Page 59 of How He Got the Girl
Have I really closed myself off from relationships? Once I graduated and accepted my teaching job, I always told myself that trying to date would add too much to my plate. Well, that and the guys on the apps werenotit. I’m glad they work out for some people, but I don’t fall into that category.
And I’m always so tired after I get home from school that I never dive into any other activities that I used to love, like ice skating. So, I never had any opportunities to meet a man the old-fashioned way. And I’dneverdate another teacher from my school. That would be way too much of an HR nightmare when things eventually fizzled out.
But what if my friends are right? Could all of Griffin’s flirting, heated looks, and lingering touches be real? What ifI’mthe reason that I never date? My mind roams back to a memory from just a few months ago, when a man let me go ahead of him in the check-out line at the grocery store when I had way more things in my cart than he did. Then there was the guy at the coffee shop I kept making eye contact with over my laptop when I worked on my lesson plans.
They’re right. I’ve been blind all along.
Well, all along post-Griffin.
“Did a good old dose of reality just smack you in the face?” Kelsey teases.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” I croak. Feeling parched, I take a sip of my cappuccino. I think coffee actually dehydrates you, but it’s the best I’ve got at the moment.
I thought I was over Griffin, but when I saw his face on our television screen a few months ago, I was hit with a Mack truck of feelings. I told myself that it was feelings of loathing, but if I’m being honest, it was feelings of attraction. Desire.
All the things I wanted with him, but never thought I’d have.
Would he hurt me again if I let him back in? All the signs in my brain are still screaming yes as his interview answers play in my mind on repeat.
“Okay, let’s pretend for a minute that he’s not acting,” I say. All my friends nod like this is already obvious. “Then how do you explain this?” I pull my phone out of my purse and select the interview from my recently viewed videos before handing it to them.
They lean their heads in close, listening intently. Once the video is done, they hand back my phone.
“Well?” I ask.
Shayna’s eyes are full of sympathy. “Are you upset he didn’t mention your first date as the best one he’s ever been on?”
“Yeah. How can you tell me he’s not acting when he obviously wasn’t thinking of me then?”
“Have you asked Griffin why he didn’t mention you?” Kelsey squeezes my arm.
“Nope.” I purse my lips. “Honestly, I think it made me too angry to think rationally when I saw him again.”
“You should talk to him about it,” Tess encourages. “Maybe his answer will surprise you.”
Deep down, a part of me hopes that there’s an explanation for what Griffin said, but if that’s the case, then I’m even more terrified to let myself feel for this man a second time.
I lean into Kelsey’s hold on my arm, feeling weak in the knees. She leads me over to a wooden bench. I sit, and my friends plop down on either side of me while Kelsey squats in front of me, rubbing my arms.
I’m about to tell them how right they are and thank them for their tough love when Griffin jogs over, sliding to a stop in front of us. Kelsey quickly steps out of the way, and Griffin kneels on one knee before me. I know he’s not proposing. But my stupid heart doesn’t. It pounds in my chest, and everything feels hazy as I look into Griffin’s worried gaze.
“I saw your friends practically carry you over here.” His words come out breathless and worried. He gently frames my face, then runs his hands down my neck, arms, and legs before settling them on my knees. The graze of his fingers along my body leaves a trail of raised hairs. I bite my bottom lip to keep from gasping.
“Are you okay? Do I need to take you to the doctor?”
“Just a little dehydrated, I think.” I push to stand, but my legs give out.
Griffin wraps his arms around me. “I’ve got you.”
Not only does he have me…he sweeps me off my feet, effectively sucking all the air from my lungs.
“Let’s get you home, beautiful,” he murmurs in my ear. Turning to my friends, he says, “Would you ladies please lead me to whatever car you drove here?”
I glance at them, seeing excitement written all over their faces from their wide eyes to gleaming smiles.
“Of course,” Shayna squeaks, stepping in front of him. “I drove.”
As she leads him to the parking lot, I look back at my other friends over Griffin’s shoulder. Alyssa, Kelsey, and Tess are whispering behind us, looking thrilled. When they see me looking, they pump their fists in the air and mime a mixture of gestures from fireworks and giant muscles to making out. I roll my eyes and try to calm my racing heart. He’s carrying me to the car. Nothing else.
