10
Megan sat on the bed in the spare room at Noah and Jessa’s house. Jessa sat across from her cross-legged.
“So…?” Jessa said. “How’d it go?”
Megan covered her face. “What’s wrong with me? I flew all the way here to go on a pseudo-date with Jeff?”
Jessa giggled. “I mean, I think it’s better to think of it as a test run. You don’t want to move here unless there’s a chance you have a real connection with him. And you don’t want to mention it to him unless you’re sure there’s a connection, so…” She shrugged.
Megan had come on a whim. While Jessa was visiting her, Jeff was brought up because he had been texting. When Jessa questioned what had been going on between them, Megan admitted how much she enjoyed his texts. It was something she looked forward to regularly, despite them sometimes going several days without talking.
Once Jessa left, Megan realized how lonely she was and decided to surprise Jessa with an impromptu trip to Wintervale. But deep down, it was to see Jeff. She planned to tell him she liked him as soon as she landed, but something stoppedher. Instead, she went out with him without him knowing her intentions.
“I’m such a loser.”
“You aren’t a loser. But I still don’t understand why you didn’t just tell him you like him and see what he said before flying out here to go on a trick date.”
“Because I’m a chicken.”
Jessa reached across the bed and settled her hand on Megan’s arm. “Honestly, I’m confused about why you’re chickening out. You’ve always been so brave and outgoing. This is unlike you.”
Megan sighed heavily. “Because I like him.”
“You’ve liked guys before and never acted like this.”
“Jessa, this is different. You know how I’ve been on-the-go traveling? I had you to enjoy it with, but now that you’ve settled down here, it’s just not the same. I see how happy you are, and I want that too. Finding a place to settle down is the dream. And part of me was worried I just liked the idea of him and not necessarily him, so I wanted to make sure.”
“That makes sense. But you think Wintervale could be the place you want to settle down?”
Megan nodded, realizing this conversation was like the one they had when Jessa was considering moving here. “I think so.”
Noah knocked on the door and popped his head in. “Are ya decent?”
Megan raised her eyebrows. “You asked thatafteryou opened the door. What if we weren’t?”
Noah stepped into the room and sat on the bed beside Jessa. “I knew you weren’t naked, unless you were having some really weird girl time. I actually just needed a way to come in.”
“What?” Jessa and Megan asked at the same time.
“So, Imayhave heard what you were talking about…” Noah said.
Jessa slapped Noah’s arm. “Were you listening in?”
He shook his head, but as soon as Jessa’s eyes narrowed, he nodded. “Yep. Yep, I was.”
Megan leaned across the bed and socked Noah in the arm. “You jerk. You weren’t supposed to hear all that.”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Oh please. You know she’d tell me about it once you left, anyway. There’s no way she could keep this juicy tidbit secret.”
Jessa glared. “I could too. But now that Noah knows, we may as well get his input.”
“Exactly,” Noah said.
Megan’s eyes bounced between the two. “You planned this.”
Jessa put a hand to her chest. “I did no such thing.”
“I know you well enough to know that if Noah overheard our conversation that you wouldn’t feel as guilty about telling him about it later,” Megan said.
