It took me ages to finally find a gift for Dallas but I did it! After long and painful hours of going from shop to shop, I finally settled on buying Dallas a record player. I grinned. He was going to be very happy with this. It wasn't easy buying him gifts when he practically had everything. He was always showering me with wonderful gifts and so I really did want this gift to be something he'd love.
I stepped out of the mall and looked up at the gray sky, light rain coating my face. I blinked and smiled, taking in a deep breath. New York has been quite gloomy these days. I wasn't complaining, though. New York really was beautiful with this weather. Humming, I began walking in the hotel's direction, hoping it wouldn't harshly drizzle before I reached my destination. It was sad knowing that we were going to leave this place soon. We toured great universities – some that I wouldn't mind studying in.
I wanted to make sure that the last days I was going to spend in New York were wonderful. Our anniversary was so close now. Whenever I thought about it, my stomach did leaps and my heart pounded in my chest. Six months was a lot.
I tried my best to convince myself that the whole ordeal with Dallas and Abby was just silly. They were friends. I wasn't jealous, just a bit nervous. But I was okay. I realized I was being paranoid. There was literally nothing to worry about and that was what I kept repeating to myself. I was convinced and I was finally worry-free. The bad feeling I kept getting, though, was still there. But I always pushed it away and brushed it off. It was stupid, really.
By the time I got to my room, it was heavily raining. Luckily, I made it in time. I entered the room and shrugged off my jacket, draping it over a chair to let it dry. I hid Dallas' present in the closet and plopped down next to Amber on the couch.
"What is up with the weather?" she complained. "I'm bored but there's nothing to do when it's raining!"
"Why do you hate rain?" I asked, grinning. "I love it!"
She rolled her eyes. "Good for you. There's nothing on TV and I don't know what else I could do."
"You can always read."
"Don't make me punch you in the face."
I laughed and held up my hands in defense. "Sorry."
"So, did you find lover boy a present?" Amber asked, putting her feet up on the table.
I nodded. "Mhm. I got him a record player."
"Well," she said, getting up. "I'm going to bed. Wake me up and I'll kill you."
I laughed and again, leaving the room. I guess I could visit Dallas while Amber slept. Humming, which I did a lot, I took the elevator to Dallas' room. I stopped at his door and softly knocked. Dallas opened the door, revealing his tired figure. "Hey." His eyes were half-open, just on the verge of closing again, his hair was tousled, and his voice was raspy.
"I didn't mean to wake you!" I squealed.
Dallas rolled his eyes, still smiling, and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the room. He shut the door and kissed my forehead. His eyes were drooping. Goodness, he was adorable.
"You're still sleepy, aren't you?" I asked.
"Yes."
I laughed and we laid down on the bed. He wrapped his arms around me and I rested my head against his chest, my hands gently holding on to his shirt. His hand drew imaginary figures on my back, soothing me. I closed my eyes and smiled.
I fell asleep straight after that.
My eyes grudgingly opened and I waited for them to adjust. Dallas was still fast asleep, his arms wrapped around me. I blinked, looking around. The room was pitch dark. The curtains were drawn. Did Dallas and I fall asleep till night?
I slowly escaped from Dallas' grasp, making sure my movements were quiet enough not to wake him. He didn't flinch. I draped a blanket over him, a roar of thunder startling me that I almost screamed. Biting down on my tongue, I walked to the window and drew the curtains away. The sky was still a strong shade of gray. It was only in the afternoon and it was still heavily raining. I wrapped my arms around me. I walked into the bathroom, gently closing the door. My hand searched for light switch but even after finding it, the lights wouldn't go on. Frowning, I opened the door and walked out. Were the lights in the whole building off or was it just the bathroom? I tiptoed across the room to the front door. I opened it and poked my head out.
It was the whole building – just as I had suspected it. It was probably the weather.
Before I could close the door, a thought hit me and I froze in my place. My eyes widened when I finally took in the realization.
The electricity wasn't working.
It was dark.
Dylan.
Dylan was afraid of the dark.
"Oh crap!" I whispered. I gently shut the door and raced down the hallway. Dylan and Tymon's room was not on Dallas' floor. The elevators wouldn't work, which was obvious, so I had to take the stairs. So I did. I found myself bolting up. My thighs burned and my legs felt like they were about to drop. Now I know why I was failing gym class.
When I finally reached the floor I suspected was where Dylan and Tymon's room was, I didn't stop running until I was finally at their door. I hoped it was the correct floor. My mind had been racing; I wouldn't be surprised if this was the wrong floor. I knocked on the door but to no avail. Frowning, I flung open the door and stumbled in, panting.
"Dylan? Are you there?" I asked in between breaths. I bent down a little, my hands placed on my knees. "I...I'm sorry it took me long. I...I was at Dallas'...and I just woke up...electricity was off...came here as fast as possible. I'm dying, I swear. Dylan?"
