He wasn’t the one who got away. He was the one I never had a shot with in the first place.
Back in school I was the nerd and he was the quarterback. The only time he had for me was when I was tutoring him for class, and after school was done I never saw him again. But I never forgot him, and god he never forgot me.
It’s our reunion now and people have changed but feelings haven’t. People are still people. People still want what they want.
I was voted most likely to succeed and god what a disappointment I became. Stuck, unemployed and uneducated, in a loveless marriage. Stuck after all these years with nothing to show for it.
But he finds me in the dark and that’s where he confesses. That’s where the quarterback tells me that I wasn’t the only one who used to have a crush.
And he isn’t the man I thought he was. Sure he’s still cocky, still self-assured, still wants what he wants and is more than willing to take it.
The only difference, really, is that now he’s ready to admit he wants me.
The only question, really, is how far I’m willing to go.
Excerpt
“Seriously though,” I went on, genuine and true, “I’m proud of you. You’ve done really well for yourself and I… I’m proud of you. But I should still be going. I gotta get my husband and get on home and get back to life.”
I stepped around him and started to walk back to the door. My hand was on the handle when I heard him call out from behind me.
“There is always time for a second chance,” he said.
“Yeah,” I shook my head, ” I wish I could think that too.”
He moved so quickly, closing the distance between us and wrapping his arms around me. He’d always been fast, been strong, but I didn’t realize until right now just how unrelenting he could be as he pulled me away from the door and took me up in his arms again.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I protested, “I said I should go and I meant it. I don’t want to be here anymore and I should-“
And he silenced me with his lips, pressing them sudden and eager against me. He gave everything into that moment and it melted me completely.
All my life I’ve loved the idea of the romantic comedy. I’ve loved the idea of romance. I’ve wanted to be swept off my feet, to be kissed in a way that made my foot pop.
But it took a half-failed marriage and an unrequited crush. It took my old student and the boy who never would have given me the time of day to make that happen for me.
I melted, mewling into his arms. I moaned slightly, feeling the firmness of his body still hard and fearsome against me. And I sighed as I felt the fullness of his interest, his need for me.
In all these years he hadn’t forgotten me. In all his efforts and all his successes, I’d always been his crush.
“You kissed me,” I pulled away, breathless.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled with a smile, “I couldn’t let you go without that.”
“Oh you’re sorry,” I chuckled, squirming but not able to break his hold, “Well that’s good you damn well should be. I’m married.”
“To an asshole, by the sounds of it,” he countered, and my anger flared up a bit.
“Hey! I get to call my husband an asshole, but you haven’t even met the guy. So you don’t get to-“
“I’m right,” he interrupted me, “You know I am.”