don't let me get me

ninth

Practice wrapped up and Kennedy was still hungry, so Dylan decided he'd take her to this nice restaurant that Marchy had raved about all last season. It was his go-to place whenever he wanted to take a girl out, so Dylan decided he'd see if it was as hype as Jake said it was.

"So what's the plan?" She asked from the passenger's seat.

"I'm gonna clean up and then we're gonna go out for dinner." He told her, pulling into the driveway.

"My treat?" She cocked a brow as she unbuckled.

He chuckled. "Sure."

She laid in his bed, playing music from her phone and humming along as she scrolled through it. He took a quick shower, just to make sure he didn't stink, then got dressed. He walked out to her humming along to Fetty Wap. He laughed.

"What?" She spat.

"Nothing, you're just adorable." He told her.

She rolled her eyes as she sat up. "Are you ready?" She asked, earning a nod. "About time."

"Shut up!"

He threw her into a headlock as they walked out of his room. She laughed as she lightly punched him in the ribs. They walked down the stairs doing this. She finally shoved him away when they got outside. She ran over to his car, knocking on the passenger's window to get him to hurry up. He just laughed.

They were seated at the restaurant and Kennedy started gawking over things on the menu right away. Dylan gave it a quick once over and knew what he wanted, but no, Kennedy wasn't that simple...

She had to debate on whether she wanted chicken parm or seven cheese ravioli. He just rolled his eyes at her. They ordered drinks, got their drinks, and she still hadn't decided. She let out a whine, pouting towards him.

"I don't know!" She huffed.

"Get the ravioli and we'll come back tomorrow and you can get the chicken." He sighed.

Her eyes widened. "You're lying."

He shook his head. "I'd never lie to you." He told her with a smile.

So she ordered the ravioli. They sat and talked while they waited for the food to come out. They talked hockey, baseball, everything. They eventually got to their exes and past hook ups. If they were going to be more, Dylan did want to know who and what Kennedy had done, and she probably felt the same way. He saw her demeanor change and new the big question was coming.

"Ken, just ask." He smirked.

"You don't have to tell me." She frowned.

Dylan reached across the table and grabbed her hands.

"I want to tell you." He reassured her.

Her cheeks flushed.

"I guess I just want to know the whole Kara story, like not just what she did, or you did, or whatever. I wanna know how it made you feel." She explained.

"It was like I was in this, almost relationship, but it was great. I felt unstoppable, and confident, and simply wonderful. She made me feel like I could be myself, and I felt like she accepted me for being myself. I thought I had never met anyone so perfect. And she was pretty much perfect. Her smile was contagious. She made me laugh like I'd never laughed before, and made me feel something I'd never felt before.

"With her, I was vulnerable, and I liked that. I'd never had that before. I thought she was perfect until I found out that she was seeing Mitch too. It just made me think back to when I was waiting for a call, she was with him. How she was thinking of someone else while I was coming to get her to take her on a date for the first time in weeks. She hid text messages, changed names in her phone, and deleted pictures to keep them from me.

"At first, I didn't believe it. I couldn't see her doing that. Like I said, I thought she was perfect. It's hard to see such a major flaw in someone who makes you feel like you can fly, right? But then Marns told me, he straight up screamed it in my face in front of our entire World Junior team, and it was real. She had really been doing it. I had suspicions, but I didn't think she'd do that to me with my best friend. And then, I took her back because I loved her, or something, and ended up hurt again." He laughed. "What a dumb ass, huh?"

"Dylan, no." Kennedy argued.

"You're sweet, and kind, and people can overlook these things. Even the 'perfect' girls don't deserve guys like you. You forgive quickly and take the blame for things you shouldn't. You also have a contagious smile and laugh. It's not your fault that she was looking to Mitch what she could easily get from you—fun, laughter, joy, and a whole lot of love.

"Some people don't understand how caring you are, and those are the people that are going to think you're a dumb ass for giving her that second chance. You can't help who you love and it's admirable that you cared for her enough to even let her back in."

Dylan just stared at her until the waiter came with their food. She thanked the waiter and they ate in silence.

Everything with Kennedy was so different from how it was with Kara... Probably because Kennedy was so different from Kara. She listened to him, and she tried to guide him rather than baby him, and she was just so much more genuine than Kara had ever been.

And that was making Dylan fall way too fast.

He was scared to fall again. He had given so much of his time to his last relationship, just for it to end the way it did, that he was scared. And he wasn't scared of much.

"You alright?" Her voice broke his thoughts.

He nodded slowly. "I really like you, Ken." He blurted.

She smiled, her cheeks turning red. "I really like you too, D."

"I think you should come visit a lot more often." He added as he took a gulp of his drink.

"I think I will, as long as I have a place to stay." She teased.

"Always."