Whatever It Takes

Jon turned and pulled up in front of the hotel doors, putting the car in park. “Thanks Jon” Arianna said, as she shot him a smile as he turned to face the girls in the back. “No problem” he said as he stole a glance in Marissa’s direction.

“Thanks for tonight boys, we had a lot of fun” Marissa said as she lead over through the seats and gave each boy quick kisses on the cheeks. She opened her door and got out, her face flushed from being near Jon, Arianna assumed. “Goodnight boys” Arianna said as she opened her door and got out.

“Hey” she heard a male voice call, causing her to turn to face the car again once she was out. She saw Patrick’s window down, his arm hanging out while looking at her. “What’s up?” she asked as she took a step closer to the car. He wasn’t sure why he had called out after her, something in him just made him do it.

“I’m really happy I met you,” he said suddenly, as he brushed his hand against hers quickly. She smiled down at him, “I’m happy I met you too”. He felt his stomach form knots, this becoming harder than he had expected. “Take care of yourself,” he practically whispered, trying to get better words to come out yet none were forming. “You too” she replied, her heart stopping as she turned and walked toward the hotel doors.

She pushed through the revolving doors, trying to understand why her chest felt so heavy. Could she have really let this guy affect her so much in such a short amount of time? She wasn’t sure what was happening, but all she did know was she felt let down by their last moment together.

“You ok?” Marissa asked as she wrapped her arm through her friends’, a concerned look upon her face. “Ya, I’m fine” Arianna lied as she forced a smile, as they walked toward the elevators. Lost in her thoughts, she forgot she was still wearing his jacket.

“So what’s happening with you two?” Jon asked as he pulled away from the hotel. “What are you talking about?” Patrick asked, snapping out of his daze. He had been starring at Arianna as she walked away, urging himself to come up with something to say or do to make her stay. He couldn’t bear to know that this was the end. He also was silently kicking himself for his last words to her. Could I be any more of an idiot, he thought as he looked out the window.

“Well clearly there’s something going on with you and her” Jon continued, as he turned to look at Patrick, “don’t deny it. Its so obvious”. Patrick shook his head, “I don’t know man. She hasn’t been like any of the other girls I usually find at clubs”. He shook his head and looked out the window again, letting his head flash back to memories of her.

“ I didn’t even try to make a move on her,” he continued, as he turned to look at Jon again. “And usually, that’s all my brain is programmed to do. And its not that im not attracted to her, I mean have you seen her? It’s impossible to not want to rip her clothes off. But with her…it’s different. I actually felt like aside from all that attraction I had to her and this instant chemistry we had, we were friends”. Jon nodded silently, his eyes focused on the road. “That’s a pretty big deal coming out of your mouth” Jon teased him, as a smile formed on his lips.

“Yeah tell me about it,” Patrick sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “But it doesn’t mean anything. She’s leaving to go back home, and im going to be here. That’s where me and her end I guess”. Jon turned and shot him a confused look, “I don’t get you. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you this interested, like really genuinely interested in a girl, and you’re just ready to give up. That’s not like you dude, not at all”.

“So what am I suppose to do?” Patrick sighed, growing frustrated because he knew he couldn’t win in this situation. He didn’t need Jon to keep reminding him or rubbing it in. They would go their separate ways; he knew he had to acknowledge it.

“I don’t know. But if I were you, I wouldn’t let her go so easily. You wont find too many girls that move you the way she does Kaner” Jon said as he continued to drive. Patrick looked out the window of the moving vehicle; that’s the part that hurts the most, he thought.