How to Date a Nerd

Chapter 21 - How to Get a Major Promotion from your Nerdy Boss

Chapter 21 – How to Get a Major Promotion from your Nerdy Boss

 

“What was that all about?” Sarah asked with a look between scared and dazed.

When I didn’t answer, she tightened her clutched around my hand. I just shut my mouth and gave her a shrug, fixing my eyes on the road. Frankly, I didn’t know what to say to her. She already chose Matt. Oh, well. The smartest thing to do was take the earliest flight to LA tomorrow. Never look back. Disappear without a trace. Party all week. Drink ‘til I drop. Get into the front page of gossip magazines. Buzz cut my hair. Change my name to Pedro. And maybe die in some hell hole.

“Is… is there something wrong?” she asked again after a while. “Leon!” she shouted nudging me on the ribs, glaring. She tapped a finger on the side of my head. “Sarah to Leon. Please respond. Over.”

“Nothing!” I snapped at her. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything is so freakin’ perfect.”

“What’s wrong with you?” she retorted, her voice shaking.

I let out a sour chuckle. “What’s wrong with me... What’s wrong with you?!” I shouted through the rickety roar of engines. “Matt’s been making your life miserable for how long? Forever? And now you want to get all cosy and mushy with him?”

Her eyes narrowed, the corner of her lips slightly pulling up. “Wait. Don’t tell me... Don’t tell me you’re jeal—“ She bit her lip before she could say more.

“What?” I barked. “You think I’m jealous? Well, maybe I am. So what’re you going to do about it? How thick can you really get? I’m here, Sarah. I’ve always been here! So why do you always look away? What else should I do, huh? Get crucified? Kneel at your feet? Have your name tattooed on my forehead? Tell me!”

Looking stunned, Sarah shook her head, eyes misty as she opened and closed her mouth. She swallowed and took a deep breath before choking out the words. “Y-you... don’t have to do anything. Just... just you is enough.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, a surprised look on her face as she caught it on her hand. As if she had no clue why she was crying. With a heavy sigh, I leaned her head on my shoulder. Why was it so hard to get angry with her?

“I’m sorry,” I said, my words immediately lost in the wind. “It’s just that Matt has one thing I couldn’t have... You have memories of him somewhere in there.” I pointed a finger to her head. “I can’t compete with that.”

“Well, y-you don’t need to,” she replied, smiling wryly while looking down on her lap. “There’s no need to compete when you’ve already won.”

Seconds ticked. I couldn’t say anything. All I could do was stare at her. Watch her expression. Did my ears deceive me? Was I imagining things out of desperation? Once I got over the numbness, I turned to her and caught her face with my hands.

Her blue-gray eyes fixed on mine and I held her gaze for a few moments before blurting out, “I love you. I always have. You might not remember but I’ll tell you again and again. Every day. Every minute. Every second, if you want me to. Until I’m sure you won’t forget it again.”

I hadn’t planned to tell her that in the back of a dirty old truck. Which smelled. A bit. Not while making a quick getaway from the mess the guys just made. But it was now or never.

Sarah’s eyes widened, her lips parting to say something but pursed to give me a warm smile. That smile she used to give me and only me. That smile that reached her eyes. The one that was hard to come by.