The Walter Boys Assistant

Chapter 26: Someone New

The following week breezed by. Other than training in the mornings, you hardly spoke to Alex or sought out his companionship. While it has been an adjustment period, you are taking to the space as a refreshment. Well, your mind is. It's your heart that protests with such an assertion that it makes the days difficult.

The phantom of him still haunts every dream at night. Ones consisting of spin the bottle, your discussion in the truck, and even times of just when you enjoyed being around him.

However, the dreams of the night at the party tend to take a bold turn. It will start off exactly as the event occurred, but then change into something that you know will never happen. Because not only is Alex clueless all of the time, but he also is afraid to make haste decisions. So, the dreams of his lips on your neck and his hands touring your curves, will forever be as they are; mere illusions projected from the heart.

While putting distance between yourself and Alex, you've forced yourself to give a guy a chance who actually sees you in a romantic light.

The date on Friday with Dylan went better than you anticipated. He picked you up at six, with the approval from George and Katherine to be out past curfew, and took you to a movie. The film the two of you saw was mundane and poorly executed, in your opinion. That didn't matter much, not when you and Dylan had a blast whispering snide remarks on the plot holes and jabbed sarcastic slanders at the poor acting skills.

The frequent incidents of your hand colliding with his own, going for another handful of popcorn, became embarrassing. Each touch had you tugging away in an instant. You had been grateful for the dark room, knowing it hid the reddening of your cheeks from plain sight.

It's unnerving to admit, but you genuinely enjoyed your time with Dylan. So much so, that as he dropped you back off at home before ten PM, you agreed to another date with him that following Monday... And again on Friday.

You have been going out with Dylan for nearly three weeks by this point. You feel joy when around him. He has shown a delicate side that you never thought he would have. The handsome, popular football player, coming into his senior year of high school, had cried when the two of you watched Little Women together. He claimed he had something in his eye to begin with, but came around to confessing it was because he felt deep sorrow for Laurie over his unreciprocated love for Jo. He got over his manly ego and indulged in a meaningful conversation with you over how it was tragic that the man was forced to move on and find love in another woman he never looked at the way he had Jo.

Oh, the irony.

While you care for Dylan by this point, and couldn't imagine having said no to going out, there's a part of you that still holds on to the minisculist fragment of optimism that there could be a chance for you to end up with Alex someday. It breaks your heart with each passing day when little conversation goes between you and him.

~Third POV~

Alex has a copy of Dune in hand, lounging in the porch swing, with a glass of iced tea beside him. As he flips the page, a familiar car horn blares in the distance.

Begrudgingly, his eyes take a peek to see Dylan's car coming up the driveway. The front door opens and his head swivels to take in the sight of (Y/n) stepping out.

The smile on her face sets his heartbeat off kilter. The natural beauty of her complexion has an indescribable effect on his stomach, as she stands under the shade of the roof, it's one of the first things he takes notice of. The next would be the beautiful yellow sundress with the pattern of tiny white daisies that she has on, a white cardigan hung over her arm.

An eager look glistens in her eyes as she trails ahead for the steps, watching the car make its way up. Before it arrives, Alex musters enough courage to clear his throat. Her attention snaps in his direction. The stiffening of her shoulders upon the sight of him makes his stomach drop.