A Love that Endures

by Forrest, Bella

  “I—Yes. I think so. He seemed very sweet toward you.” The question momentarily blindsided Katy, but she didn’t have it in her to give Cassie anything but positive feedback. Katy could barely remember the last time she’d seen her cousin this alive and excited. Right now, Cassie needed nothing but her encouragement and support.

  “Hmm, it’s a little early to tell, IMO.” Cassie leaned against the counter, taking a thoughtful sip from her glass. “I imagine we’ll both get a better feel for each other at the game.”

  “Right, of course,” Katy replied.

  She walked over to the fruit bowl and started cutting up some apple slices. A span of silence stretched between the girls.

  “I just really hope I’m good enough,” Cassie finally mumbled.

  Katy glanced over, surprised at her change in tone. Cassie was staring down at her glass, her hands clasped anxiously around it, her mouth downturned.

  “Oh, Cass.” Katy sighed and moved over to her, placing her hands on her shoulders. “You’re gorgeous and sweet and smart. Of course you’re ‘good enough.’ Stop letting memories of douchebags like Jason hold you back. You’ve just been unlucky until now, is all.”

  Cassie placed her glass on the counter, snuffling a little. Then she gave Katy a watery grin and hugged her tight. “Thanks, Katy. You always know what to say. I’m really going to give this my all with David and try not to let the past trip me up. It’s about time I try to let someone into my life again.”

  As Katy warmly hugged her back, she was reminded of just how fragile Cassie’s confidence could be. And she knew right then that she needed to do her absolute best to not become any sort of obstacle to David and Cassie’s developing rapport. No matter how hard that might be.

  13

  David

  “Meet me at the library, he said. I’ll probably be there, he said.” Zeke scoffed as he gazed out at the football field from his seat. “These girls had better be hella hot for you to have stood up your best friend and roommate like that.”

  David flinched. “First, don’t use the term hella hot. There’s only like ten people in the world who can pull it off, and you’re not one of them. Second, quit jittering your leg. It’s annoying the crap out of me. Third, who said you were my best friend? Being a bit generous with titles there.”

  Zeke shot David an amused look. “Bit uptight today, aren’t we? These girls must really be hella hot.”

  David groaned and stared back out at the field. For some reason, he was finding his roommate particularly frenetic and annoying today. Though he supposed he couldn’t get on his case too much. Zeke was probably dealing with some nerves of his own, at the prospect of meeting new girls.

  David would never say it aloud, but Zeke was right—he was feeling nervous, too. Even though he’d already spent almost half an afternoon with the girls the other day, and it had been chill enough.

  Perhaps it’s because this feels more like an actual date, an overly helpful voice in his head reminded him.

  It wasn’t a date, of course. The four of them were just hanging out as friends. David knew that. But still, he somehow couldn’t shake the tension. This wasn’t so much about seeing Cassie again, but . . . Katy. She was kind of something else. Curious. Sassy. Unpredictable. With a touch of boisterous. Not to mention gorgeous and smart.

  He still wasn’t really sure what to make of her. She was almost larger than life, in his mind. She had a way of keeping him on his toes that he weirdly enjoyed, and he was never quite sure what was going to come out of her mouth next, what expression was going to cross her impish face. Yet he also felt an odd sense of ease around her—so much so that he’d even shared his adoption story with her and her friend. Something he never normally would have done with people he’d just met.

  He took a deep swig from his Fanta. Chill out, man.

  The bleachers were filling up rapidly, a buzz of anticipation electrifying the air. The crowds chattered animatedly around them, people rushing up and down the stairs to their left. The smoky scent of fast-food wafted up from the stands below, tickling David’s nose.

  “Oh hey, is that them?” Zeke gestured with an outstretched palm, and David almost choked on his drink.

  He whirled in the direction Zeke was pointing to see that, no, it wasn’t them. Just a couple of pretty blondes striding down an aisle.

  David shook his head firmly, his heart rate slowly returning to normal as he leaned back. He planted his can on the metal floor, figuring it was best on stable ground for now in case of another false alarm.

