Chapter 12
It’s Sunday, early afternoon, and I’m in the library finishing one of my online classes. My headphones are plugged into my laptop, the professor’s voice steady in my ears as I jot down notes in my notebook. He mentions we have a quiz next week and to prepare for it. I know I’ll have to study hard, but I’m confident I can handle it.
My phone buzzes beside my laptop.
Lola: Hey handsome, I hope your class is going well. Wanted to see if you want to hang out afterwards. Let me know — I’ll be okay if you can’t today. If not, another time.
I smile. I love that she respects my schedule and never pressures me.
Me: I’m open to hang out afterwards.
She replies almost instantly.
Lola: Okay, great! No pressure though. We can go grab something to eat if you’re okay with that.
Me: That sounds good. I’ll come by your house and pick you up.
Lola: Great, I’ll see you afterwards.
I set my phone down and refocused on the lecture.
By 2 p.m., class ends. I exit the meeting, close my laptop, notebook, and pen, and slide them into my bag. I almost forgot to unplug my headphones, but I catch myself and tuck them away too. After zipping everything up, I head out of the library and into the parking lot.
I text her:
Me: Hey darling, I just finished up my class. I’m on my way to your house — about ten minutes. I’ll let you know when I’m there.
A minute later:
Lola: Okay, call or text me when you’re out front.
Me: I will. See you shortly.
I started driving.
Fifteen minutes later, she’s in the passenger seat beside me. I glanced over at her.
“How was your morning?”
“It’s been good so far,” she says. “I kept myself occupied cleaning around the house, then took a shower.”
“At least it wasn’t a bad morning then,” I chuckled.
“That’s true.”
I tap my fingers on the steering wheel. “Question — where do you want to eat?”
She thinks for a moment. “I didn’t think of that. Depends on if you want to sit down at a diner or go through a fast‑food drive‑thru.”
I consider it. “Let’s go to a diner.”
“That works for me. IHOP, perhaps?” Her voice squeaks at the end, and I laugh because it’s adorable.
“Let’s do that.”
We head to the nearest IHOP.
An hour later, we’re eating and talking when she asks, “Have you heard anything about Jacob and Angela? Out of curiosity.”
“As far as I know, they’re doing good,” I say. “They’ve been hanging out occasionally. They don’t want to do it constantly every day.”
“That’s good to hear. I care about them both, and honestly, that’s probably for the best — not doing it constantly.”
“I agree. I want Jacob to be happy. He hasn’t been in a relationship since high school, so he’ll be a little rusty at first. But once he gets back into rhythm, everything will get easier for him.”
“Ah, I didn’t know that till now. But at least I do now — and it doesn’t make me think less of him.”
“He’s a good guy. Just shy. I’m sure Angela can help with that.”
“She will, one hundred percent. Knowing her, she isn’t afraid to be herself and bring the best out of people.”
“That’s good. You’ve got a good couple of friends who stand beside you.”
“I do,” she says softly. “And I appreciate you saying that.”
We keep eating.
“How would you feel about occasional double dates with them?” I ask.
Her eyes sparkled. “That’d be fun. And a good idea.”
“I thought so too. We can catch up on their love life and see how they’re doing overall.”
“That’d be nice.”
We finished eating. I pay for our food, and she leaves the waitress a twenty‑dollar tip — generous and thoughtful, just like her. As we walk out, we both say, “Thank you, have a good night,” and the staff replies the same.
Hours later, I’m home, settled in my room, lying on my bed while catching up on homework. I text Nicholas and Jacob:
Me: Me and Lola are now officially dating. I couldn’t be any happier about it.
Nicholas replies: I’m happy for you two. I think you belong together.
Jacob adds: I’m happy for you.
Me: Thank you. Your support means a lot to me.
After that, I opened Facebook and updated my relationship status, tagging Lola. I wait for her to accept — and a moment later, she does. Seeing it visible on both our pages makes my heart explode. I can’t stop smiling.
I text her:
I’m going to head to bed, but I’ll text you tomorrow, love.
Lola: Goodnight. Sleep well. I’ll text you when I wake up.
I plug in my phone, put my things away, lie down, and fall asleep with a full heart.