Deviance | 18+ | ✓ | REWRITING

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The 'road trip' that Caleb had so excitedly coined consisted mostly of heated debates over what genre of music to play and Ashly indulging the other two in overly TMI stories involving multiple drunken nights gone wrong.

"So Marie..." Caleb began to ask, his eyes still on the road. "I've been meaning to ask... do you have a boyfriend?"

Marie was taken aback by the question, glancing back at Ashly in the backseat nervously. Marie had no intentions of leading Caleb on and hadn't meant to give any signs of romantic interest.

"Caleb, look." Marie hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "You're a great guy - "

"Shit, I know how I sound. I'm just genuinely wondering..." Caleb glanced over at Marie. "I actually have a girlfriend."

Ashly immediately interrupted the conversation. "What? Caleb, you've never mentioned her!"

Caleb looked flustered, even blushing. The two girls had never seen him like this. "Just high school sweethearts. You know, freshmen year homecoming to senior year prom."

The two girls awww-ed, making Caleb blush into a deeper shade of red. Marie wondered why Caleb had never brought her up before...?

"I'm sorry, this is super awkward," Caleb continued, his eyes not leaving the road. "I just... it's hard to talk about this with the guys in the frat."

Caleb was clearly holding back something, so Ashly pushed on. "Are you having doubts?"

"No! Not at all. Grace is amazing. She really is. We're just... we're waiting till marriage. That's not weird, right? I don't bring it up with the boys."

"Not at all," Ashly responded. "She must mean a lot to you, Caleb."

"She really does. I'm willing to wait for her."

Caleb gave Ashly and Marie a sweet smile that lit up his eyes, tugging at Marie's heart.

Marie grappled with her response, which was mostly in awe. Marie self-admittedly struggled with emotional intimacy; her past exes would attest to the fact. To be in a relationship bound by genuine love and respect for the other... and nothing else...

It wasn't for Marie. But seeing Caleb's expression light up when he said the name 'Grace' pulled at a part of Marie she didn't know she had.

It was never something she wanted; to be vulnerable and open with another mind like that. It required a strength Marie didn't possess. A strength occasionally she wish had.

Marie had baggage - and made sure only she bared the weight of it.

"I would love for you guys to meet her. She'd love you two," Caleb offered.

"We should set something up!" Ashly exclaimed excitedly.

"You know..." Marie began to say, but faltered.

"Spit it out, girl." Ashly nudged Marie.

Marie caved in. "Next week is my birthday. On Friday actually. My 21st."

Ashly squealed and Caleb blurted out the obvious. "We have to get hammered, M."

Marie smiled at the thought but hesitated. The last time she got drunk she ended up with a certain psychology professor...

"I don't know, I feel like Marie might have plans for a Friday night," Ashly pointed out, giving an all-too-knowing look to Marie. Marie blushed.

Caleb chuckled. "True. Also, Grace isn't really the one to go bar hopping with us. How about lunch after psych?"