Love and Fandoms (23 page)

When he shut the
door, she said, "Can I hug you? I'll be gentle, I promise."

"I'd prefer
you didn't."

"You must be
in a lot of pain still if you can't get a gentle hug."

"I can get them,
but I'd prefer not getting one from you at the moment." She snapped back
as if he'd slapped her, and he wanted to apologize, as it came out harsher than
he meant, but he didn't. Instead, he pointed to the couch and asked her to sit.
She did so right away, and he couldn't believe how compliant she was acting. He'd
never seen her like this. He stayed standing.

He wasn't sure how
to go about this, so he simply dove right in. "Why'd you do it?"

"My answer
hasn't changed." Some of the old fire reignited in her face, but just as
quickly died, and she went a bit pale. "Can you remember much about that
night?"

"I remember
everything up until the Pigs kicked the shit out of me."

She shrugged, but
was still pretty pale. "Like I said, my answer hasn't changed. You're
madly in love with Mandy, and I could never hope to compete with her in your
eyes. How do you think that made me feel?"

"I never
cheated on you. Not really. Not like you did."

She scoffed.
"No kidding."

"What's that
supposed to mean?"

She sighed and
looked him in the eyes, calming him a bit. "Sweetie, you say you remember
that night, but this is the exact conversation we had. I didn't come here to
fight with you."

He nodded.

"What I'm
saying is that you don't have the guts to cheat. I'm not trying to antagonize
you, I'm only speaking the truth. Even now, when you're both single, you won't
ask Mandy out. I'm only guessing, but I'm right, aren't I?"

He parroted what
he told his mom. "She needs time to get over Alex."

"Tell
yourself that. Do you know how many times you initiated kissing me? Not the
quick pecks, which, I'll be honest with you, I relished, but our actual
make-out sessions? None. Not once. Even the weekend before, when I got topless
for you, I still had to not only lift your hand to my breast, but take off my
shirt when I realized you weren't going to go underneath. I want a guy who's
more assertive. And call me crazy, but I also want a guy who's not head over
heels in love with someone else.

"As for Alex?
I don't know, something snapped inside of me. I saw him at school and went up
to him, fresh with the knowledge that he and Mandy had never had sex. We
exchanged numbers, and he said his parents thought he'd be helping at the
haunted house on Halloween, but he'd be at a party instead. If I wanted, when I
was done, I should swing by so we could have some fun. And, I'm sorry, but he's
smoking hot, and I knew you weren't going to initiate sex anytime soon. It was
disgusting that he was so drunk for our first time, and that the Pigs were
right outside the door, but he's bent over backwards apologizing about that to
me."

Wyatt digested the
story, but couldn't think of anything to say to it.

When she realized
he was going to stay quiet, she said, "I think your shyness or whatever
you want to call it is even worse than you realize. Did you know, in all the
time we've been friends, since junior high, I've never once seen you stand up
to Kareem? Yeah, you argue with him about comics and fandoms and things that
don't matter much, like digital versus paper books, but that's it. Anything
else, things that have to do with real life, forget about it; you roll right
over. You're lucky that, for the most part, he always has your best interests
at heart. But, still, he's your best friend, and you can't stand up to him at
anything except frivolous fantasy worlds. Yeah, I love them, too, but let's be
honest, in the grand scheme of life, unless you're getting paid to create them,
they're not that important. Not compared to the here and now."

He opened his
mouth to refute her, to throw a dozen reasons in her face to prove her wrong,
but not one example popped into his mind. She couldn't be right about this,
could she? Was he really that bad? It hurt a bit, and he sank as carefully as
he could to the couch.

"If it makes
you feel any better, you did really well today, from your texts to this
conversation." She winked at him. "See? There's plenty of hope for
you."

"Maybe …
maybe we could get back together. You'll make sure I learn to be more
confident. I still do like you."

She leaned over
and kissed his cheek. "You like me, but you love her. I don't want to be a
second choice. Besides, if you and Mandy aren't dating by the time you get back
to school, there's absolutely no helping you."

