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Dawson grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers. He glanced back at the reunion taking place inside, barely registering it as he focused on getting her away from that environment. He gestured for her to enter his car with a courtly bow, then slid into his own seat and revved the engine to life. The wheels of the car spun against the gravel as they pulled out of the parking lot, watching the dust clouds dissipate behind them.
Dawson felt the electric current of suspense zapping through him as he drove. Dawson gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. The car seemed to hum in harmony with the pounding of his heart as he drove through the city streets. He had been away from Maci for so long and a wave of emotions came over him - nervousness, fear, excitement, and hope. He didn’t know what to expect.
The car was stuffy, the tension between them palpable. He was unable to tear his eyes away from her while she stared out the window. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. There was so much left unsaid, and yet beneath it all he could feel a heavy dread waiting to claim him should he dare to say those words.
Dawson steered the car into the parking lot and found an empty space. Maci remained quiet. He twisted the key, and the engine sputtered to a halt. With each passing second, his heartbeat got louder and beads of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. Maci’s eyes glistened, but still no words were spoken. The silence was deafening and had a vice grip on his heart.
Maci lifted her gaze, her deep emerald eyes meeting his. A rush of emotion washed over him as he saw the vulnerability in her expression and the spark of hope in her eyes. As their stares locked together, it was almost as if time had stopped and the world around them melted away. This night would decide the fate of their relationship - or lack thereof - either they would risk stepping forward into the unknown, or turn back and stay safe.
Dawson swallowed, his throat feeling parched. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, unsure of how to begin. He knew this was the moment- the moment when he had to admit to himself what he wanted, what he wanted for them, and to ask himself if he was ready to make the leap of faith and find out what could come next.
And so, with a deep breath, he finally spoke. “Maci... there’s a lot of things to talk about, but I just wanted to ask- are you... are you ready to talk about where we go from here?” He held her gaze, his eyes searching hers, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.
Maci smiled and nodded. “Yes. I think I am.” She reached out, taking his hand in hers, and he felt a surge of relief wash through him.
With that, they got out of the car and headed inside to the hotel bar. They ordered their drinks and made their way to a table in the corner. They both sat down, the silence between them thick and heavy, but also strangely comforting. They each took a sip of their drinks, and then looked at each other, their eyes locking.
He knew he had to ask. He had spent too much time in the darkness, too much time hiding behind his guarded heart- and now it was time to buck up and ask that was burning in their minds.
“Where do we go from here?” he said. “Now that I know you have... feelings for me, too. It’s easier for us to talk about what we’re both thinking. I want a nice home, a marriage, kids— all of those things. But we take that next step and decide if, after all these years, we want to go down that road together.”
9
Maci
Maci’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She had wanted this—wanted him for so long, but now that it was here, the reality seemed almost too good to be true. She had always harbored feelings for him deep down, but fear and doubt had kept her from taking action. Could she have everything she had ever dreamed of?
But then again, did anyone get everything they wanted? There would be sacrifices to make along the way; things both big and small to give up in order to gain something greater.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I want all those things too—a home together, kids...but I’m scared.” Maci looked down at her glass before taking another sip of her drink.
He took her hand across the table once more and squeezed as he spoke. “Scared about what?”
“About losing you,” Maci replied. “Or messing it up somehow.”
His expression softened as he leaned closer towards her across the table. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before speaking quietly, reassured. “Listen here,” He started but kindly, “we won’t mess anything up if we’re open with each other about our worries right now.” He paused momentarily, looking into Maci’s’ eyes deeply. “If you are worried my feelings will change one day or I’ll leave or even hurt you, just say so.”
Dawson knew about her trust issues. After being dumped into foster care by her mother, who couldn’t be bothered with having a child, she never got close to anyone until he came along.
“And if your fears come true?”
“All we can do is decide whether to move forward. But we shouldn’t make that decision based on fear. We will never see eye to eye on everything, but compromising plays a big role in any relationship and if things come up, we deal with them.” His voice carried confidence—confidence that communicated support whatever way their journey goes from there—they’d handle it together.
“Are you open to seeing where this could go?”
Her hand moved to the bridge of her nose, because this night was going by fast, and this was not what she was expecting coming to this reunion. The man she had been in love with since freshman year was here asking for a chance. She should be jumping for joy, but there was hesitation. “I’ve thought about it for so long… being with you in every sense of the word.” Her voice trailed off as he reached across the table again to grab her hand.
“Then let’s do it,” he replied, his eyes shining with determination. “Let’s not waste any more time pretending we don’t feel this way.”
Maci grabbed his hand and her purse and headed for the elevator. She needed to put her mind at ease, and stop circling around all the things that could be wrong and focus on the things that could go right. When the elevator opened to her floor, she got off and turned around. “Are you coming?”
Dawson’s eyebrows raised from being caught off guard and stepped off the elevator, messing with his tie and jacket. He wasn’t expecting an invitation.
Maci used her keycard to open the door and then it shut behind him. He didn’t move from the door, but instead his eyes took in the room and waited for Maci to make the move.
She walked over to the mini bar and poured two glasses of whiskey. Dawson had always loved his whiskey, so she figured it would be a good way to ease any tension that might have been left lingering between them.
Maci handed him one glass before taking a sip from her own. The taste was bitter on her tongue, but the alcohol warmed its way down into her stomach.