  Then a familiar voice caught his ear, carrying up from the stairs beneath them.

  He sat upright and glanced down. His chest tightened as he spotted Katy and her best friend slowly climbing up the steps. His eyes homed in on Katy before he could stop them. She was wearing a red dress that hugged her every curve and stopped just above her knees, and a pair of black boots clung to her ankles. Her dark hair swept behind her in a high, sporty ponytail, save for a few soft strands that had been left to dangle and frame her face at the front. Her hands clutched at the fabric around her thighs, keeping it in a perpetual downward tug, and pink splotches marked her cheeks and forehead.

  She was flustered, to say the least—yet somehow still looking completely gorgeous.

  “That them?” Zeke whispered, gazing in their direction.

  David gave a wordless nod.

  Zeke whistled softly. “Hella hella hella . . .”

  David could hear Katy grumbling as the girls approached. “Ugh. Whose bright idea was it to let Michelle dress us!”

  “Mine . . .” Cassie replied cautiously, holding a pink umbrella tilted at an angle behind them to shield the back of their necks from the strong sunlight. She wore a similar outfit yet looked much more comfortable in it than Katy.

  “I told her it wasn’t an actual date, and she still put me in this ridiculous thing!” Katy said. “Feels like the back is constantly riding up my butt.”

  Cassie halted and craned her neck back to check out Katy’s behind. She burst out giggling. “That’s because it is, silly!”

  “Oh my God.” Katy gasped.

  Cassie stepped behind her to give her dress a hard yank downward from the waist. “There. It should be better now. You gotta be a little forceful with it.”

  “What was I thinking?” Katy groaned, as the two resumed their climb. “And where are these guys, anyway?”

  Her eyes roved the stands crankily, and then her face froze as they reached David. She clearly had been oblivious to how well within earshot they were. Her face turned a color very similar to Cassie’s flamingo-pink hairband.

  David tried, he really did, but for the life of him, he couldn’t hold back his grin. Something Katy didn’t seem to appreciate. She immediately dropped her eyes to the ground and pointed a finger in David and Zeke’s direction.

  “Which one’s Katy?” Zeke whispered, staring at the girls.

  “Dark hair,” David replied out of the corner of his mouth.

  “Woah. You’ve got good taste, man . . . her friend’s gorgeous too.”

  David stood up to greet the girls as they closed the final distance to their seats. Now forced to glance up at him, Katy gave a rueful smile.

  “H-Hi,” she stammered.

  “Hi,” David replied, still grinning.

  “Hey, David!” Cassie exclaimed, her whole face lighting up like a Christmas tree. She then looked politely at Zeke. “I-Is this your friend?”

  “Yeah,” David replied, giving Zeke a casual glance. His roommate was still gawking, and David felt the urge to smack him. “Do you want to take a seat?” David asked.

  “I’m sure my best friend will appreciate that,” Cassie replied, smirking at Katy’s boots. She then stepped forward and plopped herself into the seat right next to David’s, and Katy, to David’s dismay, sank into the chair on her other side.

  Disappointment washed over him. He should have spent less time feeling nervous and more time thinking his po
sitioning through. Dammit.

  “So what brings you ladies to Harvard?” Zeke asked from David’s other side, as both he and David slowly seated themselves. Zeke leaned forward to get a better look at them, propping his elbows on his knees.

  “A world-class educational experience,” Cassie replied primly. Her eyes lingered on him for barely a couple of seconds before switching back to David. “And what about you?” she asked, smiling. “I don’t think you actually mentioned what concentration you’re doing the other day.”

  “I’m planning on economics,” David answered, trying to keep the reluctance from his tone. He attempted to cast a glance at Katy, but Cassie’s head was blocking her face.

  “Oooh,” Cassie replied. “I’m sure you’ll find good use for that, whatever you go on to do.”

  “Yeah. Zeke’s going to take economics too,” David added, feeling quite uncomfortable at being the sole object of Cassie’s spotlight. He had picked up on her apparent interest in him the other day, but today it somehow seemed stronger. He supposed he ought to feel at least mildly flattered. It was just hard when she was sitting between him and the girl he was genuinely interested in.

