden there. People walked past, glancing at me questioningly or trying not to look at me at all.
“Are you okay?” Lena asked, catching up with me.
“I’ll be fine,” I muttered, wiping the tears from my eyes. “It wasn’t like Melissa and I were good friends or anything.”
“Don’t let it bother you. Vanessa is in the past.”
I nodded. I really didn’t want to drag out the conversation. Especially when someone walking by could overhear us “I’ll be okay. Really. Thanks for coming after me though.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“All right, I’ll go finish my dinner then,” she said but waited a moment in case I changed my mind. “Come to my room later if you want to talk.”
“I will.”
She gave me a tight hug and then returned to the cafeteria, and I headed back to my room, where I changed into my running clothes before hitting the pathways. Like before I ran the path along the woods and into the community of houses at the edge of campus, and then returned through Quad.
As I walked through the dark field and past the fountain, a smile tugged at my lips as the memory of the last time I cut through here at night after a run. I remembered lying on my back on the grass under the stars and Ian’s head appearing above mine, a grin on his face and his green eyes bright with mischief. I’d wanted him to lean down and kiss me. Instead he’d made one of his wise-ass cracks about me being on my back. Warmth suffused my being as I remembered the way he’d walked me home and how determined he was to prove he wasn’t an asshole. Challenge Accepted . I giggled to myself.
Ian was a good person, I was certain of that. I couldn’t take away all the effort he’d made with me, and the intense feelings between us, just because of his past with Vanessa. Who cared what anyone else thought? It was Ian and me now. And as for what the future would bring…Well I would just have to take that risk.
When I got back to the room, Melissa was studying at her desk. She ignored me and I ignored her. I pulled out a large purse and threw everything I’d need into it: cosmetic bag, pajamas, clothes for tomorrow. Then I filled my messenger bag with books for tomorrow’s classes and left.
Ian
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