"I have feelings for you," Declan repeated.
Peggy sat petrified for several moments. Even after he had said it twice, Peggy was asking herself if he had actually said what she thought he had said. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she realized that she had no idea what to say.
"Peggy," Declan looked her straight in the eye. His nervousness had now faded, "I just want to know if you feel the same way."
She opened her mouth to say 'no', but she realized that she couldn't. She knew that it would be a lie. She also couldn't bring herself to say 'yes'. She was so shocked, she didn't know what she felt.
"Declan, I just don't think ..." she faltered, already seeing the look of disappointment on his face. "I'm sorry ... I just ..."
"It's okay," Declan said, forcing a smile.
"It's not you ..." Peggy said, realizing that she was throwing out cliches left and right, but not being able to say anything else.
Beep beep! Beep beep!
Peggy's pager went off. She quickly took it out of her purse and looked at it.
"It's the hospital," she managed to say, very grateful for modern technology. She picked up her purse without bothering to put her beeper back in and left the cafe, leaving Declan to confusedly ponder what had just happened.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Inside her car, driving to the hospital, Peggy's thoughts, though still jumbled, were a little bit clearer.
She had just turned Declan down, but she still was at a loss as to why she had done it. Of course, she could hide behind the excuse that she *was* a widow, and she was still recovering from the loss of her husband, but she knew that wasn't true. There *was* Everett.
Had she even hesitated for a second when he asked her out? Well ... maybe a second, but she *did* end up accepting.
And then there was Declan. Someone she had known a lot longer than Everett, and a much closer friend.
Maybe she didn't want to ruin their friendship.
Of course, Declan had thrown that out the proverbial window when he admitted his feelings for her. Even if they *did* end up agreeing to stay 'just friends', there would still be that awkwardness. They would probably never be comfortable around each other again, and what's the use of a friendship if you can't be comfortable around the guy?
She came back to her origional question. Why did she turn him down? She wasn't much farther than she was when she started. She still had no idea why.
Peggy approached the hospital and tried to put her brain in work mode. She would have to think about this later.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Declan had been sitting in the same place in the cafe for fifteen minutes, and he was still just as confused about the situation as when Peggy had left.
There was one thing he knew for sure. Peggy had just turned him down.
He'd had a feeling this would happen. Then why had he done it?
The answer was simple: he had to. He knew that if he put it off, he would never forgive himself.
Of course, he wasn't sure he would ever forgive himself for this. Sure, he could go down to Peggy's office and try to patch things up, and they'd probably act like nothing happened.
'Act' ... the key word here. He knew that neither one of them would forget. His feelings were now right out in the open. There was no way he could take them back.
There was nothing that could be done.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Peggy had finished with the task she had been called to the hospital for: a girl who had a mental breakdown before surgery. It wasn't uncommon at all.
Now she went into her office, plopped down on her chair and laid her head on the table. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown herself.
She was thinking about what Declan had said. She couldn't get it out of her mind, and yet she couldn't come to a conclusion. Every time she thought she had it figured out one way or the other, a thought would come to her that would change her mind completely.
She reviewed the situation in her mind. Declan had feelings for her. She had told him that she didn't. Well, she didn't actually come out and *say* it, but she had made it pretty clear, at least she thought so. She hoped so.
Right?
"I just want to know if you feel the same way," Declan's words echoed in her memory.
Did she?
Well, honestly, she did.
Had she just come to a conclusion?
Before she had time to convince herself otherwise, she grabbed the keys to her car and went straight out the door.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Peggy walked through the halls of the Anthropology building, following the familiar route to Declan's office.
A few feet away from his door, Peggy stopped.
She was having second thoughts about what she realized were second thoughts. But then, realizing that maybe she was thinking a little *too* much she went ahead and opened the door.
"Declan?" she said as she entered his office.
"Peggy!" Declan said in surprise, "I'm glad you're here, because ... well ... I just want to say that I'm sorry for the way I acted. I guess I was thinking that ... well actually, I don't know what I was thinking. I just don't want --"
"Declan," Peggy interrupted, cutting off his train of thoughts. He was now staring straight at his desk. Peggy gathered up her courage and said, "I changed my mind,"
Declan looked up, "Really?" he asked, getting up from his chair and walking toward her.
Peggy smiled, "Yes," she said. He was now right in front of her. She could tell that the look on his face was one of surprise, but it was also happy. Something about it made her know that she had made the right choice.
