“I can’t talk long,” he says. “I’m still at work. But I want to say something before I go.”
I blow out a quiet breath, preparing for the impact of his rejection. “Okay,” I whisper.
He sighs heavily. “I feel like you don’t know what you want. You agree to go out with me, but you tell me on our date you don’t want to see me for a second time. But then we have an entire night of incredible sex. Then you kick me out the next morning before I’m even finished cooking breakfast. A few days later you show up at my office, then you shoot me down the same day at the hospital. Now you’re leaving me a voicemail. I’m not asking for anything other than a little consistency. Even if that consistency is agreeing to never speak again. I just… I need consistency.”
I close my eyes, nodding to myself. He’s right. He’s so right, I’m surprised he even called me back. “I can respect that. And I can give you that.”
He doesn’t say anything for a moment. I like the quiet. It’s almost as if I can feel him more in the quiet. Almost half a minute goes by without either of us saying a word. “I’ve wanted to call you every day.”
Those words make me frown more than smile because I know exactly what he’s been feeling, and I don’t feel good for making him feel that way. “I’ve wanted to apologize to you every day,” I admit.
“You don’t need to apologize for anything,” he says. “You’re a woman who was certain you didn’t want a relationship with anyone. But then you met me and we had such a great night together that your feelings confused you. I like that I was the guy who put a wrinkle in your plan.”
I laugh. “You have a really unique way of looking at my extreme indecisiveness. I like it.”
“I figured you would. Listen, I have to go,” he says. “Want me to call you tonight?”
“Actually…are you busy tomorrow?”
“I have a lecture at the hospital I have to attend tomorrow. From eight to ten. But I’m free after that.”
“You’re free the whole day?”
“The whole day,” he says.
I don’t know that I’ve ever asked a guy on a date before. This might be a first. “I’m going with some friends to Georgetown tomorrow. To Inner Space Cavern. You can come if you want. Or we could just do something after if you think going to look at caves with people you’ve never met before is a little weird.”
“Won’t be weird if you’re there. I can be in Austin by noon at the latest.”
I’m smiling like an idiot. “Okay. I’ll text you the address.”
“Okay,” he says. I can almost hear the smile in his voice, too. “See you tomorrow, Five Hundred.”
I stare at the phone after he ends the call, fingering my smile. How does he fill me so full of feels, even over the phone?
.They all look at me as I get to the living room and Sydney pauses mid-chew. After I grab two tacos out of the sack in the kitchen I say, “We might have to take two cars tomorrow so we’ll all fit.”
It’s all I say, but when I look over at Sydney, she’s smiling.
So is Bridgette, but her smile is a little more sinister. “This should be fun. A shiny new toy for Warren to break in.”
I look at Warren. Then back at Bridgette. Jake is going to spend the day with these two tomorrow. The entire day.
What was I thinking?
It’s been a good week. Finally. I’ve stayed at Sydney’s the last few nights, and honestly…I don’t want to leave. I love sleeping next to her. I love waking up next to her. I love doing absolutely nothing with her. But I also know that this is a very new relationship that already seems to be moving at warp speed, so the last thing we need to do is live together.
Tomorrow night will be the last night I stay here before going back to my own apartment. I’m bummed because I’d much rather be here with Syd than in an apartment with Warren and Bridgette. But that’s what’s going to happen because I’m not speeding this relationship up even faster. Once we move in together, we’ll live together forever. I want to wait until Sydney has experienced life on her own before making that kind of commitment.
I finish brushing my teeth, and then head to the living room. Sydney is on the couch with her computer in her lap. She sees me walk into the room, and she makes room for me on the couch next to her. Like a fluid dance, I sit and she moves and then we’re effortlessly situated in what’s become our standard positions on the couch this week. Me in a half-seated, half-lying pose against the arm of the couch while she lays with her back against my chest and my arm wrapped around her.