Ain't No Mountain High Enough

"Keep On Loving You"

TW: Mention of abuse

When we reached Valerie's apartment, we all took to getting settled in. It was like walking into a whole different place with the new furniture Valerie had gotten. Flowery wallpaper covered the walls, and the place smelled faintly of roses thanks to the diffuser that sat in the corner of the kitchen counter. A bed was on one side of the room, and a couch on the other. Fairy lights were strung along the ceiling. Compared to how it looked the first time we came, this was definitely more Valerie's style.

And the pictures. Dozens of pictures of us were all over, taped to the wall to form the shape of a heart, and in picture frames in the kitchen.

"It's beautiful!" Ms. Harlow said, her breath catching when we walked in.

"I've had a lot of time to decorate recently," Valerie said, grinning. "I got a new job that pays more, too. I'm a dance instructor now!"

My eyes went wide as we all looked at her, each of us starting to talk and congratulate her all at once.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I said, though I was grinning from ear to ear.

"I was saving it as a surprise for when you all would get here," she said, her cheeks rosy with pride. "I started a couple weeks ago. It was a hard secret to keep!"

"I bet!" Veronica said with a laugh. She gave Valerie a tight hug, then we set to putting our bags away, talking all the while about Valerie's new job.

When we were all set, Ms. Harlow said, "Hey, why don't we get something to eat?" She raised her voice, and was looking at Veronica and Keto in an odd, knowing sort of way. "We can run out and get something real quick."

She glanced at me and winked, and I realized she was trying to get me and Valerie alone together. So I could talk about...getting back together. Oh boy...

"Okay!" Valerie said. There was something about the tone of her voice- the way it was lowered- that made me think she knew what Ms. Harlow was up to, too.

"I can keep Randall company and you can go, Val, if he doesn't want to go," Keto said, but Veronica, who apparently caught on fast, grabbed her twin's arm and pulled him towards the door.

"Oh, but I can't be separated from my beloved twin!" she said, a little too dramatically. They went out the door, Ms. Harlow grabbing her purse and following them without another word.

And I was alone with Valerie...

We sat there in this awkward silence for a while, me wringing my hands as I tried to figure out what to say, and Valerie getting a bottle of wine out of a kitchen cabinet.

"Want some?" she asked.

"Um- sure," I murmured. I watched her pour the purple liquid into two glasses, then she came to hand me one before plopping down on the sofa. We sipped quietly for a moment before I took the leap. "I've...been needing to talk to you."

She nodded. "I thought you might say that." A faint smile touched her lips. "I know Ms. Harlow means well, but she's not very subtle about things."

We laughed. "No, she isn't," I agreed. And when we went quiet again, I almost chickened out. But I forced myself to hold her gaze and keep going. "Val, I...I can't help how I feel. About you, I mean. I know my mother messed things up for us the first time, and then...there was Stephen. But even if you've moved on, I...I don't think I can."

I made myself stop, to slow down and watch her reaction. For a while, she sipped her wine with a wistful look on her face. When she spoke, it was with a soft, low voice, as if she was trying to hide her own emotions.

"Randall," she started. "I'm over Stephen. It...took me a long time, because I thought he was the one. But now I see how manipulative he was. And possessive. I couldn't have been happy with him, and I don't think I was truly happy with him when we were dating. I...I was afraid of him, sometimes. Especially when we moved here. I was glad to get away from his friend, but I was afraid Stephen would start...abusing me, too." She paused. I could see her thinking, figuring out what to say next.

I realized I was holding my breath. I made myself breath. It would be okay if she didn't want to get back together with me. Maybe I would always hold some love for her in my heart, but I could learn to move on, too. It's not like it would be the end of the world.

Finally, she bit her lip and shook her head. "I...guess I'm having trouble figuring out how to say this, and I'm just rambling."

"I'll accept how you feel either way," I said. "If you've moved on from me, then I'll accept that."

"I don't think I've fully moved on from you," she said. She set her wine on the coffee table and leaned forward. "If anything, I think I have stronger feelings for you than before, but..."

"But...?"

"I don't think I can be in a relationship right now," she said, holding my gaze. "I...just need a little more time."

I looked at the floor. "Like I said, I accept your feelings." But...she didn't say she never wanted to be with me. I let a small smile show on my face. "I'll wait for you. I promise." The smile grew to a grin. "And I'll be sure to impress you at the race."

She laughed. "You don't need to impress me with the race. I'm already impressed with you." She stood and bent to kiss my cheek, sending a chill through me, then returned to the kitchen.

My fingers hovered over my cheek where she had kissed me. Maybe I already impressed her...but that didn't mean I was going to stop trying to win her back with this race.

This was a duel between me and Stephen, even if she was over him. It was a duel to prove what I could still do.

___________________________________________________

Thank you so much for reading! Leave vote!

Listen to "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon!

Peace✌️~ A.J.