Iggy's POV
"So lunch, hey?" Rory wiggled her brows at me in query. She'd always been able to read me without flinching.
"Yes, lunch. It was great, ugh yeah. Really fucking good." I offered, taking a sip of the protein smoothie I'd purchased before catching up with my sister. Bright memories of Sunday's lunch flooded my mind.
We'd had not just an ok lunch but what felt like the ideal sort of - kind of - date for where we were at. After a month of weirdness, the ease felt incredible. When she finally started replying to my texts I was surprised and then the thought pivoted to - for sure someone else has her phone. They sounded like Harper, the sassy, sure of herself, no apologies woman I was chasing after. And somehow she was warming up to me. But I felt the hesitation looming. There was still something reserved, unsaid. Something about me scared her and I hated those parts of myself because of it.
She'd shown up at my place dressed as a stunning academic, preppy dream and kissed me immediately. Placed her warm hands on my cheeks and took my lips as her own. Brain wiped of all things food or departing in an instant. I just wanted her, to be next to her, near her. The venue was disposable. And after that greeting we retreated to the PG I'd been anticipating, your first date as a teen wrapped in tension you don't understand and jitters you have trouble shaking. But it feels good, charged even. Leaving me fed, satiated and heart-eyed with the promise of a study catchup on Friday.
When I'd relayed Saturday night's events and then Sunday's redemption date to Rory she'd swooned at Harper. Giggled at my attempts of describing her clothes in minute detail or her cheekbones with a guilt that showed I'd taken mental notes. And stared far too much. Rory loved love and I knew meeting with her was an admission to myself about where my heart really fell. And a knowing that I had to do something extra about it, to move myself from fuckboy category for good. In Harper's mind and anyone else's.
"Is it too early to say I fucking love her?" Rory cooed. Having a sister two years younger who thankfully goes to another uni has its upsides. But I'd never come to her for female advice before, for obvious reasons. Rory was a blonder, female version of me in the looks department. So I liked not knowing too much about who or what she got up to. But having seen how she navigated male attention, I knew she'd be the one to steer me right with Harper. Rather than taking advice from my perpetually single mates.
"For me maybe, for you go right ahead." I shook my head drunkenly, recognising the surreal nature of this situation more with each sentence.
"Oh my god, she's got you good brother." Punching my arm in playful approval. "I've never seen you even consider a girlfriend and here you are on the path to love." Rory nodded as if this was too good to be true. A divine retribution for the way I'd been with girls, ahem women until now
"Forget about that for now, how do I show her that? In a way that won't scare her the fuck away?" The straw of my smoothie now bent in an unimaginable contortion as I took my frustrations out post sip.
Rory's face continued to revel in my discomfort. Eyes bright and wide. "The irony of this is nearly too much. You spend eons avoiding commitment and now you've managed to fall for the only girl who doesn't want to actually date the Vallis." The guffaw evident on her features.
"A fact not lost on me Ror, seriously I need help." Reluctantly not rolling my eyes to convey my sincere need of help.
Drinking me in and shrugging off any told-you -so energy, Rory contemplated. A furrow lodging itself between her brows.
YOU ARE READING
Closing Arguments
Romance"He should never have hit you, but winding him up like that..." "Like what? Talking about being your partner, working with you, spending time with you. That's no fabrication, H. We are going to be spending a whole lot of time together this semester...
