No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 14

Late at night, Lucy lay in bed, her phone glowing softly in the dark room. She stared at the screen for a moment before finally typing out the text she'd been hesitant to send all day. Her heart still hadn't settled after the conversation with Henry, and she needed to talk to someone—anyone—about it. So, naturally, she turned to Sarah.

*Lucy*: You won't believe what Henry got me for Christmas.

She hit send and waited, watching the three little dots appear as Sarah typed her response.

*Sarah*: Spill. What was it? Fancy jewelry? A romantic gift? Something sweet?

Lucy sighed, rubbing her temples before typing her reply.

*Lucy*: Condoms.

There was a pause. A long pause. Lucy could almost picture Sarah on the other end, staring at her phone in shock.

*Sarah*: NO WAY! OMG.

Lucy winced, feeling her cheeks heat up again just from the memory of it. She had already gone through the embarrassment once, and now she was reliving it as she typed.

*Lucy*: Yeah... way. He gave me condoms. For Christmas.

*Sarah*: 😂 😂 😂 I can't! That's actually insane! Henry gave you condoms? What was he thinking??

*Lucy*: I have NO idea. I mean, we had that weird conversation on the bus earlier today, and I guess he thought I was hinting that I wanted to take things further... but still. Condoms. For Christmas.

Sarah's next message came through almost immediately.

*Sarah*: Okay, hold up. So he just hands you a box of condoms and says, "Merry Christmas"? What did you even say??

*Lucy*: Not exactly. He gave me this blue box, and I didn't even know what was inside until today. I asked him about it on the bus, and that's when I realized what it was.

There was another pause. Lucy could almost feel the excitement and disbelief radiating from Sarah as she typed.

*Sarah*: Girl. You've got to tell me everything. How did you even react to that?

*Lucy*: Honestly? I just sat there in shock. He wasn't being creepy about it or anything. It's Henry, you know? He was just like, "I thought we could try something like that if we talk about it first." He's so awkward but also... kinda sweet? Ugh, I don't know. My brain is still fried from the whole thing.

*Sarah*: Sweet?! That's next-level awkward, but I love it. Only Henry would think giving you condoms for Christmas is a good idea. 😂

*Lucy*: Right?! I mean, who does that?

*Sarah*: A guy who's really into you, apparently. But seriously, Lucy, are you okay? You seem... conflicted.

Lucy stared at Sarah's text for a while, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Was she okay? She wasn't sure. The embarrassment was definitely there, but so was a mix of other emotions she couldn't quite place. Part of her was flattered that Henry even considered the possibility of their relationship going further, but the rest of her was mortified that it had come up so soon—and in such an unexpected way.

*Lucy*: I don't even know. It's just so weird to think about. One minute we're awkwardly flirting, and the next he's handing me a box of condoms. I wasn't ready for that, and now I feel like everything's moving too fast.

*Sarah*: I get it. That's a lot to take in, especially with Henry being... well, Henry. But hey, at least he's not pressuring you or anything, right?

*Lucy*: No, he's not. He actually said he wanted to talk about it first, which was sweet. But I still feel like I totally misjudged the situation. I didn't think we were at *that* stage yet, you know?

*Sarah*: Yeah, I get it. But it sounds like he's just trying to figure things out with you. Maybe he's feeling as awkward about all of this as you are.

Lucy sighed, her fingers typing almost automatically now.

*Lucy*: Maybe. I don't know. I guess I just didn't expect things to get so complicated between us so soon.

*Sarah*: Well, that's relationships for you! Complicated and awkward. But you've got this, girl. Just be honest with him about how you feel, and it'll work out.

*Lucy*: I hope so. I just don't want to mess this up.

*Sarah*: You won't. Just take it slow and keep talking to him. Also, I'm dying to know what movie you're going to see with him next time! 😂

Lucy rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips. Leave it to Sarah to lighten the mood with a joke.

*Lucy*: Ugh, no idea. But I'll keep you posted.

As the conversation continued, Lucy felt a little better. At least now she wasn't alone in her confusion about the whole situation. Sarah had a way of making everything seem less overwhelming, even if the reality of it all still weighed on her.

But deep down, Lucy knew that sooner or later, she'd have to face Henry again and figure out what they really wanted from each other.