“I know you’re not referring to me and Evan when you say that!”
“Listen,” Sarah cuts in, “this is pointless and our project isn’t. Can we just focus and get our work done?”
“No. I want to know what Ryan meant by that comment.”Crossing my arms, I tap my fingers, waiting for him to justify his words.
Sarah sits back, huffing in annoyance.
Will leans forward completely engrossed like he’s watching a suspenseful show on TV.
Ryan smiles, but it’s smirky, and not in the sexy way Evan pulls it off. “It seems to me that you have fallen under this guy’s influence.” Anger boils inside of me as he continues. “You’re young and shouldn’t have to wait around day in and day out for this guy to figure out what he wants to do or if he wants to be with you.”
“He’s only a year older than me and I’m not waiting around for him. I’m in school. He’s working. He’ll be here soon, like really soon. And I don’t understand why you think I’m under his influ—”
“Mallory,” Ryan starts in again. “We’ve all been privy to watching you waste your life sitting around all semester daydreaming about this guy like he’s the second coming of James Dean or something. Shit, he can’t be that special. Wake up! He’s probably seeing girls in New York. He’s a player. That was obvious when I met him. He’s arroga—”
“Stop it! I will not sit here and let you trash Evan like that. He’s faithful to me. He’s my forever.” I jump up, baffled where this is coming from and angered by the accusations and insults.
“ But are you his? I mean, don’t we go to school so we can land high paying jobs? He’s already got one, so why get the degree? Why come back here… to you when he has everything he already needs there?”
All three of them look at me, a look of sympathy on Sarah’s face, Will is intrigued, and Ryan self-righteous.
“I’m his FOR-EV-ER!” I grab my bag and toss Lolita at him. As he catches it, I say, “I think you’re reading too much fiction. This is my life. It’s real, not fantasy and not trickery, but with real people and emotions. This is the life I’ve chosen and I am his forever.” I start to leave, but stop to add, “I think you’re just jealous, Ryan, because like Will, you’ll never be anything more to me than a guy I once knew in college.”
I almost make it to the elevators when I’m grabbed from behind and spun around. “Mallory, don’t be like this. I’ve been genuine in my friendship with you—”
“You had underlying motives all along. That’s more than apparent now.” I try to pull my arm from his tight grip, but can’t free myself until our stare down ends and he releases me. “You were hurting me,” I say, trying to stay calm, but losing the battle.
I don’t even think he realized how tight he was holding me because regret crosses his expression. “I’m sorry. I need you to understand how much I care about you.” He shoves his hands in his pockets as if he’s restraining himself from touching me again.
“Ryan, we really don’t know each other that well. We’ve hung out a few times and I’ve always been very clear about who my heart belongs to—”
“Yes, you have. I’m sorry. I felt a connection the first day I met you, the girl with the big green eyes and a smile that held a thousand secrets… your smart comebacks. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I thought you were worth pursuing to find out a few of those secrets.” He looks over his shoulder where we both see Sarah and Will watching from a few feet away. “Did you ever sense that there could be more to us than just project partners that once went to college together?”
“Ryan.” I sigh, looking down. “Please don’t.”
“Mallory, look at me,” he says, his finger lifting my chin. “Please tell me I wasn’t imagining all that. That maybe, just maybe, there was a time where you thought there could be more than just
“Listen,” Sarah cuts in, “this is pointless and our project isn’t. Can we just focus and get our work done?”
“No. I want to know what Ryan meant by that comment.”Crossing my arms, I tap my fingers, waiting for him to justify his words.
Sarah sits back, huffing in annoyance.
Will leans forward completely engrossed like he’s watching a suspenseful show on TV.
Ryan smiles, but it’s smirky, and not in the sexy way Evan pulls it off. “It seems to me that you have fallen under this guy’s influence.” Anger boils inside of me as he continues. “You’re young and shouldn’t have to wait around day in and day out for this guy to figure out what he wants to do or if he wants to be with you.”
“He’s only a year older than me and I’m not waiting around for him. I’m in school. He’s working. He’ll be here soon, like really soon. And I don’t understand why you think I’m under his influ—”
“Mallory,” Ryan starts in again. “We’ve all been privy to watching you waste your life sitting around all semester daydreaming about this guy like he’s the second coming of James Dean or something. Shit, he can’t be that special. Wake up! He’s probably seeing girls in New York. He’s a player. That was obvious when I met him. He’s arroga—”
“Stop it! I will not sit here and let you trash Evan like that. He’s faithful to me. He’s my forever.” I jump up, baffled where this is coming from and angered by the accusations and insults.
“ But are you his? I mean, don’t we go to school so we can land high paying jobs? He’s already got one, so why get the degree? Why come back here… to you when he has everything he already needs there?”
All three of them look at me, a look of sympathy on Sarah’s face, Will is intrigued, and Ryan self-righteous.
“I’m his FOR-EV-ER!” I grab my bag and toss Lolita at him. As he catches it, I say, “I think you’re reading too much fiction. This is my life. It’s real, not fantasy and not trickery, but with real people and emotions. This is the life I’ve chosen and I am his forever.” I start to leave, but stop to add, “I think you’re just jealous, Ryan, because like Will, you’ll never be anything more to me than a guy I once knew in college.”
I almost make it to the elevators when I’m grabbed from behind and spun around. “Mallory, don’t be like this. I’ve been genuine in my friendship with you—”
“You had underlying motives all along. That’s more than apparent now.” I try to pull my arm from his tight grip, but can’t free myself until our stare down ends and he releases me. “You were hurting me,” I say, trying to stay calm, but losing the battle.
I don’t even think he realized how tight he was holding me because regret crosses his expression. “I’m sorry. I need you to understand how much I care about you.” He shoves his hands in his pockets as if he’s restraining himself from touching me again.
“Ryan, we really don’t know each other that well. We’ve hung out a few times and I’ve always been very clear about who my heart belongs to—”
“Yes, you have. I’m sorry. I felt a connection the first day I met you, the girl with the big green eyes and a smile that held a thousand secrets… your smart comebacks. Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I thought you were worth pursuing to find out a few of those secrets.” He looks over his shoulder where we both see Sarah and Will watching from a few feet away. “Did you ever sense that there could be more to us than just project partners that once went to college together?”
“Ryan.” I sigh, looking down. “Please don’t.”
“Mallory, look at me,” he says, his finger lifting my chin. “Please tell me I wasn’t imagining all that. That maybe, just maybe, there was a time where you thought there could be more than just
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