What? No, Mandy
wouldn't want him broken like this. Not his body, but his soul. He needed to be
a better person before she could ever want him. She said she did in the past,
but why would she ever stay with him? She'd stray like Allyssa did, and he
wouldn't blame her.

She shook her head
and rolled her eyes. "She's crazy about you, dummy."

"But …"

This time she
kissed him on the lips, shutting him up. "What are we talking about?
Confidence. You're doing so well today, don't slip back to your old ways. She
can be yours forever. I can tell. You and Kareem are best bros or whatever, but
she'll be your best friend. Even more than your best friend. If I'm wrong, I'll
buy you a $50 gift card to AD."

They both laughed
at the callback to Luci's line that basically got her and Kareem together.
Allyssa then leaned over and gave him that hug, as gentle as she promised.
Instead of objecting, he hugged back as best he could. When she pulled away and
got to her feet, he tried to follow, but she tapped his shoulder to keep him
down.

"It hurts me
to even see you try. I know the way out."

"Thanks,
Allyssa." He didn't mean for not making him get up, and her smile showed
she knew.

When she got to
the door, she turned back and said, "I miss our study sessions. Now that
it's not my business to worry about your eyes wandering towards Mandy, I think
I'd enjoy them even more."

"Kareem won't
care, and I can talk to Mandy. It'd be fun to get the team back together."

"No, don't
bother. I'd love to geek out again, but I actually have another daily study
session that's so much more fun in another way." She winked at him, but he
had no idea what she was talking about. "See you when you get back to
school, Wyatt. I expect to see a certain someone permanently attached to your
hip."

He said goodbye,
and she was gone.

MANDY

Mandy had
everything set in her backpack. She even stuffed her laptop in there so she could
put the finishing touches on her final pop culture paper. It wasn't due until
mid-January, but she'd had so much fun with it that it came together lightning
quick. It almost hadn't seemed like school work. She went with Kareem's idea he
originally intended for Language Arts to compare and contrast the Harry Potter
books and movies.

She anticipated a
nice, quite night with Wyatt. She and Luci spent the day at the Yorba Linda
Mall buying Christmas gifts. What a madhouse! They'd hoped they were still far enough
away from Christmas for it to not be crazy, and though they found a parking
spot easy enough, it wasn't long before they could hardly move inside. It took
longer than they anticipated, but both, for the most part, finished their
shopping. Families were taken care of, and she got Wyatt a couple of Doctor Who
things: a TARDIS mug she planned to fill with various packs of fancy hot
chocolate, and a "Don't Blink" t-shirt he didn't have. She also bought
Kareem a Danger Squad mug that she'd also fill with hot chocolate packs.

As she was about
to head over to Wyatt's house, the doorbell rang. She frowned, not expecting
anyone. Mom and Dad had gone out for the afternoon, so they weren't there to
answer it. She looked through the peephole and found Alex's parents standing on
the front porch. That was weird. They hardly ever came over, and then only when
Mom and Dad invited them. What was this about?

She opened the
door and gave them a smile and, she hoped, a warm greeting. She hadn't missed
not seeing them. His dad could be a real pushy jerk, and while his mom was nice
enough, she was totally kowtowed to him. Actually, now that she thought of it, Mrs.
Jacobs was a big reason Mandy needed Wyatt to be a more confident person. She
couldn't let him turn out like that. She always had a nice, friendly smile, but
Mandy never failed to see the unhappiness beneath it.

"Mandy,"
Mr. Jacobs said. "Good to see you." He gave her a lingering hug that lasted
a bit too long, icking her out. "We wanted to come and talk to you about
Alex. And both of your futures."

"Our futures
aren't intertwined, Mr. Jacobs. Not anymore."

"I
understand, we understand, why you feel that way. The first time Gretchen found
out I was sleeping around, she almost left me, but she realized what a mistake
that would be. I not only give her a great life, but I make her happy. Isn't
that right, Gretchen?"

"Yes,
dear."

Mandy felt like
throwing up. No wonder Alex didn't care that he cheated on her. His disgusting
father saw no problem with it, and his mother was too beaten down, too weak, to
tell him it was wrong.

