I hadn't really known how to approach Kent since Saturday. What happened had a more significant impact on me than I had anticipated. We had been on the verge of kissing, but I had never felt that way around guys before. It was an entirely new sensation. Nonetheless, it was better to leave it unspoken. I needed to move forward and put it behind me. I should attempt to normalize my interactions with Kent, but not just yet. As we walked home, I found myself at a loss for words. "You're awfully quiet," he remarked, and I simply shrugged, feeling somewhat apprehensive. "It's been a long day, and the humidity at the pool makes me want to crawl into bed," I replied in a hushed tone. "You didn't have to walk me home." "I thought it was the right thing to do," he reasoned. Late at night, he always offered to accompany me home, which was thoughtful. "You always seem to be there to walk me home," I chuckled. Upon arriving home, I swung the door open, kicked off my shoes, and tossed my ID o
Being alone with Kent at home is something I dislike. The atmosphere in the apartment becomes unusually quiet. Since Mark and Kyle left yesterday, we've mostly been confined to our rooms. I couldn't fathom why it was so challenging for us to get along. We had, to some extent, agreed to give it a shot, but I suspected Kent was still upset about what happened on Thursday. He appeared troubled in my presence, and it made me feel uneasy. I knew we could engage in normal conversation, but I was hesitant to initiate anything. My day was consumed by work. I had to conduct swim lessons and later serve as a lifeguard for several hours. Today, I had to leave early for an additional swim session to stay in shape before my shift. As the rain began to fall, I sighed, donned my raincoat, and made my way to the kitchen to fill my water bottle. Kent emerged from down the hall, and I kept my gaze down, waiting for the water to reach the brim. "Leaving?" I nodded in response to Kent's inquiry. "Ye
When Brendon returns, I feel anxious but try to recall what I know. "I'm Julianna, Lauren. Can I assist you?" She nods weakly. "Is there an Epi-pen in this room?" She gasps, and I glance at the group of kids she's with, who are standing nearby. The other lifeguards had already ushered everyone else back to the changing room. Who among them would know where Lauren's Epi-pen was? As I raise my voice, one of the girls steps forward with wide eyes, asking, "Does she have an Epi-pen?" "I-I didn't know Lauren had this condition," she murmurs softly, her eyes on the verge of tears. "Alright, calm down. This is not your fault," I reassure her. "Could you please check her locker?" She quickly nods and hurries away, leaving me feeling anxious. Lauren is struggling to breathe, her face reddening and purpling. "I'm here," Brendon says as he approaches. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Is there an Epi-pen in here?" I inquire, but he shakes his head as if uncertain. "I'm not sure," he
I arrived home drenched, hoping Kent wouldn't be there. Despite the chaotic day, we were advised to spend the night with loved ones. Right now, I needed all the support I could get, and that meant returning home. Upon entering my apartment, I shed my raincoat and dropped my bag to the floor, feeling utterly drained. "Julianna?" Kent paused his work at the dishwasher upon hearing me. Our eyes locked, my lower lip quivered, and tears streamed down my cheeks. Concern laced his voice as he asked, "What happened to your clothes? It's only 40 degrees outside. Did you walk home like that?" Another wave of emotion threatened to engulf me, and I struggled to hold back sobs. Defeated, I removed my shoes, but now my toes felt numb, and I couldn't think clearly, haunted by disturbing images in my mind. Kent approached me from behind, placing his hands on my shoulders. "What went wrong, honey?" He inquired softly, tears welling up in his own eyes. I responded by wrapping my arms around him, an
I could have easily drifted off to sleep there because I felt incredibly at ease with him. Surprisingly, after the events of today, I expected Kent to drive me up the wall, but he turned out to be kind. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was a softer side to him that had never been apparent until tonight, especially. When I felt ready, he released me, and I shook my head before heading back to my room. After taking off my pinnie, I grabbed some warm clothes to change into and then made my way to the bathroom. I undressed in the shower, letting the warm water wash away the chlorine. I tried to act as though nothing had happened, but my efforts were futile. The sadness crept in while I was in the shower, so I turned up the heat in an attempt to drown it out. After drying off and getting dressed, I left the bathroom wearing cozy socks, a long-sleeved shirt, and sweatpants. I was surprised at how late it had become, but I had arrived home after seven, spent an hour talking to Kent, a
I was taken aback by how sensitive Kent could be. I had always assumed that Kent disliked people getting close to him or touching him, and I thought he was merely tolerating my presence because he didn't like me at all. As we lay in his dimly lit bedroom, I began to realize that the brusque manner in which he spoke to me wasn't necessarily a reflection of his feelings toward me. It was just his way, but deep down, he did care to some extent. If he genuinely disliked me, he wouldn't have shared stories about Dartmouth or football, driven me to work, assisted me in getting back at Piper, or been here with me right now. I struggled to recall the last time I had been in bed with another guy, and it had been years since I had been this physically close to someone else. The way I felt around Kent was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, and most of the time, I couldn't determine whether that was a positive or negative thing. The soothing circles he was tracing on my back had an
I relish the scent of Kent's T-shirt and his room as I drift off to sleep. How close we are, and how he opens up to me. I wish he could be like this all the time. I don't usually get this warm when I sleep, but I wake up feeling sweaty. I attempt to open my eyes and discover that I'm still snuggled up with Kent, who's holding me tightly. I'm still quite tired. I didn't sleep at all last night until I came here, and after that rescue mission, I'm physically exhausted. I steal a glance at him, and I notice that he's wide awake, gazing up at the ceiling. However, as soon as he senses me moving, he looks back at me. "Hey, Julianna," he whispers, causing my stomach to flutter. My favorite version of him is Morning Kent, with tousled hair, the beginnings of a beard, and kind eyes. He looks more like the boy next door than a mean person. "Hi," I reply quietly. We both wait for one of us to make a move, but neither of us does. Right now, it's just the two of us, and it makes me happy.
