"I never liked him anyway!" Mindy exclaimed after Lexi had finished recounting the events that had just taken place, in between sobs. They were sitting on the couch in their dorm room along with a wad of Lexi's tissues.

"I don't know how I can continue with his class, Mindy. I may need to drop it after all. I just won't be able to look at him without crying."

"No, girl! Don't let him shake you! He's being dumb and any guy would be lucky to have you!"

"But why would any guy want me? A girl who doesn't put out isn't exactly the most exciting thing." Lexi's red, puffy eyes glanced down at her hands.

"No, Lex! Stop second-guessing yourself! You're amazing, smart, beautiful, and strong! Whether or not you decide to have sex shouldn't matter! It's your choice what to do with your body! Any guy with half a cell in his brain would recognize that, suck it up if it doesn't float his boat, and be thrilled just to be in your presence."

Lexi gave Mindy a weak smile. "Thanks, Mindy. I love you."

"Lex, I love you so much! And it kills me to see you like this! I can't tell you how badly I want to torch his house to the ground."

Lexi laughed and then blew her nose into the wad she picked up. "It's not his fault, Mindy. I'm the one that's the prude who can't seem to forget the stupid promise I made to myself. I'm realizing I'm just going to be alone forever, and just have to live with that."

"Okay, A, stop with the dramatics! That's my thing. And B, you literally had a cute boy just this morning ask to take you on a date."

"Oh, Wes definitely seems like the type to date a virgin," Lexi said with a sarcasm laced in her voice.

"You don't have to put so much pressure on yourself. It's just one date, you can have some fun, and forget about stupid Tommy Boy."

"I don't think I'm in any state to date right now. I'm on a job and I can't have any distractions."

"Lex! Everyone needs a break from work every once in a while! I really think this will be for your own good! Listen, let me say this because I love you even though it might not be easy to hear." Mindy took a deep breath in before continuing. "You always put barbed wire around yourself and don't want to let people in. And I tend to be the same, which is why we're best friends. But as your best friend, I have to call you out when I think you're actually hurting yourself more by doing that versus experiencing any heartbreak that might come up if you let someone in."

Lexi smiled. "Did you come up with that all by yourself?"

"Well, for the most part, I saw a speech Selena Gomez made that was something to that effect, and it really resonated with me." Mindy smiled back warmly.

Lexi fiddled with the tissue in her hand, contemplating Mindy's words. Tom made her realize she longed to be loved by someone that wasn't in a platonic or familial sense. She wanted the kind of love that was based on choice. Two people choosing to love each other despite a mountain of differences and a world of unknowns. It was like a delectable dessert that you only hear about but never manage to get a taste of as it was either too expensive or unavailable.

Yet, Lexi did manage to get a taste. It was merely a small sample, like one of those they package up in a plastic cup at Costco. And while it never compared to the whole dessert, the simple taste forced the clouds to part and hunger to awaken. And as much as Lexi tried to forget about everything happening with Tom, a part of her knew there was no going back. She wanted the whole damn cake - chocolate kid from Matilda style.

"Fine. I'll go on a date with Wes."

"Yaay!" Mindy wrapped her arms around Lexi for a brief, but tight hug. "It's going to go great, trust me! Now let's go shopping."

***

"Are you sure it's not too much for a casual date night?" Lexi asked as she tugged down her gray, cotton baby doll dress. It didn't quite hit her mid-thighs. If she raised her hands too high, her navy blue cheeky underwear would likely make an appearance.

She and Wes had been texting on and off about their upcoming date over the past few days. While she was slightly nervous thinking about it, any thoughts about the upcoming dinner and movie were quickly overshadowed by thoughts about Tom. A few times, she had checked her emails without receiving any notification, hoping she'd see another email from him magically appear. Yet, each time she saw that there were no new messages, it was like another hammer on the nail of the He Doesn't Want You sign.

Just have fun tonight, Lex. Forget about Tom and try to get to know someone else.

"You look amazing! It's just right. Not too casual and not too dressy."

"I'm so sorry again that we won't be catching the latest Marvel together. I was so excited for us to go."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll just force Cole to go with me."

"Ugh, that makes me feel worse. You shouldn't have to do that." Lexi pouted as she finished applying her mascara.

Mindy turned around and didn't respond. Lexi sighed and wondered if she should just cancel the date. "What do you even talk about on a date, anyway?"

"Who knows, but don't you even think about canceling now!" Mindy turned back to face her.

