I press my lips together and close my door. I change into jeans instead of leggings and put on some concealer to hide my red spots from crying. I try to look brave because I'm going home for Mom's enchiladas. The world is not small; it's huge and full of possibilities. I open the door a few minutes later and see everyone in the living room, waiting for me to show up. We all get into Kent's car and head home. I'm excited to be back. I sit behind Kent in the backseat and smile while thinking about the two of us this afternoon. The strange thing is, when I think about Kent, I stop thinking about my mess with Dane. Maybe I never had feelings for Dane, perhaps I just kept pushing Kent aside to try and enjoy another relationship. Maybe I thought things could be the same with Dane. Kent parks in my driveway, and I smile, leading everyone to my front door. It's not a big house, but Mom is used to accommodating a large family for dinner. "Hello?" I call as I kick off my shoes. Mom comes ou

He drove for a while, looking like he had the literal weight of the world on his shoulders. Eventually, we reached a downtown parking garage. He went inside and drove all the way to the top, letting us sit on the top level outside. He turned off the car and cleared his throat, looking anxious. "What was all that?" I asked. "Why on earth does she think I'm your girlfriend?" "I'll get to that, just... this story starts earlier than that," he explained quietly, and I sighed, leaning back in the seat. "My parents are in New York society. We were all children brought up for the sake of pictures, images... parties. My parents always put me on a date to important events growing up. From like... sixteen and on, I always had to take a girl to anything important." "Okay, and how on earth does that concern me?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows, and he cleared his throat. "When I moved away, I did whatever I could to avoid ever having to do that again. I hated it, it made me really miserable. Mo

"What's your last name?" I ask, suddenly realizing that I've never inquired before. He's never let it slip. "Chavez," he responds quietly. "Is that news to you?" "No, you've never mentioned it or said it. You don't share much about yourself," I say, shrugging. "I just thought it would be nice to know before I visit your family." After that, he falls silent for a while. It's almost as if he doesn't know how to respond. "Look, I don't want you to feel like you're in the dark. If you ask, I'll tell you anything you want to know. I've already shared more with you than with most people I talk to," he says quietly. Then they begin calling first-class passengers and members to board. He clears his throat, stands up, and nods for me to do the same. "That's us," he says, and I follow him to the desk, where Kent checks our tickets and we show our IDs. After retrieving our documents, as I step into the tunnel leading to the plane, he places his hand on my shoulder. As he does so, my throat

"What a day," I exclaim. I got to do everything I ever wanted in New York. Kent took me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 9/11 Memorial, and Times Square. It was all amazing; I loved it. Now, it's almost dinner time, and Kent insists he has a surprise for me after our dinner reservation. So, after our day out, he takes me back to the hotel in a taxi. "Where are we going?" I inquire as he unlocks the door. "For dinner? We'll walk to an Italian restaurant a few blocks away," he informs me as we enter. I sigh. "No, I mean after dinner," I persist, and he laughs. "It's a secret. I've already told you about ten times," he says, and I sigh and smile. "It's surreal being in New York," I murmur as I open the curtains by the desk and look out at the city. "It's so cool." "You think so?" "Yes, it's fascinating and thrilling. Everything here is so exciting," I say with a smile. "I can't fathom why you left." "Leaving wasn't difficult," he mumbles. "I was excited to start a new proj

When I wake up, I find my face resting on Kent's chest in the center of the large bed. What was I thinking last night? He had been ignoring me for weeks, encouraging me to date that other guy, and messing around with Piper. Then I kissed him like that. It wasn't what I needed before my interview, or ever, for that matter. I kept worrying that he had some ulterior motive behind all of this, especially after Piper's antics on Monday had made me tense. But I couldn't dwell on it because I had an important research opportunity to focus on. However, I couldn't deny how much I enjoyed lying here like this. I really liked him, and it was driving me crazy. I couldn't get him out of my mind, and it was frustrating to have such complicated feelings. I couldn't understand why my mind and heart were playing tricks on me. It wasn't something I felt for just anyone; it was specific to him. There was no time to linger, though, as I awoke before my alarms went off, and I could see from Kent's night