Since last weekend, I haven't felt like myself at all. Getting through a day has been an incredibly strange experience for me, and I'm at a loss for how to improve my situation. I've been pushing myself to keep up with my schoolwork, but it's no longer providing any relief. The pressure is mounting because I have my first honors thesis presentation at school on Monday, and I'm deeply concerned that I won't be able to perform as well as I typically do. I've spent over two weeks preparing for this presentation, pouring my heart and soul into my research. I'm determined to do an outstanding job, and I hope that the review board will concur with my presentation and thesis. However, sleep has eluded me, and it feels as though my mind is in a perpetual state of turmoil. My body, too, has been aching since Saturday night. No one ever informs you of how physically draining it is to perform CPR for an extended period of time. On top of my regular swimming regimen, this has taken a toll
After 2 years... Kent "Today has to be perfect." I've been super busy preparing for this day for the last few weeks. It has to happen tonight, or she'll suspect something's up. Juls is getting her master's degree today, and I've never been prouder. She's incredibly smart, always reading or researching. That pile of library books in our office never seems to shrink. She's applied to Ph.D. programs all over, but I think she'll stay at Brown. I'm okay with that because I don't want anything to change about our lives. Well, except for one thing that I hope to change today. I finished my MBA a few months ago and started working full-time downtown. I'm in marketing for now but aiming for investment banking and trust. I know my path, and with time and connections, I hope to take care of us. Juls keeps saying she'll stay in school because she doesn't know what else to do, but I think it's the other way around. School and academia bring out her best. Her eyes light up when she learns some
"We're almost there," Kent insists, turning on his car's signal. I feel like we're in the middle of nowhere, and we've been driving for over an hour. Kent refused to tell me our destination because, as he put it, "I would just g****e where we're going, and then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore!" The weather was gradually getting less cold, not warm yet but no longer snowing or freezing. I was on my last spring break, trying to finish my thesis and schoolwork. We recently received information about our upcoming graduation. In about a month and a half, we would be finishing our undergrad degrees. It was still surreal to me, moving from starting a university degree to finishing it. Kent had been discussing plans for the summer, including hiking trips, which I pretended not to dread. I wasn't much of a hiker, but I was willing to do it with him. We signed our lease for next year, securing that cute little apartment on the other side of campus. The thought of moving in with him excite
"I got my email." Even though Doctor Binkley said I have a spot, I'm still nervous to open it. Maybe I should've waited to open it when I'm alone, but I can't wait. I'm opening it on my way out of lecture. I open the email, quickly reading the first few lines. But at the top, there's a big box that says 'congratulations' and 'welcome!' My heart immediately slows down, and I feel relieved, clutching my phone to my chest. It's official; I'm staying at Brown next year. That means I'll be with my family, my school, and, of course, Kent. We can start our life together, still have our friends and continue studying, but we'll be together. I remember how tough that month at Northwestern was, how much I missed him, and how I felt like I had no support. I need to text my parents and tell them the news. They've been anxiously waiting to hear what I'd do about my living situation next year. But I'll do it later. Right now, I just want to go home and be with someone I love. I pull out my phone
"I hate school sometimes." Yes, I like researching and finding answers to questions no one's ever thought of before, and I like my degree, but the coursework sucks. I'm sick of reading pages and pages of scholarly articles and books and writing a new paper every other week. My honors project is draining every ounce of energy from me, and I was starting to worry if it was even worth it anymore. I hadn't heard about Brown's Master's program yet, and that's the whole reason for this extra burden. Today was Tuesday, one of my busier days. I only had class today until noon, and then I usually spent the rest of the day grinding out work. Today I had to meet with Doctor Binkley and discuss my work. It was something we did monthly to make sure I felt like I was always on the right track. Kent had a break after his class at one-thirty, and we were planning to meet up and study together until his next class at four. Then I was planning to go home and take it easy. I take the elevator up to