I could tell it was him. The curtains were drawn and it was still day time. Dylan was sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the bed. His knees were pulled up, his head bent down, his arms hanging off his knees.
I closed the door and sat down next to him. I nudged him with my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"You care," he whispered in a voice so bitter and low. "You freaking care, don't you?"
"What...what are you talking about?" I asked, racking my brain for some answers. I stared at him. "Of...of course I care about you."
I never really said that – or thought about that. It felt weird saying it. But it was true. I did care about Dylan.
"Why?" he asked. He swallowed and I could see his body lightly trembling.
"Why do you hate it?" I asked, ignoring his question. He looked at me. "Why do you hate the concept of someone caring about you? What's so wrong about it? I mean your mother and brother care about you and, like it or not, your dad does, too. You know it, too. You know they care about you. Why is it hard to accept the fact that I care about you?"
"It's different."
"But why?"
"Just forget it," he said. A roar of thunder struck and I could see Dylan's hands clenching into fists so tightly his knuckles turned pale.
"It's okay," I said, resting my head on his shoulder. He sighed, his body shifting when another roar of thunder struck. "Tell me something. Anything – like a confession or a childhood story or whatever you want. You know you can trust me and you know I'll listen."
His chest heaved up and down. I didn't pry. He was either thinking of something to tell me or just straight up ignoring me. But I decided if he didn't tell me something, I'll tell him.
"I asked her out in tenth grade," he said in a low voice. "I grew up with her but we never really talked much. I began to like her in ninth grade. She was dating some kid. At that time, I thought it was just a harmless crush. Then tenth grade rolled around and I realized it wasn't some small crush. We hung out throughout the school year and I asked her when tenth grade was nearing its end."
I smiled. "That's nice. Where'd you guys go on your first date?" I grinned and nudged him with my hand.
"I took her dancing," he said. "She was fond of dancing. She told, before I asked her out, that she had been taking dancing lessons for a couple of years now, so that's what we did."
I smiled. "That was very sweet."
He shrugged. "What about you? Where did he take you?"
"We had a picnic," I said. "It was night and there was a lake and it was really beautiful. Say, I got him a record player for our anniversary. Do you think he'd like it?"
"Yeah."
"What if he doesn't?"
"Then smash it over his head," he replied. I nudged him again and rolled my eyes but smiled. They sure hated each other.
Light then illuminated the room. I sat up straight and looked around, smiling. I heard Dylan sigh. He rubbed his forehead and stood up, extending his hand over to me. I took it and got up, smiling at him in response.
"Thanks," I said. "I think I'm gonna go take a walk now that the rain has let up. You want me to get anything for you?"
"No," he replied.
"Okay," I said. "I'll see you later, then."
I walked over to the door and opened it but before I could step out, I felt Dylan's fingers gently curl around my wrist. I turned around.
"Thank you," he whispered, locking eyes with me. He had really nice eyes.
"No need to thank me," I said, smiling.
Dylan swallowed and nodded, his fingers letting go of my wrist. I felt the warmth simmer immediately. I smiled at him one last time and took the elevator to my floor. I entered the room. Amber and Dallas were seated on the couch. Amber was watching TV and Dallas seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
"Hey," I said, smiling.
"Hey," he said, springing up from his seat. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, where were you?"
Amber got up and left the room, grumbling about the weather.
"I was with Dylan," I replied.
Dallas frowned. "Why?"
"Why not?"
Dallas heaved a sigh. "Why are you always with him?"
"Why are you always with Abby?" I shot back before I could process the words. I wasn't angry; they just tumbled out before I could do anything.
Dallas looked taken aback. "She's my friend."
"He's my friend, too."
"But he's dangerous."
"How so?" I grinned. "All we ever do is talk, argue, and take walks." My grin disappeared and I thought for a moment. I remembered Dylan's advice.
"You can always ask him. If you don't ask him, then what's going to happen? You're just going to continue feeling nervous and worried."
He was right.
"You're not the only one with concerns," I said. Dallas looked at me and fiddled with his fingers. "I overheard you and Abby talking about some plan the other day. It's just that...I've seen you two so serious. I don't know. I mean what plan were you guys talking about?"
Dallas smiled and cupped my face. "You don't need to be worried about Abby and I. The plan? It was about Marcus and Diane. Marcus is the captain of the football team and Diane of the cheerleaders'. But the two are getting close and it's interfering with practice sessions and so on. We would never be able to win the next big game if the two continue to ignore their other priorities."
"Oh," I said, blushing. "Oh that makes sense. Goodness I feel stupid. I'm sorry. I really am—"
Dallas cut me off by pressing his lips against mine. I blushed harder and melted into the kiss. He pulled away and smiled. "It's okay. You have the right to worry. I'm sorry, too."
