Bound by Duty

Chapter Ten

I got home and found Bethany sitting on the couch, surrounded by notes and textbooks. "How's your new boooooyfriend?" she drawled out with a laugh, like we were in fifth grade and going to start talking about people kissing in trees.

I shook my head and dropped down beside her in the one place she hadn't covered in paper. "I don't know, B."

"Um, hello, girl? What do you mean you don't know? I saw you two love birds yesterday. You were almost drooling all over each other. What's not to know?" She looked completely baffled and I hated that I couldn't just be out with it.

"It just might be too much, too fast. He's just...intense, and I think it's moving more quickly than I'm ready for." I couldn't even look at her as I said the words. They weren't the truth and she'd know it.

"Ohhhh. I see exactly what's happening here." Bethany shoved her books and notebook to the floor and shifted so we faced each other. "You're scared. Honey, that's normal. Be scared. Enjoy being scared. He's new and scrumptious and scary. That's how it's supposed to be!"

"It's not that simple. He's been through a lot. What if I disappoint him like everyone else has? People did that to me. I can't do that to him." I felt so guilty already, just knowing that I would more than likely have to follow through with the betrothal. That there may very well be nothing I could do about any of it in the end.

"Is that your plan? Are you planning to string him along and then just drop him?" I looked up, surprised and shocked that she would even ask that. "Just what I thought," she said with a smirk. "Of course you aren't."

"Amelia, you've got to trust yourself a little more," she said, patting my knee. "Relax. Chill the heck out. It's not all life and death. What you feel right now could last forever or it could last three freaking days. Maybe you'll find out that he chews his food with his mouth open and you can't stand the sight of him anymore. Just let it be what it is." With that, she tapped my hand with her own and picked up her books again.

I spent the rest of the night stewing over that and finally decided she was right. I wasn't in love. This was all new. I needed to cut myself a break and just chill out. I grabbed my phone and sent Aidan a quick text.

Double date this weekend?

His response came minutes later.

I suppose Richie Rich isn't optional?

I laughed out loud as I responded.

They are a package deal, but he isn't that bad.

If it means I get to sit next to you, then I can handle him. ;)

I kept trying to think of clever responses but eventually gave up and just grinned as I stared at the screen.

***

We hadn't been able to have our double date over the weekend like I'd wanted, but the free time had given Aidan and I more one-on-one time and I wasn't complaining. We were in an easy rhythm that felt safe. Meeting for lunch, texting relentlessly, and finding out as many random factoids about each other as possible. His favorite color was blue. He loved alternative and hated country. He hated cold pizza. The one thing we didn't do was kiss. He had made a few attempts since our conversation in the car and I was able to circumvent each one. Not always gracefully, but it worked and he seemed to get the message because he backed off. I wanted to kiss him, but knowing deep down that I might have to leave him made me continue to pull back. Kissing meant commitment. I couldn't do commitment.

We finally managed to sync up schedules, so Aidan, Micah, Bethany, and I were sitting on an outdoor patio, eating appetizers, and chatting as the sun went down. People were everywhere along the boardwalk, enjoying what was left of the seventy-degree day. We were all laughing at a joke Micah had made — and a little at him. He never seemed to realize just how prudish he could come across.