The Thread Between Danny and Me

Chapter 22: Can we go there?

PART TWO

The alarm on my phone rang. I groaned, then slapped the dresser in an attempt to find it. When I felt the smooth surface under my fingers, I opened a single eye, brought the phone closer, and turned off the alarm.

My dreams had been drenched with memories of Danny. My heart panged with familiar longing.

Mister Rochester was wrong. Well, he was wrong about a lot of things, but specifically, about the cord snapping. It doesn't snap. Instead, it pulls taught across distance and time. Never breaking, just painfully tugging.

If the thread had snapped, I could've let him go. My heart could've healed.

But it hasn't. Eleven years.

These feelings were a burden, and so was the connection to Danny. I tried so hard to wish it away. I tried to date. Those relationships never lasted and I hated myself for it.

That was the problem facing me now. Here was Brandon Daniels, a good man, by all accounts, who was interested in me. I needed to figure out how to cut the thread between Danny and me. I needed to move on with my life and find some much-deserved happiness.

Rojo put his head on my chest.

"Morning, boy," I murmured while I pet his soft fur.

I hadn't said much about Danny to anyone in my current circle of friends. It was hard to explain, and it was embarrassing. I was still tied up with someone I had never dated. We'd never even kissed. He'd cut me out of his life and ripped my heart out when he did. How do you even broach the subject with someone?

"Yeah. When I was fifteen, I fell madly in love with my best friend. Oh, and yeah. We never dated. We never confessed to each other. Well, I confessed to him in a note, but you know. Yeah. That was over ten years ago. Yeah, I still love him."

I was such a loser.

"At least you still love me." I pet Rojo's head.

My phone buzzed again.

Hector: Boarded. You up?

I smiled.

Maria: Yeah. See you soon.
Hector: You just woke up, didn't you?
Maria: Maybe :-P. I was partying last night after all
Hector: Till' what? 10?
Maria: I stayed till midnight, thank you very much
Hector: Good. Okay, I need to put my phone into airplane mode. See you soon
Maria: See you soon! <3

I put my phone down and then yawned. It was an hour-and-a-half flight from Baltimore to Boston, but by the time I got up, dressed, and headed out, there wouldn't be much time. Plus, I needed to stop and get coffee for Hector and me.

Rojo followed me around as I got ready.

"Do you want to come with me to get Hector?" I asked.

Rojo wagged his tail. I pat his head and then went to the kitchen where I grabbed a muffin before heading out the door. Rojo bounded ahead of me, stopping only for a bathroom break before going to the car door. He wagged his long red tail and then barked.

"Okay, okay," I said laughing. "Hold on."

I opened the passenger door for Rojo and then went around the other side and climbed into the driver's seat. I looked at my house for a moment and then started the car.

The morning was both cool and humid. I rolled down the passenger window just enough so Rojo could stick his head out. Everyone who passed smiled and waved at him.