He shrugged. "I mean, I just felt bad for you really.”
I shoved him playfully and we both laughed. “You're such a jerk.”
“I prefer bullshit intolerant." He winked. “Now, get out of my car.”
I rolled my eyes. “Text me later?”
“If you’re lucky.”
I didn’t even respond to his smart-ass remark. I just pulled myself out of his BMW and wandering up towards the beautiful home that matched the address Tyler had texted me last night.
I was shocked that he hadn't blown my phone up. It’d been years since he had my number, and yet all he did was text his address. Nothing else.
Old insecurities crept back in, and I was over analyzing what that meant. I was basically my old teenage self again.
Pathetic.
Tyler opened his door before I even got to the front porch. “You had your boyfriend drop you off?”
The tone of his voice made it clear that he was both irritated, and surprised that Kirk agreed to bring me.
“Kirk isn't my boyfriend. His boyfriend's name is Micah.” Like a Band-Aid, I ripped the lie free from my conscience.
Tyler glared at me. “So, then you do make a habit out of kissing all your friends?”
“It would seem I do.” I shrugged my shoulders and grinned.
He rolled his yes in annoyance, then shut his front door behind him, locking it. “I need to swing by my work before we go to lunch.”
“Oh wow, I don’t even get to come in?”
“You aren’t missing much.” He reassured me before walking towards his car, hitting the unlock button.
“Fine, whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “Where do you work?”
“The high school.”
My eyes widen, and I smiled. “You're a teacher?”
He glanced at me, and that familiar smile crept across his face. “Yeah, I teach history.”
I’d somehow forgotten how weak that smile made me. “That seriously makes me so happy, I know how much you wanted to teacher. That’s amazing, Ty!”
“Thanks, Ry.” His grinned, then his smile faded a bit. As if, he was suddenly reminded of how many years had passed by us. “I just need to swing by and grab some papers to grade over the weekend. Ready for a trip down memory lane?”
I laughed. “Ready as I'll ever be.”
About fifteen minutes later, we were pulling into the parking lot of our old high school. The sight of the building alone caused memories to come rushing back to me.
“Oh my gosh! Do you remember when Tyson asked out Kara’s little sister, my junior year? Kara was so pissed! She sucker punched him, over there, in front of everyone.”
Tyler laughed. “I tried to warn him that she was protective over her sister. Plus, she hated Tyson.”
“She only hated him because of you!” I laughed, playfully shoving his shoulder.
“Hey, it’s not my fault if you were all guilty by association.” He laughed.
Once we reached his classroom, one I myself used to sit in during fifth period A.P. History, I found my old seat and sat down.
“Wow, sitting here makes me feel as though barely any time has passed.” I let my fingers run along some initials carved in the wood desk.
R.W.
Tyler was still rummaging through his desk for a few missing papers.
"It's so weird being back here,” I continued, looking around the classroom. “You know, all the memories.”
He glanced up at me and looked around the room for a moment. “Yeah, it took me awhile to block them out.” He acknowledged, before checking in another drawer for his papers.
“Block them out?” I questioned, “what memories would someone, like Tyler Watson, ever want to block out?”
He didn’t even look up to answer me. “The ones of you.”
He snatched some papers out of a drawer and smiled in victory. “Ah, ha! I found them!” He stuffed them into a bag, then looked up at me. “You ready to go?”
I was eyeing him silently.
“What?” He asked, packing up a few more things to leave.
“You wanted to block out all your memories of me?” I’d done the same thing, so I'm not sure why his confession hurt me so much.
He shrugged. “Ry, you left. Remembering you was like a reminder of everything I lost.”
I stood up, readying myself to leave, and made my way towards his desk. “I'm sorry, Ty. I just had to grow up, and figure things out, without you.”
He rounded his own desk, sitting down on the edge of it. “Why did you have to figure it out without me?”
I twisted the heel of my sneaker into the floor beneath me. “You were so protective. You made it hard to experience things.”
“I didn’t want you to experience how shitty the world could be, you're better than that. You deserved only the best parts.”
I rolled my eyes; I’ve always hated how he placed me on a pedestal. I wasn’t perfect and the fact he treated me like I was fragile, always drove me insane. It was to hard to live up to. “Stop protecting me. I’m grown, Ty.”
“I can’t change the way I see you.”
I glared, accepting the challenge. “Well, you should. I’m no longer that innocent tomboy.”
He grinned as he eyed my sneakers, skinny jeans, and lastly an old t-shirt I’d probably found at a thrift store. “Right.”
“I'm serious. I’ll have you know, lots of guys were after me in college.”
His expression changed, he looked uneasy and angry. "Spare me the details.” He gritted out.
“Why? Does it tarnish the image you built of me?” I didn’t want him to think of me as some little tomboy anymore, or some fragile innocent girl.
“Stop, Ry.” He warned.
“No, I’m just like everyone else. Believe it, or not, men like touching me. They even like fucking me too, Ty!”
