Page 67 of The Story Of Us

We don’t speak much on the drive back, and I think we’re both just trying to process the day we’ve had. Every time I sneak a glance at her she’s either looking through the book resting in her lap or fiddling with her necklace. It’s been her necklace for over a year now. The matching one I have has been sitting around my neck since she first decided to give me a chance.

I knew even then that it was too soon for my feelings for her to be so strong, and I didn’t expect her to reciprocate them straight away. I’ve always had the sense that I’d love her more than she did me, and I’m completely fine with that. I’ll take anything I can get from her.

Then I planned to give it to her on our seventeenth birthday, but that day went completely wrong, and instead, the necklace has been tucked close to my heart ever since.

When we get back to school, I park up, but neither of us makes a move to get out of the car. We’re back in that bubble again, and there’s a silent fear that it'll pop once we step out of the car and back onto school grounds. I turn in my seat to look at her, and she’s still holding the pendant between her fingers.

“Thank you for today.”

There’s so much else I want to thank her for, but I keep it vague or we’ll be here all day.

Although, I guess that wouldn’t be too terrible.

“I should be saying that to you.” She reaches over for my hand, and I’m quick to give it to her as she intertwines our fingers together and squeezes lightly. “It was the most perfect date.”

She smiles at me, and even though the sun has begun to set, it feels like it’s rising again just in this car.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

We just sit there for a while, hands linked, and even though we’re not saying anything, I know this day has meant a lot to both of us. It feels like a new beginning for us, and I want to ask her where we go from here, what the next step is, but then her phone rings, and the bubble bursts.

She lets go of my hand, and I want to take it back, miss the feeling of it in mine instantly, but I don’t.

“Sorry, it’s Avery. I told her I would see her when I got back.”

“Did you tell her you were with me?”

“No, I said I was out with my mum. Did you tell anyone?”

“I didn’t. I told my friends I was going home for the day.”

She nods, and I don’t know how we both feel about not being able to tell our friends about us again. But it feels too delicate to let other people in, and I worry that it could crack again before we even get the chance to fix it. Her phone stops ringing and then chimes with a message a few moments later. She glances down at it before looking back up at me.

“I had a great day, Isaac.” She leans over, pressing a kiss to my cheek. It feels like my heart is about to beat out of my chest. “Call me later?”

I nod, lost for words and trying to keep some semblance of calm while my brain is screaming at me not to let her get out of the car, to have it out with her and figure out where we stand, to lean over and kiss her. But she’s already opening the door, book clutched to her chest as I watch her walk away.

VIOLET

I don’t look back at Isaac as I make my way towards the dorms. I know I should have stayed and talked to him about what we’re doing and where we go from here, but it felt like too scary of a conversation to have. I wanted to keep the perfection of the day as it was. When I reach the main door, I want to look back and see if Isaac is behind me, but I know that if I do, I’ll just go running back to him.

I set my new copy of Persuasion on my desk, and go to the bathroom to take my makeup off before I head to Avery’s room. My cheeks are red, and I dread to think how long they’ve been like that, how much blood rushed to them at every thoughtful gesture from Isaac today.

My phone pings again, and I can’t avoid Avery any longer, so I open her texts and reply to tell her that I’ll be at her door in five minutes. I change into comfier clothes, leggings, and a baggy sweater, and then go to her room. Maybe talking to her will distract me, and I won’t think too much about Isaac.

Her door is unlocked, so I just let myself in, dropping next to her on the bed where she’s lying on her side.

“Hey, you,” she says, poking my nose. I scrunch it up as I do the same to her.

“Sorry, I was gone all day. It was hectic.”

I hate that I had to lie to her, but saying I was with my mum felt like an easy excuse to use. Avery knows we’ve been going through a rough patch because of my university decisions so it would make sense for me to spend some time with her.

It’s not a complete lie either because I am seeing my mum tomorrow for dinner. She’s still apprehensive about me moving away, but over the past few weeks, with more reassurances that I’ll still visit her as much as possible and talk to her every day, she’s started warming up to the idea more.

“So hectic that you couldn’t even text me back. I see how it is.”

I push her shoulder, rolling my eyes at her sarcasm.

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