Blair Silver

Part 30: Treasure

Jillian said she'd give me her evaluation on the bus. It seems to take forever for it to pull up, but finally we're all on board, and I turn to her impatiently. "So?"

She looks at me. "Why are you willing to give him another chance?"

I frown. "You don't think I should date him?"

"I didn't say that. I want to know why you're willing to take him back after he hurt you."

I blink. "I love him."

"Why?"

I blush a little, looking down. "I don't know... he's just... he's smart, and gentle, and sweet, and considerate, and caring. He trusts me, and he's willing to be open and vulnerable with me, and he's so different from the person people think he is when they look at him. He's honestly kind of a dork... it's really cute. He makes a lot of Star Wars references. And there's just something about the way he is with me. He's so gentle and careful and sweet, he's never been rough with me ever. He touches me like I'm precious, like- like he treasures me. Not like he thinks I'm fragile or easy to break though- like... a diamond. If you had a diamond ring, you would be protective of it, you'd be careful with it and keep it safe even though it's the toughest substance in the world, because it's priceless and irreplaceable and precious. That's how he makes me feel."

She's grinning. "You're smiling, like, uncontrollably right now, Theo."

I blush and press my lips together. It doesn't make me stop smiling even a little bit.

She's grinning more now, but it fades a little on her next sentence. "So, you're not worried that he'll leave you again?"

I shake my head. "He was scared. People are horrible at dealing with fear." 

"You aren't. You shouldn't have to be weighed down by someone else's fear." 

"I won't be. He's not going to let it control him, now." I hold her gaze solemnly. "I really believe that."

She gives me a small smile. "Alright. I trust that you know what you're doing. And I believe him when he says he doesn't want to leave you this time."

I smile again. "You do? So I don't just have confirmation bias?"

She grins. "No. I think he's really genuine."

My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. "I'm so happy right now."

She laughs. "I can tell. Come here." She offers her arms out for a hug, and I practically jump on top of her, squeezing her as hard as I can.

-

The next day after school, I'm practically vibrating with excitement. I look out the window overlooking the school parking lot and see Blair leaning against the side of the building, not smoking. I grin.

When I look back at Jillian, she's raising an eyebrow at me, trying not to smile. "What are you waiting for? Go get him, Theo."

My grin widens, and I turn (too fast, and almost trip, then catch myself) and start towards the stairwell with her. "Right." We're about halfway down the stairs when I ask, "Do you think this will really work? Like, between Blair and me?"

"If I didn't, I'd have told you that yesterday," she points out with a teasing smile, and I grin.

"But like, do you really think so? You think we could last... a while?"

We reach the bottom of the stairs, and Jilly turns to me, putting her hands on my shoulders and looking me dead in the eye. "Theo, I have a lot of faith that you and Blair could last for a very long time. Of course, there's no way to say for sure that you won't grow apart, but you seemed very happy when you were with him last time. And I can tell he'd do anything for you, it's obvious just by the way he looks at you. It's like you said on the bus: he treasures you. I don't think he'll give you up so easily, now."