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The following month few by in a blur as my internship drew to a close. I was so busy getting things around for next month’s magazine that I scarcely had time to eat. I did, however, make time to talk to Justin everytime he called.
And he did call, almost everyday to see how I was and to let me know where he was going to be.
We would tentatively ask if there was anybody else that had crossed each other’s paths, although we knew at this point that it was hardly an option. After receiving each phone call, no matter what I had been doing before, I would sit back and replay every word we had said.
Although, he never tried pressuring me into something I wasn’t ready for, Justin’s conversation was peppered with endearments and hints of our future together. It was that kind of confidence in me that assured me that he was the one.
Of course, life is never too easy. It can’t be. I think it must be in the contract or something.
There was one thing that kept me from being totally happy in my love-induced stupor that I had been living in, Keith.
He had called me numerous times to beg me to come back to him. He made promises that he couldn’t keep, declarations of love that were crazy and insincere, he even threatened to kill himself. He visited me at work one day with flowers, daisies, my favorite, which I turned away.
Once he had showed up at my apartment and just sat outside my door, telling me that he wouldn’t go away until I agree to at least eat dinner with him.
As sorry as I felt for him, I couldn’t help but be annoyed. We had agreed to stay friends that day that I had broken it off with him.
He should be happy for me if he cared as much as he claimed he did.
I told him on one of our brief phone conversations and he claimed that I was the one who didn’t care.
It was so frustrating trying to move on with him constantly reminding me of what we had.
“Keith, you have to move on,” I said impatiently, glancing at my watch. Justin would be calling soon. “I have to go. Don’t call again!”
A minute later, the phone rang again.
“Keith! I said leave me alone!” I practically shouted.
“Gwen?”
“Justin, hi.” I felt my cheeks grow warm.
“Why was Keith calling?” I could tell by his voice that he was struggling to sound nonchalant.
“Let’s just say that he isn’t taking the break up well,” I said, “but I don’t want to talk about it. It’s nothing.”
“Okay,” Justin agreed reluctantly.
I felt guilty about not telling Justin about Keith. It just didn’t seem right to worry him when he was already so busy. Besides, I knew that was no reason to stir anything up when I could handle it myself.
“So,” I said, anxious to change the subject. “What are you going to do for Christmas?”
“Probably spend it with my Mom down in Florida,” Justin answered. “How about you?”
“I’ll probably just hang out around here,” I replied. “Maybe I’ll study for midterms.”
“What?” Justin cried. “You can’t be alone on Christmas! What about your family?”
“Don’t really have any,” I answered. “My father died two years ago and my mother is in Italy for the winter.”
“Don’t you have any aunts or uncles?” Justin asked.
“Nope,” I said. “Both my parents were only children.”
“You can’t be alone on Christmas Eve!” The concern in Justin’s voice made me smile. “You’ll just have to come to Florida to be with me.”
I laughed. “I wish.”
“I’m serious,” Justin insisted. “Why not?”
“In case you’ve forgotten Mr. Bigtime Musician, collage students are always broke,” I informed him.
“So what?” Justin said. “I’ve got enough frequent flyer miles to get you to Mars and back.”
“Justin, I can’t let you do anything like that. I couldn’t pay you back the money and that wouldn’t be fair,” I said.
“Just seeing your smiling face under my Christmas tree would be payment enough,” Justin told me.
“I don’t know…” I trailed off.
“Well, look at it this way,” Justin said. “If you don’t fly to see me, I’m going to have to fly out to see you, then you would single handedly be responsible for me not spending Christmas with my family.”
“That would be your own fault,” I pointed out.
“Come on Gwen,” Justin coaxed. “You’ll be miserable if you’re alone!”
“No, I can’t let you do that Justin,” I told him. “Thank you, it’s a nice offer, but no.”
“Give me one good reason not to,” Justin challenged.
“It’s unethical to take favors that you can’t return,” I returned.
“But, I told you how you could repay me,” Justin disagreed, “and I think that you could handle it.”
I sighed. “But Justin-“
“Before you ‘but Justin’ me, hear me out.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
“Okay, we’ll be in Seattle three days before Christmas,” he began. “I could just zip down to LA on my way home and then you don’t even have to fly down alone.”
“But then I’d have to fly back all by my lonesome self,” I pointed out.
“I’ll fly back with you,” Justin said. “Right after New Years.”
“I don’t fly.”
“What do you mean, ‘you don’t fly’?” Justin asked. “You flew home didn’t you?”
“Actually, I took the train,” I said. “I only fly with the help of extra strength Valium.”
“Great, we’ll get you all drugged up and before you know it, we’ll be there.”
“Justin!”
“Gwen!” he repeated in the same exasperated tone. “Say yes!” he pleaded.
I paused. There was really no other place that I would rather be. Still, I shouldn’t except a huge favor like this. “Justin, no.”
“Great! I’ll see you the twenty-first! I love you.” There was a click.
“Justin? I said No!” I paused. “Justin?”
I slammed down the phone. How dare he? I would refuse to go!
But then I knew that he would stay with me and be unhappy.
I sighed. I would be leaving in a week. I’d better do some laundry.
Two days later I received an email from JC with the details of the flight along with a note.
Gwen,
Justin told me to send this to you and also to tell you that he is cutting off contact with you so that you can’t back out. That’s all! Miss you kid!
JC
P.S. Someday I’m sure you and Justin will make fabulous grown-ups.
True to his word, Justin didn’t call or email me all week, not even to return my messages that I left. If he had something to say, he sent it through one of the guys.
Secretly, I was glad I wasn’t spending Christmas alone. Of course, I would have rather died than admit it to Justin.
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