"Oh." Now I got it. "Kellie I E. Sad face emoticon?"

"Huh?" She looked taken aback.

"Nothing."

The guy behind the counter handed us our drinks.

"Shoot," Kellie I E huffed, looking in her bag. "O M G. WTF. I totes don't have my purse. Lol." She slapped her palm against her forehead. "I left it in the car."

I have no idea what the fuck she’d just said, but I handed the guy a twenty and covered her drink.

"Aaaww," she cooed. She had that annoying baby voice I hated so much. "You totes didn't have to do that. Soooo sweet."

"It's no problem." I started to walk away but she grabbed on to my arm. "Maybe you could give me your number, and I could pay you back some time."

I looked over her shoulder at Amanda. She was watching, but quickly looked down, paying attention to her phone when she caught my eyes.

"Not necessary," I replied, walking away from her.

Amanda stood when I reached the table. She took her drink from my hands and started to lift all her bags. "I gotta go." Her voice was firm.

"What?" I blocked her path. "Is something wrong?"

Loud, shrill, giggling filled the room. We both turned to see Kellie I E, Heidi-hot girl and a few others all watching us.

"I don't really feel like being patronized by a bunch of hot mean girls because I'm here with you," she mumbled.

My eyes narrowed at the girls, and then at her. "Did they say something to you?"

She shook her head. "They don't need to use words."

Amanda was amazing; she really was. Her confidence and carefree attitude was one of the things that drew me to her, but there was this part of her that seemed to turn into this young, insecure little girl at times like these. I never knew what caused it, or why she was like that. I never asked. I should ask.

"I just want go," she repeated. The girls giggled again. Her lips turned down at the corners.

"Amanda?"

She fixated on the floor. "Yes?"

"Are you jealous?"

She nodded. She looked so damn cute.

The group of girls got up and started walking towards us. She dropped her bags, stepped forward and wrapped her arms tight around me.

My shoulders shook with silent laughter. "What are you doing?"

She didn't look up from the floor. "Bitches need to know you're mine."

I lifted her chin with my finger and let my eyes roam her face. A slow smile formed on my lips. And then I said the words I'd wanted to say, ever since I saw her at that party. "I love you."

Her eyes went huge. "What did you say?"

"Don't act surprised. You know I love you. You know I've always loved you."

She grinned. "Say it again."

"I love you."

"Okay," she breathed out. "Now don't say it until I do."

"Yes, Demander."

The giggling girls got even closer.

"I love you," I yelled, loud and proud.

And then I kissed her.

It wasn't just to prove a point to those girls; it was to prove a point to her. She needed to know that she had nothing to worry about, at all. She was my person. She was it for me. Always.

***

We walked to her car, but she didn't get in. Holding both her hands in mine, I asked her, "Are we really doing this? You and me?"

She nodded. "Being amazing, you mean?"

I kissed her again. I couldn't stop fucking kissing her. "Yeah."

She looked down at the ground again. "I want to," she confirmed. "If you do."

I released her hands and held her face instead, making sure she was seeing me, really, truly, seeing me. "I want to. More than anything. You know how I feel."

She removed my hands from her face and placed them on her waist. Her arms curled around my neck, bringing us chest to chest. Heart to heart. "I just—I want to, I really do . . . but maybe—can we just keep it on the down low for a bit? Just until . . ." She blew out a breath. "Just until people get used to the idea."

I knew exactly what she was saying. I tried to pull away, but she held me closer. "You mean just until people won't judge you for taking me back?" Saying the words hurt more than her kick in my gut earlier. I knew she'd have some barriers to overcome, and I'd overcome them with her. I wasn't lying when I told her that I'd fight for her. It's the least she deserved.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"I don't like the idea of us sneaking around."

"It's not sneaking around," she said, unconvincingly.

I ignored her, and held her in my arms. "Stay with me tonight."

She laughed. "You're not sick of me?"

"Never."

"I have to work."

"Fuck work."

She laughed again.

My head dropped to her shoulder. "I just want to be with you all the time." Seriously, someone needs to put an APB out on my balls. She started stroking my hair like I was a scared, sad, lost little kid. Maybe that's exactly what I was.

She kissed the side of my head. "Baby, I have three more days of classes, and then I'm all yours."

I hugged her tighter. "Mine?" I said into her shoulder.

"All yours."

18

Amanda

I finished work at midnight and waited for Tony to be done so he could walk me to my car. Sitting on the bar stool, I pulled the phone out of my bag and checked the messages.