Dylan focused on the wall and tried to keep his eyes off of Brenda as the Professor addressed the crowd, wrapping up Poetry night. His heart was racing after reading that poem and he was wondering what Brenda's thoughts were.
The sound of applause spurred him out of his thoughts and he mindlessly shook the professors hand. He started to walk off the stage, subconsciously going towards Brenda. He as shocked to see her walking towards him.
"That was beautiful." she said to him as they stood face to face.
"Thanks…I found it last night, kinda reminds me of you." He confessed, lightly tapping the poetry book against his legs.
He watched her try to hide the shock on her face, looking around the room for some sort of distraction. He followed her eyes and copied her gesture, trying to make her laugh. "Wanna get some coffee?" he asked tried to break the tension. He felt his whole body relax as she responded yes and started to make her way to the makeshift coffee bar.
He watched her prepare two cups, throwing a little cream and sugar in one and leaving the other plain black. He smiled and accepted the cup from her, touched that she still remembered how he liked it.
He remembered all of the times they would sip on coffee after she attended an AA meeting with him. He tried to rid himself of the sudden déjà vu that was sweeping over his body as he followed her to an empty table.
Dylan played with the edge of his Styrofoam cup trying to figure out how to start the conversation and address the elephant in the room.
"Kinda surprised to see you out alone tonight." Dylan said.
"Why?"
"You and your fiancée, you've been….inseparable lately." he responded starring into his coffee cup, trying to erase the image of Brenda and Steward that popped into his mind. Ever since seeing her that night at her Parents anniversary party snuggled up with Stewart couldn't get the jerk out of his head.
"Well, I can get along with out him." She joked taking a sip from her coffee cup and leaning back in her chair.
"You really love his guy Bren?" He asked jumping head first into the conversation he had been desperately wanting to have with her.
"Tonight's not the night to ask." She responded, letting out a deep sigh. She started to play with the sleeve of her jean jacket.
"Well if you're not sure then you better not marry him." He said, leaning back in his chair.
She looked up at him sharply forgetting about her jacket, her eyes sparking with anger, "Dylan you know me better than that."
"I know you better than anybody." He stated leaning towards her, invading her personal space.
"I know you do." She replied looking deep into his eyes.
"And I gotta tell you secretly in the back of my mind I've been hoping the whole thing falls apart." He told her bluntly.
"Dylan come on. I don't want to hear that, especially tonight." She confessed.
"If you marry this guy Bren…you and I will never have another chance." He told her and immediately regretted it after he noticed the suspicious look in her eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
Dylan looked into her eyes and looked away sighing, unsure how to answer.
At the beginning of the summer she told him she just wanted to stay friends and it hurt his ego way more than he wanted to admit. He was nervous about saying too much, not wanting to face rejection a second time around.
"You're just trying to get me to break up with Stewart." She accused folding her arms across her chest.
"Hey at this point, I would say or do anything to get you to call off this stupid engagement."
"Why?"
"You've only known the guy for what three weeks?" he asked, no longer holding back the distaste in his tone.
"Oh like I haven't heard that line before." She snapped leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms across her chest.
"Your parents are very worried about you." He told her trying to change his approach. He froze as she suddenly started glaring at him.
"Have you been talking to my parents?" she asked.
Dylan looked down at the table, unsure what to say.
"My father put you up to this didn't he?" she asked him again, leaning towards him.
"Hey I talked to your father, but he didn't put me up to anything. I care about you." He said.
"I'm so sick and tired of everybody telling me how to live my life." She said standing up, "It's my life Dylan and I will live it how I want to."
Brenda stormed off, Dylan watched as she nearly ran out of the student union. He looked at his coffee cup for a moment before getting up and running after her.