"We tried to
keep him away from the drugs and alcohol. Nothing will ruin his career faster
than those. He's in treatment now, but he needs a rock to keep him in line.
That's you, Mandy. A great education at Michigan is your reward. I can even
talk to the soccer coach of the women's team and make sure you have a shot at
making the squad. All you have to do is keep him out of trouble, and you share
everything he gains. You won't have to want for anything. We all know, as long
as he stays on the straight and narrow, that his career is a slam dunk. We've
talked to the coaching staff, and he'll almost certainly have to redshirt his
freshman year to prove his character, but that won't be a problem since you'll
be there helping him."

"No,"
she said. "I can't forgive him, and I don't love him. Not anymore."

Mr. Jacobs gave
her a blank look before saying, "Yeah? What does that have to do with
anything? His job is to be the best quarterback in the world, and yours is to
make it so he can be. You both reap the rewards, and when his playing days are
over, you can decide where you go from there."

She turned to
Alex's mom. "You don't mind that your son will have a loveless
marriage?"

Her eyes flickered
to her husband, and then she looked down to the ground. "It's more
important he's a great quarterback. Besides, he does love you."

"Is that why
he hasn't so much as texted me since I caught him cheating? And since he sicced
the Pigs on Wyatt and almost killed him?"

"You can't
blame him for that," Mr. Jacobs said. "The boy's embarrassed. This is
a great learning experience for him. You understand, right?"

She shook her
head.

"Listen,
Mandy, where are your parents? We should talk to them. They'll help you see how
this is for the best."

"They're not
home."

He let out a sigh
like Mandy was the one being difficult. "Fine. We'll be in touch. Just do
me a favor and give Alex a call. Okay?"

Her shoulders
sagged. "Fine."

"Perfect,"
Mr. Jacobs said. "That's the spirit. We'll talk to you soon." They
headed to their car, waved, and drove off.

She gathered her
backpack and locked the front door. Tears started down her cheeks. What a jerk.
No, not a jerk, an asshole. Thinking he could direct her life. And the worst
part was that he wouldn't give up. He'd get Mom and Dad to see his side. He was
too much of a salesman not to. Though Mom and Dad had supported her decision to
break up with Alex, when she first told them, she saw the disappointment in
both of their eyes that she wouldn't be going to school at Michigan. She tried
to remind them she could almost certainly get at least a partial scholarship to
OCU — she'd looked into it — but she could have sworn their smiles were forced.
They were over it now, and both were happy she wouldn't be going so far away,
but it likely wouldn't take much arm-twisting by Mr. Jacobs for them to get on
his side. In the end, would she even get a say? If Wyatt would make a move,
she'd never leave, but would he ever?

She sighed,
brushed the tears away, and continued her short walk to his house.

WYATT

Wyatt saw right
away something was wrong. Mom left early in case parking was impossible at the
mall, so they were alone. He had wracked his brain all day since Allyssa left
on how to prove to Mandy that he could be more confident and less socially
awkward. At least around her, Kareem, and Luci. No doubt it would take quite a
bit of practice to be more comfortable around people he didn't know well or at
all. He wasn't sure if he could even do it, but for Mandy, he would try his
best. He could at least be more decisive about what they did, watched, and ate,
but none of that did him any good tonight. They'd already planned on continuing
their Mister Incognito marathon, which he was looking forward to, and Mom left
sandwich fixings and potato salad for dinner. So maybe this wasn't something he
could prove to her — and him — in one night, but he'd work on it. He had to.

Once they were
alone inside, all those thoughts flew from his head, and he focused on her.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."
He pushed himself off the couch and to his feet, waving her off when she moved
to help. He hobbled over to her and put his forehead against hers. "What's
wrong?"

She closed her
eyes and bit her bottom lip. Oh, god, how he wanted to nibble on her lips, run
his tongue along them, kiss her with a passion never before seen in the history
of the human race, his Westley to her Buttercup. He should. It would prove his
new-found confidence, right? But he couldn't build up the courage. Not yet.

