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I can feel Blair tense up beside me. When I go to look at her, I noticed that her jaw is clenched, and she’s glaring at my ex. She doesn’t say anything to her.
“Well… we’re gonna go now.” I give Blair’s hand a squeeze and gently pull her away from the wall so we can head over to the ice rink exit.
Later, when Jennifer is long gone, and Blair and I are heading to a coffee shop to get some hot chocolate, I can sense Blair’s shifted mood. She’s barely speaking to me.
I can’t just pretend like what happened at the rink never happened. I might as well get it over with.
“I’m really sorry about what happened back there,” I tell her. “I definitely hadn’t expected that to be a place where I’d run into her.”
I hold the door open to the small local coffee shop—not the one that Jennifer works at—and Blair steps inside, her eyes refusing to meet mine.
“It’s fine.”
I follow in after and race around so that I can be in front of her, then I grab both of her hands and peer down into her eyes. “I can tell it’s not fine. Did I do something wrong?”
“I don’t know, Dam. You just… you should’ve seen your face… It was like I was witnessing love at first sight or something. You looked like a helpless puppy.”
“No, I didn’t.”
The coffee shop is pretty busy, and Blair’s voice isn’t exactly quiet.
“Yes, you did, though. You had turned to complete mush. And it’s okay; I completely understand why. I’ve never seen her before. But… she’s gorgeous.”
Suddenly, her eyes well with tears. Then she pulls her hands out of my grasp and goes back out the door into the cold.
Feeling horrible, I follow her.
“Blair! Where are you going?” I call to her as she walks across the street in the snow.
She doesn’t answer me. So, I run to catch up. When I reach her side, she wipes her eyes quickly.
“Blair, talk to me.” I hadn’t meant to look at Jennifer any certain way. I was just surprised. She had to know that.
Blair stops walking, the two of us still in the middle of the street. “How am I supposed to compete with that?” she asks me. “I mean, seriously, Dam. Why didn’t you tell me you were dating America’s next top model?”
“Wait, I’m dating America’s next top model?” I try to joke.
She doesn’t find it funny. “I’m talking about Jennifer! I just don’t know how you could possibly even compare us.”
“Well, it’s easy. I don’t compare you. You’re nothing like Jennifer.”
“Oh, great, so you agree. I’m ugly.”
I laugh at her pitifulness and pull her into a hug. She doesn’t resist it, so I take it as a good sign.
“Blair, if you really don’t think you’re beautiful, you’re insane. I will check you into a mental institution right now.”
She looks up at me, so I wipe away the last tear still trailing down her cheek.
“I already never seem to compare to my sister. I hate that I feel like I’m never gonna be able to compare to your ex, either.”
I look deep into her eyes. “Blair, if this isn’t absolutely clear to you, I’m crazy about you. You might actually be the best thing that has ever happened to me. If you don’t compare to Jennifer, it’s because you are better, I swear.”
My heart swells with happiness, and my stomach erupts with stupid butterflies as I speak. I realize, looking into Blair’s teary eyes, that I one hundred percent mean it.
12
KENNETH
