‹ Prequel: Break Down These Walls
Sequel: Now and Forever. ›
Status: finished : )
Safe Ride Home
I doubt they could
My poor, little heart was beating erratically in my chest. With all six sets of eyes glued to me, I couldn’t calm it. My palms were sweaty and my hands were shaking.
This was not that big of a deal, yet I couldn’t convince my mind to stop overreacting. I was scared and nervous and anxious and tense. But I had to speak up eventually. They were all waiting for it.
I stood up from the chair, placing my hand on Jonathan’s knee for some support. He slipped from the arm rest into the chair as I started to pace.
“What’s going on, Dell?” Caleb sat forward from the couch, leaning his elbows on his thighs.
“You’re freaking us all out. Can you just spit it out? Whatever it is.” Marc pleaded and I exhaled loudly, stopping in my spot.
I placed my hands on my hips and bit my bottom lip. I took the extra minute to look at them all individually. Their postures were stiff and forward, as if standing on an edge. There was fear and concern in their eyes. It made my stomach sick.
“Well,” I started and then sighed. I couldn’t look at them as I talked. I had to stare up at the ceiling as I rattled off the speech I had prepared all day long.
“I got a job offer. It’s still with the art gallery I was working for in Baltimore, and technically I said yes, but I haven’t started so I could just as easily turn the proposal down. I,” I paused and inhaled deeply. “I wanted tell you guys first.”
It was quiet for a while. I was terrified to glance at their expressions so I continued to stare at the ceiling. Then I heard Austin clear his throat.
“So, does this mean you’re moving back to Maryland?”
My stomach flipped involuntarily at the thought of my home up there and my second family.
“But you just got here.” Kent whined and I smiled a little. At least no one was yelling.
“I will officially be living up there, but the job is maintaining the new galleries. There’s one here in Dallas. That’s only a couple hours away and I was thinking, if you guys wouldn’t mind, I’d like to stay here when I come. I haven’t got an official schedule or anything, but I’m sure I’d be here frequently.”
“Of course you’re staying here.” Jonathan smugly spoke and then got up from our chair. He came and wrapped his arms around me. “I think the job’s great news.” He kissed my cheek and grinned at me.
I finally took the opportunity to look around at everyone else. They were all smiling too. Kyle’s caught my attention though as he too stood up to come hug me.
“I guess we’ll have to share you now with the Yankee’s.” He joked and squeezed me tight, kissing the top of my head. I closed my eyes and buried my face in his chest. It felt so good to have their approval. I had been so worried of the chance of losing them again.
But now I could have my sweet Texas boys and my crazy Baltimore friends. It could work.
It wasn’t until later, when I was making myself a salad in the kitchen and Caleb casually strolled in, that everything really sunk in. Caleb leaned against the counter as he watched me cut up a tomato and throw it into my bowl.
“Have you told Alex yet?”
Simple question, yet it still made my pulse race. I glanced at him briefly and then bit my bottom lip, shaking my head. I knew I wanted Alex back, but I just didn’t know how to do that yet.
“Are you going to tell him?”
I smiled. “There’s someone else I have to tell first.” Caleb gave me a strange look, but I just shrugged at him. I took my salad and went to Jonathan’s room to get on his laptop.
I only had one stop to make between Texas and Maryland, and I knew that I was going to get my answer there. It was just a matter of an airplane ride and a conversation with my best friend.
This was not that big of a deal, yet I couldn’t convince my mind to stop overreacting. I was scared and nervous and anxious and tense. But I had to speak up eventually. They were all waiting for it.
I stood up from the chair, placing my hand on Jonathan’s knee for some support. He slipped from the arm rest into the chair as I started to pace.
“What’s going on, Dell?” Caleb sat forward from the couch, leaning his elbows on his thighs.
“You’re freaking us all out. Can you just spit it out? Whatever it is.” Marc pleaded and I exhaled loudly, stopping in my spot.
I placed my hands on my hips and bit my bottom lip. I took the extra minute to look at them all individually. Their postures were stiff and forward, as if standing on an edge. There was fear and concern in their eyes. It made my stomach sick.
“Well,” I started and then sighed. I couldn’t look at them as I talked. I had to stare up at the ceiling as I rattled off the speech I had prepared all day long.
“I got a job offer. It’s still with the art gallery I was working for in Baltimore, and technically I said yes, but I haven’t started so I could just as easily turn the proposal down. I,” I paused and inhaled deeply. “I wanted tell you guys first.”
It was quiet for a while. I was terrified to glance at their expressions so I continued to stare at the ceiling. Then I heard Austin clear his throat.
“So, does this mean you’re moving back to Maryland?”
My stomach flipped involuntarily at the thought of my home up there and my second family.
“But you just got here.” Kent whined and I smiled a little. At least no one was yelling.
“I will officially be living up there, but the job is maintaining the new galleries. There’s one here in Dallas. That’s only a couple hours away and I was thinking, if you guys wouldn’t mind, I’d like to stay here when I come. I haven’t got an official schedule or anything, but I’m sure I’d be here frequently.”
“Of course you’re staying here.” Jonathan smugly spoke and then got up from our chair. He came and wrapped his arms around me. “I think the job’s great news.” He kissed my cheek and grinned at me.
I finally took the opportunity to look around at everyone else. They were all smiling too. Kyle’s caught my attention though as he too stood up to come hug me.
“I guess we’ll have to share you now with the Yankee’s.” He joked and squeezed me tight, kissing the top of my head. I closed my eyes and buried my face in his chest. It felt so good to have their approval. I had been so worried of the chance of losing them again.
But now I could have my sweet Texas boys and my crazy Baltimore friends. It could work.
It wasn’t until later, when I was making myself a salad in the kitchen and Caleb casually strolled in, that everything really sunk in. Caleb leaned against the counter as he watched me cut up a tomato and throw it into my bowl.
“Have you told Alex yet?”
Simple question, yet it still made my pulse race. I glanced at him briefly and then bit my bottom lip, shaking my head. I knew I wanted Alex back, but I just didn’t know how to do that yet.
“Are you going to tell him?”
I smiled. “There’s someone else I have to tell first.” Caleb gave me a strange look, but I just shrugged at him. I took my salad and went to Jonathan’s room to get on his laptop.
I only had one stop to make between Texas and Maryland, and I knew that I was going to get my answer there. It was just a matter of an airplane ride and a conversation with my best friend.
