Page 130 of The Jerk in Apartment 1B

Scott smiles at me. “I think we’ll try dating first and go from there.”

Go from there?Does that mean he’d be open to getting married someday? I thought he didn’t want that.

“What happened?” I say as we leave the store. “Why’d you change your mind about us?”

He takes my hand as we walk down the sidewalk. “I didn’t want to lose you because of some fear I had of something happening to you.”

“That’s why you didn’t want to be with me? Because you were afraid something would happen to me?”

“I worry about that all the time. With everyone. My parents. My friends. Everyone I care about.”

“That must be hard.”

“It is, but I’m tired of it. I can’t keep living this way. What happened to Megan was horrible, and I never want to go through that again. But everything before that was great, better than I could’ve imagined. I loved her, and I loved the life I had with her. It ended far too soon, but if there was a chance to have that life again, with someone else, I’d be crazy to give that up.”

I can’t believe he’s saying all this. He was so determined to never get serious with a girl, and now he’s talking like he actually wants that.

We’re at our building now and we go inside. He’s still holding my hand and doesn’t let go when I try to break free.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks.

“To my apartment.”

“We’re going on a date.”

“In your apartment?”

“It’s gonna start there and then we’ll go out.”

I smile, knowing what he’s implying. I reach up and kiss him and we continue to kiss as he unlocks the door and opens it.

“Scott,” I hear Bridget say. “I thought you left.”

He breaks from the kiss. “The flight was canceled. I’m leaving in the morning. Hey, I need the apartment back. You’ll have to finish whatever you’re doing some other time.”

“I’m done. I was just heading out.” She looks at Scott and me. “What’s going on?”

He puts his arm around me. “I want some time with my girlfriend before I have to leave.”

“Girlfriend,” she says, like she’s making sure that’s what he said.

Scott opens the door for her. “Have a good night.”

She slowly walks out, giving me a confused look, like she can’t understand why Scott would pick me and not her.

“We’re finally alone,” Scott says, coming over to me. “No Frank. No weird cashier girl. No Bridget.” He puts his arms around me. “I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this.”

“To be alone with me?”

“No. To have this again. To feel this way.” He kisses me and we make our way to the bedroom.

We decide not to go out and instead order dinner in. We want as much time alone together as we can get before he has to leavefor California. So I spend the night, and in the morning we have breakfast.

I’m sad when he has to go, but he’ll be back. And we can start our relationship. Something I never thought would happen.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

TWO MONTHS LATER

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