Page 111 of Hypothetical Heart
Of course, he does. “Come here.” He lifts the blanket and opens his arms.
My pride is nonexistent—the chills racking through my body are likely shaking it out of me—which makes it easy for me to fall into his embrace.
“Can we both agree I was right?” He smirks into my hair.
I nod. “Going out was a stupid idea. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he emphasizes. “I’m just glad we didn’t get any further than the lobby.” We both laugh.
And that’s the last thing either of us says for the rest of the night as we slowly drift to sleep to the sound of one another breathing.
33
Afew weeks after Myrtle Beach, Winnie is at one of her first ballet rehearsals for the year, and Jameson is at some type of pre-med conference at Columbia, which leaves Genevieve, Luke, and I in the city with nothing to do.
“Where are we going?” Genevieve asks once the three of us are out of my apartment lobby.
The driver I called is standing on the curb, right on time.
“Just get in the car, you’ll see,” I tell them, and I’m shocked when neither of them argues. They simply climb in the backseat after me.
I’ve had this trip planned since we got back from North Carolina, so when the opportunity arose to have Genevieve and Luke come with me, I decided to take advantage of it.
“How’s class been, Gen?” Luke asks.
She purses her lips, thinking up an accurate response. “It’s been good, a lot harder than Fairwood, but that was expected.”
“How about Jameson? Is he keeping up?” I ask.
“We aren’t allowed to discuss our grades with each other,” she says, almost sounding guilty.
“Says who?” Luke laughs.
“Us.” Genevieve looks down at her hands. “It was a few weeks into the semester when we realized it was all we talked about, and it wasn’t good for our relationship. So, now we have a rule forbidding us from discussing school.”
“You know, Gen, I can’t say that shocks me.” While it’s funny, it makes complete sense. Genevieve and Jameson were rivals in school from the second they met one another, and it took them an entire semester to realize they worked better as a team than opponents. But even now that they’re dating, it doesn’t change how competitive the two of them are.
“Maybe once he’s in med school, and I’m in law school, we’ll be able to talk to each other about our classes.”
“Doubtful,” Luke mutters under his breath, making Genevieve elbow him in the side.
The rest of the car ride is pretty dull. Winnie calls me when she has a short break during rehearsal, and soon after, Jameson calls Genevieve on his walk back from class. “Jameson, how are your classes?” Luke asks with a devious smile on his face, and I struggle not to laugh.
“Um…” Jameson hesitates over the speaker. “They’re good.”
Genevieve gives both of us a murderous look, taking Jameson off of speakerphone to continue their conversation.
When the driver parks in front of our destination, Genevieve looks out the window and then back at me. “I amnothelping you pick out an engagement ring,” she tells me as if I’ve lost my mind while looking at the jewelry store in front of her.
“I’m not getting an engagement ring,” I say truthfully.
One day?Yes.Today?No.
Luke lets out a dramatic sigh of relief, opening the car door and jumping on the sidewalk. Genevieve and I follow suit.
“So, what are we looking for today? A necklace? Earrings?” he asks, clapping his hands together.
I shake my head. “A ring.”