I wake up in the middle of a large bed with Kent beside me. We were completely tangled in bedsheets, just beside each other in a beautiful room. I sigh, feeling my body ache and my head pound, but it's bearable. I shuffle over slightly, laying my head on his chest and snuggling back into his side. That seems to get his attention. He moves under me and groans slightly, eyelids fluttering. I feel his lips press a simple kiss to my temple, and I smile. "Hey, Juls," he mumbles. "Hi," I whisper back, watching his eyes open slowly. He grins at me easily, running a hand through my hair. "How do you feel?" he asks, and I shrug. "I have a headache and I'm tired, but I'm okay," I sigh, tracing my fingertips down the center of his chest. "I had a lot of fun last night." "Good," he whispers, putting his hand over mine on his chest. "I know how hard you've been working and all the crap we've been dealing with." His voice is thick with sleep, deep and raspy. "It was nice to have a day that wa
"It's been an amazing night and an unbelievable birthday. I'm pleasantly tipsy, happy, aware, and buzzing," I express. It looks like all three of our friends have scored phone numbers tonight, giving Kent and me some alone time. I notice the place clearing out, and I realize it's probably time to head home. The bar is closing in about thirty minutes, and it's close to three in the morning. "Want to go somewhere else?" Abby asks as we wait for our jackets. I sigh and shake my head. I'm ready to devour some greasy food, drink water, and snuggle into bed with Kent. We've teased about getting intimate, but with all our roommates around, it's not a possibility. I've let go of that idea and just want a relaxed and easy night. "I'm good," I sigh, and she nods with a simple shrug. "Thanks a lot for everything; this night was so, so fun!" "I'm thrilled you enjoyed it!" She insists, giving me a hug, and I grin. Kent retrieves our coats, and I sigh, not looking forward to facing the cold a
It was nice to feel noticed by him, nice to know that he always seemed to care about what I was up to. I'd never felt attractive before I started dating Kent. We all round up the last of our coats and shoes while the Uber's on its way. I get my coat on, and I feel Kent slide his hand along the small of my back. I gasp a bit quietly and look up, seeing his cocky grin. "You look nice," he whispers, and I chuckle, feeling his fingertips slide around the edge of my waistband. Soon we're all piling into an Uber, and I hear Abby chatting up the driver in the front seat. I'll always be envious of her confidence and how she talks to people like she's known them forever. We grab a quick dinner at a pizza place around the corner. Everyone pushed that we should go somewhere nicer, but I didn't want to. I just wanted to go out and have fun with my friends. I hadn't gone out in a long time, not really since before Christmas, and I'd spent way too much time feeling lonely, buried in work and ove
"Did you want to stay longer?" Kent asks as we step into his car, and I smile, closing the door and putting my seatbelt on. "No, we've been there for hours," I mumble, safely tucking my birthday card into my coat's inner pocket. "If we stay longer, we're staying for dinner." Time with my family was amazing, it meant the world to me, and I was thankful I had it so close to my birthday. "Your parents are really cool," he admits, turning on the car and shifting it into drive. "No, they really aren't," I snort. "Did you miss the part where mom pulled out my baby album and sang my favorite lullaby? To all of us?" I ask, and he chuckles. "Or my dad talking about his Master's thesis? His theoretical chemistry Master's thesis?" "You know what I mean," he defends. "They're...people. Like real, normal, kind people who care about everyone." "I guess they have that going for them, huh?" I laugh, and he smiles. "I can't believe that check, that's not like them. They don't just hand out money
We head inside, and I take a deep breath, walking into our house. My family's house always makes me feel happy, like I'm somewhere safe and full of love. Mom's burning some cinnamon candle, and I can hear noise from the kitchen. "What's that smell?" Kent asks, and I laugh. "Mom loves scented candles, it's probably some clearance one that she picked up from somewhere," I explain, unsure where the nearly offensive candle was. Kent hated strong scents; he claimed they gave him headaches. "Sorry." "It's okay, just... don't go burning anything like that at our place," he says, and I chuckle, reaching for his hand. "Hello?" I call, bringing Kent to the kitchen, and mom gasps, hopping up from the stove and running over. "Juls," she whispers, squeezing the life out of me. "I'm so glad you could come." "Me too, I missed you," I whisper, and she pulls back, rubbing my arms in that aggressive mom-like way. "And I missed you, oh! You're so beautiful and smart-" "Okay, mom," I mumble, and s