“What the hell is wrong with you?” She bit back. “Stop being so afraid!”
“I'm not afraid!”
“Prove it!”
I pulled the truck over hard onto the side of the road, and slammed it into park. I turned to look at Owen, and without an explanation I climbed across the seat and onto his lap. He sat there staring at me with a look of amusement on his face, and the only thing I could think of was kissing it away. So I did. I placed my hands on either side of his face and I kissed him. I kissed him with so much fervor that the other drivers were probably receiving quite the show.
I could hear Morgan clapping softly from the backseat, and I couldn't help but smile. I felt Owen's hands on my hips, and then he smiled too. My best friend was right. I needed to stop being so damn scared. I wanted to live my life, and that's exactly what Owen inspired me to do. To live. When I finally broke the kiss, I looked down at him.
“I have feelings for you too.” I whispered.
“Duh!” Morgan chimed in from the backseat, before laying back down. “Can we get a move on now? I don't feel so hot.”
Owen and I laughed, and I shook my head before laying my forehead against his.
“What do you say, Ronnie? Will you be my girl?” He whispered.
I smiled so wide that it hurt, and I nodded my head enthusiastically before answering.
“Yes.”
Morgan groaned, and I reluctantly climbed off my new boyfriend's lap. Even thinking of the word made me smile. A million thoughts were running through my mind. Was I good enough for him? Was it too soon after my break-up with Derek? Could the two of us really make it work once we got to New York? I spent so much of my life second guessing my decisions, but this one somehow felt right.
As I put the truck back into drive, and pulled out onto the highway the smile was still on my face. Owen reached his hand across the space between us, and I placed mine into his. Even when I was in school, I never understood the way that the girls would fawn over their crushes. I'd watch Morgan with her boyfriends and wonder why it wasn't that way with Derek and I. I chalked it up to our ages. I was sure that as we got older and grew closer things would change, but they didn't.
When I looked at Owen, my heart raced. My palms got sweaty, and I could feel literal butterflies dancing in my stomach. When he kissed me I felt like my entire body was on fire. A single wink, or flash of his smile, and I was done for. This is what love was supposed to feel like. Love. A word said by so many, but meant by so few. All the years that I'd been saying it to Derek, I realized now that I never truly felt it. Not in the way that I should have.
The rest of the ride to Jersey was quiet. The radio played, Morgan slept, and Owen held my hand. I had never felt more content with anything in my life, and when we finally made it to our hotel the only thing on my mind was getting my new boyfriend alone.
I checked us in, while Owen helped Morgan. She was still feeling pretty lousy, so he carried her into our room and laid her down on one of the beds. After he helped me with the luggage, I helped Morgan change into her pajamas, and got her set up with the remote, and her favorite treats. I offered to stay and watch a chick flick with her, but she insisted that I go find my man.
I was worried about the way she'd react at first, but seeing how happy she was for me was a relief. I had to know though, so I sat down beside her on the bed and asked.
“Why did you tell Owen about Derek?”
She shot me a sly wink. “To see if he was jealous.”
“But, why?”
“You deserve more than a few hook ups on a road trip. I wanted to see who he really was. Turns out I was right.”
“About?”
“I knew on your first date, that he had feelings for you. It's why I flirted so hard. I used some of my best moves. He didn't budge. Not even when I was on his lap.”
“About that.” I said, giving her the evil eye.
She rolled hers. “Relax. You don't think I'd actually do something like that, do you?”
This was it. She was opening the door, and all I had to do was walk through it. To tell her that I thought the worst of her. That every time she batted her lashes, I felt like she was punching me in the gut. I took a deep breath intending on telling her exactly how I felt, and then I looked down at her. She was smiling up at me, proud of herself for helping me find love again. I didn't want to fight with her, but I did want her to know how I felt.
“Honestly?” I started. “I was worried.”
“I love you like a sister, Ronnie.” She said, with offense.
“It's just... every time someone shows me any kind of attention... it seems like you need it more.”
“So now I'm an attention whore?” She asked defensively, before sitting up.
“That's not what I said.”
“You didn't have to. Everything I've ever done has been to help you. I thought we were past this? We hashed it out in Virginia already. Why not just leave well enough alone, and move on?”
“I was just telling you how I felt. Real friends can tell each other anything with no hard feelings.”
“Anything?” She asked, with an attitude.
“Anything.” I said, earnestly.
“Derek came to me six months ago, and tried to sleep with me.”
I stood, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Why-
