Page 112 of The Accidental Text

Maggie:The one of my shoe? Or the blurry one of my arm? Avery sends her love.

November

Chase:Two more days

Maggie:Oh, right. This is awkward. I should probably tell you now that I’ve met someone else. His name is Oscar. We’re running away together. I didn’t want to tell you like this.

Long-distance relationships are hard. I can tell people that now, from experience. I wouldn’t recommend it. Chase has been home for three months, and I still sometimes get that sinking feeling that he has to go back, that he has to leave again. It’s silly, I know.

The only good part about it was that we were so far away that all we had was talking on the phone and texting. We know a lot more about each other—about what we both want in life and how we feel about certain things, like politics and religion and whatnot—because that’s all we had. There was none of the physical getting in the way. I feel like I know Chase better because of it. Even if I hated every second of being away from him.

Visiting him in London was amazing. We took in the sightsand Chase got to finally skydive, since he never did it back in Phoenix. He had to go tandem with a guy named … well, Guywashis name. Guy’s accent was so thick and he mumbled his words. I think Chase was more scared to jump with Guy than he was to actually jump.

It was after the jump, full of adrenaline, that he told me he loved me. It was easy to say back.

He took me on a hot-air balloon ride while I was there, and despite the third-wheel pilot, it was as romantic as I’d hoped it would be, floating over the English countryside, his arms wrapped around me. Chase’s, not the pilot’s.

He came back to Phoenix for two weeks during September, and it might have been the best two weeks of my life so far. I spent every possible minute with him, kissing him, staying up late talking. It was hard to let him leave. I may have asked him to quit his stupid job.

Before Thanksgiving, he came home for good. I cried when I picked him up from the airport, so happy to have him back with me. I also felt stupid for crying. I’ve become this ridiculous lovesick person. I hardly recognize myself. Hannah says I make her want to vomit.

Now we’re sitting on his couch in his living room on a lazy Saturday evening. We’re watching TV, Oscar’s head in my lap, Chase sitting right next to me. So close that it feels like we’re glued together. His arm is around my shoulders and he’s making lazy circles with his fingers on my arm. I love this moment. I don’t care if I’m a cheesy person now.

We’ve had a lot more of these lazy days since he’s been back. Gone are the days of one adventure after the other. We still do them—it’s just only once in a while. We’ve settled into a real relationship, a real adult routine. And I love every second of it.

“Do you realize it’s been a year since I got that first text from you?” he asks.

I chuckle. “Has it really?”

“I’m pretty sure.”

I do the math in my head and I think he’s right.

“Well, I’m not sorry for it.”

He turns his head toward me. “Me either,” he says. “In fact, I’m really, really glad.” He leans in and kisses me softly.

He sits back. “I’ve got an idea for another adventure.” He gives me a mischievous smile.

“I told you I’m not bungee jumping.”

“Not that,” he says.

“I’m also not hiking Everest.”

“You’ve already made that clear.”

“So what do you want to do? Volcano surfing?”

Chase pulls his head back skeptically. “Is that a thing?”

“I read about it the other day.”

“Would you want to?”

“Probably not.”

He chuckles this time. “I actually have a different adventure in mind.”

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