her.
Again...I get that.
“What I don't get is
that she's an adult. She's not a child, she's not incapable of making her own
decisions. And it's not like I'm some sort of manipulative predator. I would
never set out to hurt her. So why does everyone feel like I'm such a danger to
her?”
Karina looked slightly
surprised, “Well, it's not like they feel like you are a dangerous person, per
se. It's nothing personal. It's because you broke her heart before.”
Justin scoffed, “When we
were kids? Seriously? She had a crush on me! When we didn't get together, she
was pissed off at me, I think, more than anything. Yes, it must have sucked
that I left after that, believe me, I've missed her too. But a broken heart? I
highly doubt it was that deep.”
Karina looked at him in
amazement, “Wow. You have no idea the depth of feeling that you engender in
her,” she stopped and sighed, “Look, if I didn't have so much faith in you as a
truly good guy, I would never tell you this. This information, in the wrong
hands, could be used to really hurt her...but I don't think you'll use it that
way.
“When you left ten years
ago, she wasn't pissed. She was devastated. Destroyed. Utterly bereft. She
cried for days. She wouldn't – or maybe couldn't – eat or drink. She got so
sick that her Dad almost had to check her into the hospital. Not to mention,
she was so broken up about it that she wouldn't even tell me or Sam or Lauren
what had happened to you! It hurt her too much even to talk about it.”
Justin was visibly paling as
Karina told this story.
“It took her almost a year
to work her way out of the grief caused by missing you...and I know she still
feels it, even all these later.
“Honestly, if you break her
heart now, I don't know if she'd survive a second go-round. She's a strong
girl, but she has a blind spot in her heart for you.
“If you're going to lead her
down a path, Justin, damn it you had better be ready to stay. That's all I'm
saying.”
Justin nodded slowly, processing
this information.
Karina put her hand on his
shoulder, and said gently, “Look, it's nothing against you. I really like you,
you know that. We're friends. In fact, I'm rooting for the two of you to get
together, I think you belong together. And taking the keys from her and making
her let you drive was a good start. Lauren and I were on our way over to her,
but you beat us to it. I think even Lauren was a little impressed.
“So it’s not like no one
recognizes that you’re making an effort. All I'm saying is...take it seriously.
Don't play games with her.”
Justin nodded again. “I
won't,” he promised, “Thanks for telling me all of this. I have a lot to think
about.”
--- ~ ---
As Justin pulled up to
Amanda's house that evening, turned off the car, and glanced over at her
peacefully sleeping form in the passenger seat. He shook his head, considering
his options, none of them good.
He definitely didn't want to
wake her. She had had such a long day, and she deserved every single minute of
peace and sleep that she could get. She had stayed in the park until every last
person that wanted to speak with her had had the opportunity, hours after the
majority of people had left. Even the Fabulous Four had headed home when Justin
assured them that he would stay with her until the bitter end.
The consequence of her
caring actions, however, was that now she was utterly exhausted. Justin
certainly didn't want to disturb her peaceful slumber for something as mundane
as just getting up and going into the house.
By the same token, they
obviously couldn't sit out here in the car all night, so something needed to be
done.
Making an executive
decision, he picked up Amanda's purse from the floor below her feet on the
passenger side of the vehicle, rummaged around until he found her keys, got out
of the car, and then bounded up the front steps of the porch and unlocked the
front door. He then returned to the car, opened the passenger door,
Again...I get that.
“What I don't get is
that she's an adult. She's not a child, she's not incapable of making her own
decisions. And it's not like I'm some sort of manipulative predator. I would
never set out to hurt her. So why does everyone feel like I'm such a danger to
her?”
Karina looked slightly
surprised, “Well, it's not like they feel like you are a dangerous person, per
se. It's nothing personal. It's because you broke her heart before.”
Justin scoffed, “When we
were kids? Seriously? She had a crush on me! When we didn't get together, she
was pissed off at me, I think, more than anything. Yes, it must have sucked
that I left after that, believe me, I've missed her too. But a broken heart? I
highly doubt it was that deep.”
Karina looked at him in
amazement, “Wow. You have no idea the depth of feeling that you engender in
her,” she stopped and sighed, “Look, if I didn't have so much faith in you as a
truly good guy, I would never tell you this. This information, in the wrong
hands, could be used to really hurt her...but I don't think you'll use it that
way.
“When you left ten years
ago, she wasn't pissed. She was devastated. Destroyed. Utterly bereft. She
cried for days. She wouldn't – or maybe couldn't – eat or drink. She got so
sick that her Dad almost had to check her into the hospital. Not to mention,
she was so broken up about it that she wouldn't even tell me or Sam or Lauren
what had happened to you! It hurt her too much even to talk about it.”
Justin was visibly paling as
Karina told this story.
“It took her almost a year
to work her way out of the grief caused by missing you...and I know she still
feels it, even all these later.
“Honestly, if you break her
heart now, I don't know if she'd survive a second go-round. She's a strong
girl, but she has a blind spot in her heart for you.
“If you're going to lead her
down a path, Justin, damn it you had better be ready to stay. That's all I'm
saying.”
Justin nodded slowly, processing
this information.
Karina put her hand on his
shoulder, and said gently, “Look, it's nothing against you. I really like you,
you know that. We're friends. In fact, I'm rooting for the two of you to get
together, I think you belong together. And taking the keys from her and making
her let you drive was a good start. Lauren and I were on our way over to her,
but you beat us to it. I think even Lauren was a little impressed.
“So it’s not like no one
recognizes that you’re making an effort. All I'm saying is...take it seriously.
Don't play games with her.”
Justin nodded again. “I
won't,” he promised, “Thanks for telling me all of this. I have a lot to think
about.”
--- ~ ---
As Justin pulled up to
Amanda's house that evening, turned off the car, and glanced over at her
peacefully sleeping form in the passenger seat. He shook his head, considering
his options, none of them good.
He definitely didn't want to
wake her. She had had such a long day, and she deserved every single minute of
peace and sleep that she could get. She had stayed in the park until every last
person that wanted to speak with her had had the opportunity, hours after the
majority of people had left. Even the Fabulous Four had headed home when Justin
assured them that he would stay with her until the bitter end.
The consequence of her
caring actions, however, was that now she was utterly exhausted. Justin
certainly didn't want to disturb her peaceful slumber for something as mundane
as just getting up and going into the house.
By the same token, they
obviously couldn't sit out here in the car all night, so something needed to be
done.
Making an executive
decision, he picked up Amanda's purse from the floor below her feet on the
passenger side of the vehicle, rummaged around until he found her keys, got out
of the car, and then bounded up the front steps of the porch and unlocked the
front door. He then returned to the car, opened the passenger door,
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