The Reluctant Romantics Box Set (The Fall, The Mind, The Heart)

I used my fists to drown out each painful tear of my heart. Reiner matched me blow for blow as we exhausted each other until we were both panting on the grass, bloodied and aching.

He said nothing as he stood up to retreat to his house. There was nothing to say.

She didn’t attend another party up to the day I graduated. She made herself scarce at school. I caught her once sitting in the stands after track. When I spotted her, she purposefully made her way down the bleachers and left before I had a chance to catch up with her.

Whether I had made a move on her or not didn’t matter anymore, either way I was losing her.

The day I graduated, I spotted her chatting with my parents before she made her way to her car. I quickly walked past my waiting parents to catch up with her.

“Dallas,” I said urgently as she scurried to her car, speeding up when she heard my voice. She got in, ignoring me. I leaned against her car with a sigh and wrapped my knuckles on her window as she shook her head. I stood there like a jackass.

“Open the fucking door, Dallas,” I said, losing my patience. I was leaving for Spain in the morning to spend the summer with my parents, as I did every year. I had planned on stopping by her house, but was surprised to see her here, grateful for the chance to say goodbye.

“No!” she shouted, starting her car.

“Open the door!” I yelled, getting the attention of everyone in the parking lot. She lowered her window and I reached in past her and grabbed her keys out of the ignition.

“Congrats,” she snapped as she moved to stop me, her voice dripping with anger and hurt. “I hate you. I really do. We were best friends and you just dropped me for being a whore like you.”

“Dally, get out of the car.”

“Forget it. I hope you have a nice life,” she said, her voice shaking. “Give me my keys,” she ordered as she got out of the car, refusing to look at me. She opened her hand and I pulled mine out of reach, gripping them tightly.

“Not until we talk,” I said firmly.

“Fine, I’ll walk!” she shrieked, causing more eyes to wander our way.

“Stop it. Here are your damn keys. You want to act like a baby, fine,” I huffed in frustration, holding them out to her.

“You are the worst best friend I have ever had!” she declared, ripping them out of my grip.

“I could say the same about you right now, Dallas,” I snapped.

“Really, well, don’t worry. It’s all over now,” she said with finality.

“No, it’s not. I will always be here for you. I had to let you sit in your own mess for a while, Dallas, because you are acting like such a stupid girl and you deserved it, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care about you. I know that you are young and acting more dumb than you are smart. You’re brilliant and beautiful and way above all this crap. I wish you would just realize it already.”

“How can I when the one thing I want …” she caught herself. “It’s harder than you think.”

“I know exactly how hard it is,” I said as she stopped her rant to finally look at me. Her mouth parted as I gripped her shoulders and leaned in. “I know,” I emphasized as I silenced her by taking her lips in a kiss that was anything but friendly. She gave in immediately and wrapped her arms tightly around me. I lost myself in her for a brief moment as our lips met and melded. I indulged on her mouth, swirling my tongue in and tasting all of her. The surprise in her return kiss dissolved as we were both lost and found together. I always knew I had been right about her. I selfishly took as much as I could, knowing my craving for her was now seared into my DNA. Tearing myself away, I noticed the heated color of her face, the swell of perfect parted lips, and her need for me, memorizing every detail. “I’ll see you again, Dallas. Tienes el otro pedazo de mi corazón.”

“Dean?” she whispered in question as I forced one lead foot in front of the other walking away from her.

I turned to look at my spitfire one more time, pressed two fingers to my lips, and turned them outward toward her and her answering smile was breathtaking. “See you at Austin, Dally.” I winked before joining my parents who were watching us with interest.

“One look, one touch, I was hopeless”—Laura (Room 212)

Dallas

Now

I spent the next two weeks burying and losing myself in work. It took the better part of the first week to get Josh to speak to me. We had never had a single issue between us that had kept us at odds for so long. I had apologized to him profusely one night at his front door as he refused to look at me. When he’d finally let me in to explain, it took the better half of the night to convince him that I’d remained faithful.

“Dallas, I can’t be with a woman I can’t trust,” he said as he paced his living room, refusing to look at me. I walked over to him and forced his eyes to mine.

“And I’ll never give you a reason to again. Stop treating me as if I’ve done something wrong here,” I said, exasperated.

“You have slept with that man before?”