"Ugh, fine."

"How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to throw up at any second."

"Great! You're ready then."

Lexi bid Mindy goodbye and made her way out of the dorm. Wes had said to meet at the Applebee's right next to the theater. When Lexi walked through the front entrance of the restaurant, smells of grease and nachos filled her nostrils. She glanced around the foyer and spotted Wes seated in the waiting area. He glanced up and a big smile stretched across his face when his eyes met hers. "Hey! You made it!" He jumped up from the brown couch and went to give Lexi a friendly hug.

His smile forced a similar one out of Lexi. His hair was styled back, and he wore a casual white t-shirt and jeans, giving Lexi some sense of relief that she was dressed okay. "Hey, Wes. Good to see you."

They made their way to the host and checked in. Wes talked about how Applebee's was one of his favorite places to eat and how his basketball team would always end up there after practice. After the host had led them to their high-top table, Lexi settled into her seat across from Wes. They both remained silent for a moment scanning the large menu. "The trio sampler appetizer is so good! We should get that to share," Wes said.

"Sure, that sounds good. I think I'll get a margarita as well," Lexi responded before setting her menu down and tucking her hands underneath her legs.

"Oh? Want to get me one too?" Wes smirked.

"What?" Lexi raised a brow but then it hit her. Wes wasn't twenty-one yet. "Oh, um, I'll get in trouble I think."

"I didn't realize you're over twenty-one. This is a good piece of info to know."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

A part of Lexi knew that Wes was likely younger, and she chided herself for not remembering in the moment. "Actually, I think I'll just get an iced tea instead."

"Oh, come on, Hannah. You're not going to get into trouble by ordering two drinks. Just say you're really thirsty."

Lexi fidgeted in her chair and shook her head. "No, that's alright. I don't want a drink anyway."

"Alright, alright, suit yourself." Wes laughed and picked his menu back up.

Their server came by and took their orders. They decided on a few appetizers to share. "So," Lexi started when the server left with their menus in hand, "thanks for being down to go see the new Marvel movie. I've been waiting for it to come out for like forever."

"Yeah! I haven't seen a single one so I may have to ask questions during the movie."

"You've never seen any?"

Wes shook his head. "No, I don't really watch movies. I spend most of my time watching sports."

"Oh. What's your favorite sport?" Lexi asked and then realized she already knew the answer. "Ah, basketball, right?"

Wes laughed. "Yep, I've played ever since I was a kid. You like watching basketball?"

Lexi shrugged. "I've never really watched a game."

"What!" Wes' eyes grew wide. "Well, we'll have to change that. Maybe you can watch me play sometime."

Lexi smiled politely. "Yeah, maybe." Sports weren't something that she was typically drawn to playing or watching. There was a short stint where Cole played baseball when they were growing up and her parents often forced her to attend his games.

She briefly thought about how it would be good to try to broaden her horizons. Who knows? Maybe she would end up liking basketball after all.

The rest of the dinner was spent getting to know each other. Lexi had to admit, it was nice getting out of the dorm and Wes seemed like a nice, friendly guy. While they didn't have much in common, he still would listen intently when she would talk about her upbringing or her family. Yet even as Wes spoke, her thoughts would always steer back to Tom. Does Tom like watching sports? What does Tom do in his free time? What's Tom up to now? Stop thinking about him, Lex. Focus on Wes.

Once they finished dinner, and Wes paid for the meal, they began walking over to the theater, which was in the same plaza as Applebee's. Wes grabbed Lexi's hand and held it in a non-interlaced grip. His hand was warm and comfortable to be holding. A soft warmth spread through her chest. Yet, it instantly went away when she became aware of how hot his hand was, and the sweat that was pooling between them.

They neared the entrance to the theater and Wes let go of her hand to open the door for her. She took the opportunity to wipe her hand against her side and then shift it behind her back.

A heavenly butter and popcorn aroma filled their nostrils as soon as they made it into the red-carpeted lobby of the movie theater.

"Woah, isn't that Professor Miller in line over there?" Wes asked, pointing to the line formed at the ticket check.

Lexi's stomach dipped to somewhere past her knees. Tom was indeed there and laughing at something his twin brother, Greg, had said.

***

Tsk tsk. Lex should've known. 😁

Do we like when Tom gets jealous? If so, get ready for a whole lot of bombastic side eye, criminal offensive side eye.

Thanks for reading, voting, and commenting! 🥰♥️