Uncharted Territory

Reagan

I took a deep breath and turned around.

“Reagan, you look beautiful,” Natalie, my roommate gasped.

I knew Natalie from when I had attended Harvard my freshman year thanks to an English class we had together. Although we were mainly just acquaintances back then I decided to move into the apartment with her for this school year and we had become closer in the two weeks since I moved back east. Currently, she was with me at the bridal store where I was trying on my dress for the final time before John and Grace’s wedding.

“I like it,” I forced a smile. I truly did like the dress Grace had picked out; I just wasn’t fond of the reason behind me having to wear it. “I’m just glad she picked a short dress. Wearing a long dress in the Arizona heat would have been brutal.”

“You’re going to have all those Arizona boys in the palm of your hand,” Natalie smirked.

“She already does.”

I turned around when I heard the familiar voice behind me. I thought my mind was playing a trick on me but sure enough, there he was.

“Natalie is right, Rae. You do look beautiful,” John said.

“What…how…why?” I stuttered before taking a deep breath and collecting my thoughts. “What are you doing in Cambridge and how did you know I was here?”

“Natalie helped me,” John nodded in the her direction.

“I’ve been texting John the past two weeks since you left Arizona. He wanted to surprise you and fix things but was worried you’d ignore him so Kennedy gave him my number, thinking that I could help. I think I’ll let you two have some time to yourselves,” Natalie smiled as she made her way towards the door at the front of the store. Before going outside she turned around and mouthed a “be nice” to me which earned her a glare from me.

“So how’s Cambridge?” John asked after a few moments of silence.

“Good,” I shrugged. “I like it here.”

“What if I said I didn’t like it when you’re here?”

I scoffed and turned to make my way back towards the dressing room instead of answering.

“Would you just listen to me, Reagan?!”

As soon as those words left John’s mouth I was furious. How dare he ask me to listen when it was obviously too late.

I marched over to John with my anger apparent on my face. “Oh, now you want me to listen? Did you ever think that it might be too late? I gave you a chance, John. The day I left I gave you a chance to talk and you didn’t take it,” I stopped to try and stop my tears but it was too late; they were already making their way out of my eyes and down my cheeks. “I gave you so many chances, John, and all you did was let me down.”

“Reagan, please…” John said as he tried to wrap his arms around me.

“I pushed him away and backed up a few steps. “Don’t touch me.”

John sighed. “You’re right, Reagan. You’ve given me so many chances that I don’t deserve another one but, even though it’s the last thing I should be asking for, I am. Please, give me another chance.”

“Why?” I snapped.

“Because, I now finally see what was right in front of me this whole time.”

“Stop talking in riddles!”

John cracked a smile at my outburst. “The wedding is off.”

“What?”

“Grace and I called it off. We realized that we’ve been trying to hold on to the past and we’re no longer right for each other. Plus, I couldn’t marry her when I’m in love with you.”

“What?” I once again asked. This seemed to be the only thing I was capable of saying at the moment.

John smiled and stepped closer to me as he reached out a hand to stroke my cheek. “Reagan, there is something about you that takes my breath away every single time I’m near you. Ever since that first day you came to our band practice, I’ve been in awe of you.”

I smiled, unable to say anything coherent at the moment. John took care of that though when he leaned down and connected our lips. As cheesy as it sounds, that kiss was everything I’d been hoping for these past few months. Standing there with John just felt so simple and right.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?” John asked once we finally pulled away.

I smirked. “Probably about as long as I’ve wanted to hear those words.”

John threw his head back and laughed. “So are you going to stay here or move back to Arizona? I mean obviously, I want you to move back to Arizona but I understand that it’s hard to turn Harvard down. It won’t be easy but we can make a long distance relationship work and…”

I took my hand and covered John’s mouth to stop his rambling. “I’m moving back to Arizona. It’s home now. Plus, the person I was trying to get away from has finally come to his senses.”
John picked me up and swung me around as I laughed.

“I should probably tell Natalie that she needs a new roommate,” I said once John put me down.

“It’s cool. I was kind of hoping this would happen. I mean I’ll miss you but the two of you are just too cute together,” Natalie said as she entered the room.

“How did you hear that?” I asked.

“I may or may not have snuck back in so I could listen,” Natalie sheepishly said.

I laughed at Natalie’s confession. “Well thank you for being so understanding.”

“Anytime dear,” Natalie smiled. “Just be sure to write.”

“So, I guess I should go back to the apartment and pack?” I asked as I turned back to John.

“Yeah, and you might want to hurry. I have a flight back to Phoenix booked for ten o’clock tonight and I may or may not have bought you a ticket also.”

“Wow, someone was sure of himself.”

“No, just hopeful,” John smiled.

I quickly changed back into my normal clothes and headed back to the apartment with John with a bridesmaid's dress I now had no need for. By some miracle, John and I got all of my things packed and ready for the flight in time. I couldn’t contain my excitement as we sat on the flight that would bring me back to the place I’d come to think of as home.

“Happy?” John asked as the plane took off.

“I am,” I smiled. “Now there is just one thing left to do…you have to tell Kennedy that you’re now dating his sister.”

“That might be the hardest thing of all of this,” John said with a worried look on his face.

“I’ll protect you,” I winked.

John laughed and snuggled up to me the best he could in the airplane seats. It didn’t take long before I heard light snores coming from him. As I looked at the sleeping boy next to me I thought of how happy I was that I had finally found a place to call home…and someone to share it with.