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“We should’ve gone somewhere nicer. I should’ve asked where you wanted to go.”
My chest tightened. I wasn’t expecting this reaction from him. I started to regret saying anything at all.
“Dylan, stop. I love it here.” I reached for his hand, holding it in both of mine. “Really. I really do.”
He looked down and shook his head.
“Dylan, it’s ok. I’ve accepted the way Todd is. It’s now up to me to decide how to respond to it.”
“I’m going to kick his ass,” he muttered to himself. He let out a big sigh.
"Are you okay? After, you know..." He trailed off, but I knew he meant Todd's proposal.
"Oh, yeah I'm okay. Just wasn't expecting it." I hugged my arms. "It didn't feel right to say yes. I feel so bad."
“Don’t feel bad. You did the right thing. You deserve to be happy, Lana.”
I sighed. “He took it harder than I expected. It’s been pretty bad lately. I feel responsible…" I bit my lip.
Dylan's brow furrowed with concern. "You're not responsible for how he copes. We just need to look out for him."
We sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity.
“We should probably get going,” I finally said.
We made our way back to the bar where my car was parked.
"Lana…” Dylan said, catching my wrist. I held my breath as I looked up
"I just wanted to say, for what it's worth..." He hesitated, seeming to hold back what he wanted to say. "Maybe this is out of line. But I need you to know, you deserve someone who cherishes you. Who sees how incredible you are. Be with someone that makes you happy. Don’t settle for anything less.”
His words sank in, each one tugging at my heart. He had to be talking about himself. This was as close to a confession from him as I could hope.
"You call me anytime you need something, Lana. I'll always show up for you." He dropped my wrist, looking away.
Before I could overthink it, I hugged him, circling my arms around his waist. Dylan’s arms wrapped around me, squeezing gently.
"Good night, Dylan," I whispered, not wanting to let go.
"Good night, Lana," he murmured into my hair.
Slowly, I rose up on my toes and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, for everything tonight."
He turned his head toward me, his cheek against mine. I wondered if he could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest. We stood for a moment, neither of us moving. Finally, he released his hold.
I breathed him in deeply before I let him go. No matter how much I didn’t want to.
15
LANA
Over the next few days,I thought about what Dylan said. That I deserved to be with someone that made me happy.
But mostly I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said at the end of the night.
You call me anytime you need something, Lana.I’ll always show up for you.
It ran through my mind several times a day. Sometimes several times an hour.