Instead of
answering, she started crying softly. He pulled his head away and wiped the
first tears from her cheek. "If you don't tell me, I'm going to go into
three year old ask mode." That got the tears to stop as she gave him a
questioning look, but when she still didn't say anything, he started.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong?" And on and on until she
burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay,
enough. I'll tell you." She took a deep breath. "Alex's parents
showed up at my doorstep a few minutes ago. They insisted I get back together
with Alex to keep him on the 'straight and narrow.'" She used air quotes
around that. "When I told them I didn't love or trust him anymore, they
didn't care. They dangled college, soccer, and his future fame and millionaire
status in front of me. When I said no, they wanted to talk to my parents. Mom
and Dad were always way more jazzed about Michigan than I was, so Mr. Jacobs
will likely get them on his side." She started crying again, this time
harder. In a whisper he wasn't sure she meant for him to hear, she said,
"And I'll probably end up going because I'm not sure the guy I really love
will ever do anything about it."

He didn't say
anything, or think, really, he just acted. His lips were on hers in an instant,
and for more than a friendly kiss. If it surprised her, she didn't show it.
This surpassed even that frantic make-out session they had on her bed the last
night after the con. After a few minutes, he wasn't sure where his lips, his
tongue, ended, and hers began. It would have been the most perfect moment of
his life so far if only he wasn't nursing still-healing broken ribs. He put up
with the ache as long as he could, but finally had to gently push away. The
look of confusion and rejection on her face nearly broke his heart, but he
fixed that at once.

"You can
squeeze me as hard as you like in a month or so, but for now I need you to be a
little more gentle." He punctuated it was a quick kiss to her lips.

Relief flashed
over her features, and she giggled. "Sorry."

"What do you
say we do that again, but a little more carefully?"

She answered by
laying her arms around his neck and bringing her mouth to his. He drew her
closer by placing his good hand on her lower back, while the fingers from his
casted hand touched her side, not too far below her right breast. She moaned
into his mouth, and he decided later tonight he'd be as bold with Mandy as he
should have been with Allyssa. He wouldn't wait for her to lift his hand to her
chest. He was almost positive she'd be more than happy with it, and, if not,
he'd stop right away. Even his unpracticed mind knew there was a line between
bold and being a pushy douchebag.

After a few
minutes, far too short a time in his books, she pulled away. "We should
probably sit you down. Your lips have a long night ahead of them."

"Good idea.
Besides, I keep having to fight the instinct to throw you to the couch and pin
you down with kisses."

She purred, like
literally purred, making him a bit short of breath. "You need to hurry and
heal up because I'm beyond looking forward to that."

He sat down, and
she joined him, pressing into him without hurting his ribs. Her hand wandered
up his shirt and brushed over and played with the bandages wrapped around his
chest. His skin grew goosebumps, such wonderful goosebumps, where she touched.
Their lips met again, and time lost all meaning until his stomach began to
growl, causing them both to laugh.

"I suppose we
should get some food into you," she said. "To facilitate your healing
and all."

"This sure would
be easier if I had a healing factor like Wolverine's," he said,
punctuating it with a wink. He looked to the clock and saw a couple of hours
had passed since she'd gotten there. "There's sandwich stuff in the
kitchen, but I'm thinking a stuffed-crust pizza is a better first date
dinner."

Delight poured
over her face, and though he knew she was happy about the pizza, that wasn't
the reason for it. She leaned over, nibbled his earlobe and ran her tongue up
and down his neck. He gave a shiver and a groan, eliciting a giggle from her.
He'd never get tired of that sound. She rose and kissed his lips. "Just in
case you were wondering, that was me finding you making decisions and taking
control of the situation this afternoon very sexy."

"I gathered.
And just so you know, I really like positive reinforcement." They both
laughed at that and shared another quick kiss.

He grabbed his
phone and opened the delivery app for the pizza place. As he did, her phone
rang. She pulled it out and tilted it so he could see. Alex. Their eyes met,
and his blood ran cold. Instead of answering, though, she sent it right to
voice mail.

"Don't need
him anymore. I got my dream guy."