  At least Zeke didn’t seem to register Cassie’s thinly veiled snub. Or perhaps he had and was just choosing to be dense.

  “So, football,” he went on with a broad grin. “You ladies are quite the connoisseurs, I hear?”

  “Oh goodness, where did you hear that?!” Cassie snorted. “At least, not me. Katy’s done some reading on the sport, but I’m basically just here for the drama.” A sly smile peeled across her face. “I mean, come on. Harvard versus Yale. That’s much too juicy for anyone to miss.”

  “Still, watching is way more fun when you understand the sport,” Katy chided. “It’s why I took the time to do some background research.”

  David stole a glance past Cassie. Katy had leaned forward a bit, so he could finally see her.

  “I absolutely agree,” David replied warmly, locking eyes with Katy.

  “It’s a good thing we are all sitting with a renowned expert, then,” Zeke interjected, throwing David a wink.

  Cassie positively beamed at David, in the process blocking Katy’s face once again. “Really? Oh my. That is amazing!”

  While David suspected the exaggerated compliment had been well meant, it didn’t stop him from spearing his roommate with a glare. “Zeke is overblowing things, I assure you,” he said firmly. “I can follow along all right, but I’m by no means an expert. If you want an expert, you need to talk to Zeke. I’m just a Brit, after all.”

  “But a very well-informed Brit, if you ask me,” Cassie replied. “You seem to be quite entrenched in American culture, in general.”

  David frowned. “What gives you that impression?” In truth, he was pretty well versed in American culture, not so much due to the length of time he’d spent in the country, but because ever since he discovered he was born here, and his birth parents were possibly American nationals, he’d read every book he could get his hands on about the subject. But he definitely hadn’t told the girls that, and his accent was still as straight-cut as they came.

  “Just a feeling,” Cassie replied, waving a vague hand.

  “Well, you’re not far off,” Zeke said. “I mean, the guy wears star-spangled undies, for starters.”

  A giggle erupted from Katy.

  “Only because they were a gift,” David shot back, feeling secretly grateful to Zeke for bringing a laugh out of Katy, even if he still couldn’t see her.

  “Sounds sexy,” Cassie replied coyly.

  “Seriously, though,” Zeke cut in, returning his focus to the blonde. “David’s right. I’m the real football expert around here, so feel free to ask me anything.” He threw her a friendly wink.

  “Okay, sure,” Cassie replied, making no attempt to move.

  David let out a silent breath. There was a pause as they all watched the players march out onto the field, while a band played in the stands below.

  “So anyway, is this like a double date or what?” Zeke asked cheekily. “You ladies seeing anyone?”

  David’s throat clamped up. Subtlety, dude. Subtlety. It’s a thing.

  Then again, he’d be a big fat liar if he pretended he wasn’t half glad his friend had just gone ahead and brought up the question directly. He, too, was curious. At least, about one girl . . .

  He stole another glance past Cassie. Katy was looking straight ahead at the field, perhaps embarrassed.

  Cassie giggled, her eyes glued to David. “I think it might be a bit early for that question, but I don’t mind telling you I’m single. As for Katy”—she gave her friend a nudge in the arm—“I’ll let her decide if she wants to reply.”

  Katy turned slowly and met David’s gaze. “Um, yes,” she mumbled. “But I-I kind of have a no-boyfriend rule, at the moment.” She quickly looked away again.

  David couldn’t help but stare. No-boyfriend rule?

  “Oh, that is a shame,” Zeke replied with a sigh. “’Cause I can think of several awesome suitors for you among my housemates. One of whom—ooof.”

  David’s heel jammed down on Zeke’s left foot, just as a wave of raucous laughter broke out from the Yale stands across the stadium. Both girls’ attention was thankfully distracted, and David cast his gaze over, too—right after shooting Zeke a murderous look.

