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"Didn't see him," I tell her, before giving her a quick hug. "Thanks for a fun night."
She nods and smiles at me in return, but it seems fake. A part of me wishes that I had never accepted her invitation. She's seemed like a different person tonight, and I'm afraid things will be different between us at work. All because Will Darling had the nerve to talk to me.
I sigh and make my way outside. As I walk back home, my mind can't help but wander to the image of him standing outside alone. There's more to Will Darling than first meets the eye, but I'm not going to find out what that "more" actually is.
I'm restless for the entire night. As I fall asleep hours later, I can't help but feel guilty when I realize that the majority of my thoughts tonight were not centered on Landon, but were instead focused on a certain beautiful blue-eyed boy.
I stay holed up in my apartment for the rest of the weekend, and feel resolved to recommit myself to my life of solitude once I emerge on Monday. Trina is noticeably more distant during our shift, but I don't worry about it.
The hospital isn't very busy, and the work day drags on. Despite the fact that I have nothing to go home to, not even a cat, I'm so bored that I'm ready to leave work the minute my shift ends.
I'm searching for something in my purse a few feet from the exit of the hospital, when I suddenly run into something hard.
"Oomph," I say, dropping my purse from surprise. I almost follow my purse to the ground, until a strong arm wraps itself around my waist, steadying me. Whoever it is sighs and tightens his hold. It's only a moment, but I find myself soaking up the temporary closeness of this stranger. His fingers dig into my hip, and the hard edges of his chest and abdomen press into me.
We both finally come to our senses because I'm released after a moment. When I look up and see who my assailant/savior is, I immediately flush all over. It's Will.
Neither of us says a word. We get stuck, eye to eye as the seconds tick by and the air grows thick with a palpable energy.
"Hi," he finally says, and I get lost for a moment in those magnificent eyes.
Shaking my head to clear it, I bend down to pick up my purse. When I straighten back up, I feel more confident that I'm not going to throw myself at Will in a moment of weakness.
"I was just going home," I tell him, beginning to walk in the direction of my apartment.
"I was wondering if you would like to get dinner?" he asks, almost shyly.
For the first time in so many years, I find myself wanting to say yes.
"I'm sorry, I can't," I respond.
"Do you have plans?" he asks, walking beside me, his long legs easily following mine.
I fumble over an excuse, but it doesn't come naturally since like I noted before, I don't even have a cat I can claim I have to feed. Finally, I just spit out the truth.
"You don't know me. You have no idea how complicated I am, how complicated my life is," I tell him firmly. "I will ruin you. And judging by the other night, that's not something you need in your life. Even if you are the playboy that all the girls say you are, you deserve more than me."
He looks taken aback by my words, but I watch as the confusion in his eyes turns into something that resembles determination.
"I'm not asking for forever here," he tells me lightly. "It's just dinner."
Looking at him, I can tell he's not going to give up. "Fine. Pick me up in an hour," I tell him, rattling off my address.
He flashes me a smile that makes my heart leap out of my chest, and then we part.
By the time I make it home, I've come up with the perfect plan. I'll give Will Darling dinner, but I'll make it so unpleasant that it will end any desire he has to see me again.
I pull out all the stops. I tease my hair so it's wild and unkempt. I change into a pair of men's trousers that I for some reason own, and I tuck an oversized stained shirt into them. I wipe my face void of any makeup, and then take a bite of an onion for good measure. Looking into the mirror, I feel utterly absurd.
For a moment, I let myself remember what it felt like to wait for James or Landon to visit me. How I would primp and try to look perfect for them. If I was a normal girl, I'd be excitedly preparing for a date with the most handsome man that I had ever seen. But I'm not a normal girl.
I take a sigh and wipe the ridiculous longing out of my mind. Like I tell myself every time the past tries to drown me, dwelling on old memories never does anyone any good.
My buzzer rings, and I take one last look at myself while shaking my head. This is definitely a new low for me.
I open the door, and my heart involuntarily constricts. I decide I need a new one. This heart is obviously defective. But really who can blame it with the view I'm currently looking at.
Will had the exact opposite idea as me. While I tried to look my worst, he had evidently decided to look his best. It's the first time I've seen him out of his uniform, and I decide that it's unfair for the rest of the male population that he can look this beautiful. Dressed in a tweed sports coat and navy pants, the colors somehow make his piercing eyes even more incredible.