I smiled. Guess we're both a little paranoid.
The familiar chime of the bells rang and I closed the door to the coffee shop. It was pretty packed. I got my order and chose a seat near the window. I busied myself for a couple of minutes by reading a few pages of a book I bought and taking small sips of my hot chocolate. I couldn't really focus much. I pushed the book aside and wrapped my hands around the mug. Today was quite a day. I was happy that Dallas and I finally cleared the air between us. What irked me was that he thought Dylan was dangerous.
He wasn't.
He was just confused and bitter.
I looked around the coffee shop. People were chatting and laughing. I looked back down at my drink but after a few seconds, I froze in my place, my eyes widening. My head snapped up and I stared at her. I was so hasty I almost dropped the mug.
It was her.
The curly brown hair, the thin face, the piercing blue eyes.
I swallowed.
It was Catherine.
Scrambling up to my feet, I took light and slow steps towards her table. She was alone. But what was I doing? Was I actually going to talk to her? If I did, what the hell was I going to talk to her about? Did she know Dylan was in New York?
There was only one way to find out.
I took a deep breath and approached her table. She was immersed in the view outside, her pale fingers wrapped around a mug.
I cleared my throat.
Her head turned, her blue eyes locking with mine. She looked surprised first but gave me a small smile. "Yes?"
It was a smile that didn't really reach her eyes. I guess both her and Dylan were upset.
"I'm Aubrey. You're...you're Catherine, right?"
She slightly frowned, confusion taking over her features. "Yeah. How may I help you?"
Crap, I had to rehearse this.
"I...well, I don't know how to say it," I said, sitting down. "Um, you don't know me, but I know you. Um, well, I know...I know..." I stopped and inhaled. "...I know Dylan."
Catherine froze, her eyes widening and her face paling. She shakily let go of the mug, her mouth opening but nothing coming out. Her chest was heaving up and down hastily and her eyes were swarming with so many emotions.
"I'm not some stalker," I said. "I...um...I'm his neighbor in Georgia. We're here on a class trip."
"I-I didn't know. He hasn't been answering any of my calls of texts." She ran a hand through her hair, still in shock.
"I know," I said and she looked at me.
Stop talking, Aubrey.
"How is he? How is Dylan?" she asked.
"Well, I guess he's fine," I answered. "Uh, he's quite bitter and stubborn but...yeah."
I really should have rehearsed this.
"Is he...is he in a relationship?" she asked, biting down on her lower lip.
"No."
She put a hand on her forehead and sighed. "So...so I'm guessing you know about us."
I nodded.
Silence fell between us.
"Why?" I suddenly asked.
She looked up at me. "Why what?"
I pursed my lips. "Why did you...why did you do that?"
She seemed to understand my words. She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't know...Gosh, I don't know. I'm stupid. I was so stupid. I had such an amazing person in my life and I messed it up. I miss him. I miss him so so much."
"He...he misses you, too," I said, hoping that would calm her down a little.
She bitterly laughed. "No. No, he doesn't. I hurt him."
"Do you regret it?" I softly asked.
"Yes," Catherine replied, tears streaming down her cheeks. She grabbed a tissue and wiped them off, her hands clenching. "I hate myself for what I did. I know I should have never done it. But I did and I just don't understand why. Dylan was the sweetest boyfriend anyone could have. He was loyal and caring and he gave me everything I wanted. What do I give him in return? Heartbreak. And I messed everything up, losing someone I love so much."
"But you've been trying to fix it, haven't you?"
She vigorously nodded, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "I want to fix it. I want to be able to talk to Dylan. I just want to be able to explain to him. I want things to be civil, if not more."
You could see that she really felt guilty and that she wanted to make amends with Dylan.
"Aubrey," Catherine started, looking at me. Her eyes locked with mine and she swallowed. "Are you...are you close with Dylan?"
"I guess so. We've grown close. He may not think so, though. That stubborn butt." I may have muttered the last part.
Catherine exhaled. "Can you...can you take me to him? Is there any chance you could take me over to see him? It doesn't have to be today. Please, Aubrey."
I shifted in my seat and thought. She wanted to fix things and although Dylan told me he wanted nothing to do with her, maybe talking things out could clear the air between them. Maybe then he'd feel like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Maybe he could move on. Who knows, though? Maybe they'd work things out and get back together, giving their relationship another chance. I knew that he wasn't over her. I knew that he harbored feelings for the girl in front of me.
All I wanted was the best for Dylan. I wanted him to wake up and look forward to the day. I didn't want him to continue living so bitter. I wanted to see him smile. That was all I wanted. But I didn't know what I was doing so I guess I had a lot of things to look forward to. Was I doing the right thing? We'll see then.
I swallowed and looked back at Catherine. "Yeah. Yeah, I can take you to Dylan."