  The crowd appeared to stare up at the sky, and David realized why a moment later. A massive balloon floated into view above the field. Painted in dark blues and grays, it clearly resembled a storm cloud, and across it, in bold white lettering, ran: LOSERS. A few moments later, it settled directly over the Harvard team, blocking out the sun and casting a long, dark shadow over the players.

  “Lo-sers! Lo-sers! Lo-sers!” the Yale crowd chanted.

  David sighed. This was nothing new, of course. The infamous Harvard-Yale pranks were expected at every game. He just hoped Harvard didn’t actually lose this year, and by the end of the match, they’d wipe the smug smirks from all those Yalies’ faces.

  It really wasn’t the most pressing thing on his mind, considering everything else that had been happening.

  What had Katy meant by her comment? Had the “no-boyfriend” announcement been meant for his benefit?

  Was it something he’d said? Or was she really just not seeking a relationship right now?

  As the balloon slowly floated away—having lingered more than long enough to make its point—and the game began, the question remained in David’s head. In between trying to answer Cassie’s banal queries, he struggled to focus.

  About a quarter of the way through, Zeke leaned closer to his ear and whispered, “I think that girl’s just playing hard to get, bro. You shouldn’t go for girls that play games.”

  David threw him a look. He wasn’t sure how Zeke had managed to sense his inner turmoil. He didn’t think he’d been that obvious. Either way, David disagreed. He might not know her well yet, but Katy just didn’t strike him as that kind of girl.

  When Cassie turned her head away for a moment to speak to Katy, he muttered, “I think she probably just genuinely wants a friend.”

  As the game progressed and Cassie’s questions became more frequent, David became more and more frustrated that he hadn’t planned the seating better. If he’d been sitting next to Katy, he was sure he could have found a casual, non-creepy way to figure out where she was coming from, so his brain could get closure and he wouldn’t have to keep speculating. Not to mention, he’d be enjoying this outing a lot more.

  Halfway through the game, Cassie had started to lightly brush against his arm, and by the time they were two-thirds of the way through, she was leaning her head ever so gently against his shoulder. Honestly, by this point, he was getting annoyed. Half of him wanted to tell her to move over, but he struggled to find a way to word it without seeming rude and making things even more awkward. So he found himself stuck sitting firmly in Awkward Man’s Land—until, finally, fifteen minutes before the game�
��s end, Cassie rose to her feet.

  “Just going to the bathroom,” she leaned in to explain, her mouth close to his ear.

  He nodded, then immediately looked toward Katy . . . only to see her rising to her feet too, joining her best friend.

  “Seriously, bro,” Zeke said, clapping a hand on his shoulder as the girls walked away. “Plenty of other fish in the sea.”

  David shrugged him off. Zeke, at least, he could be “rude” to.

  He leaned back to stew in his seat, his mind half on and half off the game. Things hadn’t been going very well so far for Harvard, anyway.

  When the girls returned, Cassie was striding in front, two cups clasped in her hands. She held one out to David. “Hot chocolate,” she said, grinning. “Well, warm chocolate. I asked the guy not to make it too ho—”

  Her foot somehow tripped at the last moment, and a slop of warm liquid dropped onto David’s lap.

  “Oh my God!” Cassie exclaimed, her eyes bugging. “I am so sorry!”

  “It’s . . . It’s okay, really,” David tried to say through a grimace. He reached into his pockets to check for tissues, but Cassie was already planting the cups down and digging through her handbag. She whipped out a fat wad of loose napkins.

  “Here, I have tissues!” she announced, then dove for David’s thighs and started dabbing.

  “No. It’s fine. Really,” he said, his voice tightening. Zeke was struggling—and failing—to suppress his snickering, and he sensed Katy looking away out of what had to be sheer embarrassment.

  Frustration bubbled up in him at the wrong girl giving him all this attention. He was on the verge of grabbing Cassie’s hands and pushing them away when a loud horn blew and the Yale crowd erupted in screaming.

  David cast a look out at the field. Harvard had lost the game.

  14

  Katy

  “Fortunately, I scored well in all my exams,” Jessica said with a contented smile.