Peggy sat petrified for several moments. Even after he had said it twice, Peggy was asking herself if he had actually said what she thought he had said. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she realized that she had no idea what to say.
"Peggy," Declan looked her straight in the eye. His nervousness had now faded, "I just want to know if you feel the same way."
She opened her mouth to say 'no', but she realized that she couldn't. She knew that it would be a lie. She also couldn't bring herself to say 'yes'. She was so shocked, she didn't know what she felt.
"Declan, I just don't think ..." she faltered, already seeing the look of disappointment on his face. "I'm sorry ... I just ..."
"It's okay," Declan said, forcing a smile.
"It's not you ..." Peggy said, realizing that she was throwing out cliches left and right, but not being able to say anything else.
Beep beep! Beep beep!
Peggy's pager went off. She quickly took it out of her purse and looked at it.
"It's the hospital," she managed to say, very grateful for modern technology. She picked up her purse without bothering to put her beeper back in and left the cafe, leaving Declan to confusedly ponder what had just happened.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Inside her car, driving to the hospital, Peggy's thoughts, though still jumbled, were a little bit clearer.
She had just turned Declan down, but she still was at a loss as to why she had done it. Of course, she could hide behind the excuse that she *was* a widow, and she was still recovering from the loss of her husband, but she knew that wasn't true. There *was* Everett.
Had she even hesitated for a second when he asked her out? Well ... maybe a second, but she *did* end up accepting.
And then there was Declan. Someone she had known a lot longer than Everett, and a much closer friend.
Maybe she didn't want to ruin their friendship.
Of course, Declan had thrown that out the proverbial window when he admitted his feelings for her. Even if they *did* end up agreeing to stay 'just friends', there would still be that awkwardness. They would probably never be comfortable around each other again, and what's the use of a friendship if you can't be comfortable around the guy?
She came back to her origional question. Why did she turn him down? She wasn't much farther than she was when she started. She still had no idea why.
Peggy approached the hospital and tried to put her brain in work mode. She would have to think about this later.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Declan had been sitting in the same place in the cafe for fifteen minutes, and he was still just as confused about the situation as when Peggy had left.
There was one thing he knew for sure. Peggy had just turned him down.
He'd had a feeling this would happen. Then why had he done it?
The answer was simple: he had to. He knew that if he put it off, he would never forgive himself.
Of course, he wasn't sure he would ever forgive himself for this. Sure, he could go down to Peggy's office and try to patch things up, and they'd probably act like nothing happened.
'Act' ... the key word here. He knew that neither one of them would forget. His feelings were now right out in the open. There was no way he could take them back.
There was nothing that could be done.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Peggy had finished with the task she had been called to the hospital for: a girl who had a mental breakdown before surgery. It wasn't uncommon at all.
Now she went into her office, plopped down on her chair and laid her head on the table. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown herself.
She was thinking about what Declan had said. She couldn't get it out of her mind, and yet she couldn't come to a conclusion. Every time she thought she had it figured out one way or the other, a thought would come to her that would change her mind completely.
She reviewed the situation in her mind. Declan had feelings for her. She had told him that she didn't. Well, she didn't actually come out and *say* it, but she had made it pretty clear, at least she thought so. She hoped so.
Right?
"I just want to know if you feel the same way," Declan's words echoed in her memory.
Did she?
Well, honestly, she did.
Had she just come to a conclusion?
Before she had time to convince herself otherwise, she grabbed the keys to her car and went straight out the door.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Peggy walked through the halls of the Anthropology building, following the familiar route to Declan's office.
A few feet away from his door, Peggy stopped.
She was having second thoughts about what she realized were second thoughts. But then, realizing that maybe she was thinking a little *too* much she went ahead and opened the door.
"Declan?" she said as she entered his office.
"Peggy!" Declan said in surprise, "I'm glad you're here, because ... well ... I just want to say that I'm sorry for the way I acted. I guess I was thinking that ... well actually, I don't know what I was thinking. I just don't want --"
"Declan," Peggy interrupted, cutting off his train of thoughts. He was now staring straight at his desk. Peggy gathered up her courage and said, "I changed my mind,"
Declan looked up, "Really?" he asked, getting up from his chair and walking toward her.
Peggy smiled, "Yes," she said. He was now right in front of her. She could tell that the look on his face was one of surprise, but it was also happy. Something about it made her know that she had made the right choice.