{18+ COMPLETED • COLLEGE ROMANCE}
When a college freshman with a learning disability and a reputation collides with a straight-A, straight-laced girl in the dorm kitchen one night, he sees the darkest parts of himself reflected in her. But the two o...
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M A D I E
November Twenty-Nine
Five
No one told you today that you were worth a damn thing.
But no one needed to.
Because you knew it when they looked at you. You knew it when they smiled at something you said. You knew it when they showed they cared.
With a touch.
Or their time.
Or just a tiny little gesture.
You knew it when you looked in the mirror.
And you told yourself that today you're worth every damn thing.
—
Beau and Nessa were sitting at the kitchen island the next morning, noses in bowls of cereal. When Bren and I walked down the stairs, their heads slowly rose, their expressions morphing into teasing smirks.
Beau dropped his spoon in his bowl and pushed a bottle of Lysol bleach to the counter's edge with a single finger.
"That's for the shower," he said wryly.
Nessa used her spoon as a pointer stick, waving it at Bren. "You know, I'm starting to think I shouldn't have kicked you out of the room that night. Clearly, I missed out on something."
"Hey, Wednesday," I snapped, despite the grin on my face as I walked past her. "Stop flirting with my boyfriend." I snatched the spoon from her, and she threw her head back and laughed.
Nessa was just being Nessa. Weird, slightly inappropriate humor was her trademark. I'd always be a little jealous that she'd hooked up with Bren first, but it didn't leave that weird longing in my stomach anymore. I would never have what they have, but I didn't want it. I wanted what Bren and I had.
Because what we had was really good.
Bren was laughing to himself and collapsing onto the couch by the time I turned around. I poured a glass of water and brought it over to him.
"Do you have a headache?" I asked. The crease on his forehead screamed hungover.
He grinned. "Yeah."
"Why are you smiling then?"
He took a long drink of the water, his eyes continuing to smile at me above the glass's rim. Swallowing, he said, "You called me your boyfriend."
"Oh." I instantly flushed. I guess we had never really talked about it like that. Maybe he didn't—
"Hey, Madie?" Bren interrupted my thoughts. "I'd really love it if you didn't start overthinking it and let me call you my girlfriend, too," he murmured.
