Chapter 19
"What?" I whispered.
To say I was shocked would have been an understatement. I couldn't believe that the guy I loved, the one I was pining over for months, actually loved me back. Was I blind or what? Danny sighed and sat down again.
"You remember that night that we all went to the Red Iguana?"
"Yea," I said," That's the night Dougie and I had our little drunken hook-up."
Danny nodded," Also the night that Tom got mad at you and stormed away to go get drunk."
I nodded," Right, Danny where's this going?"
"Do you remember why he stormed off?"
"He was mad because I invited Jacob, it was supposed to be our night to hang out," I said not getting what that had to do with anything.
Danny nodded and gave me a look, as if expecting me to magically understand everything.
He threw his arms in the air and screamed," Jesus, and they say I'm slow!"
"Hey, now!"
"Okay, he wasn't mad because you invited that guy, he was jealous!"
I choked on my own spit," What? Jealous?"
"Ok, Abby, I'll start from the beginning. Tom was going to tell you about his feelings that night. When he saw you talking to that Jason guy-"
"Jacob," I corrected.
Danny gave me a confused look," Who cares?"
I shrugged so he continued," When he saw you talking to Jacob in the lobby, he was crushed but none of us knew why. He got mad and started the fight at the club because he wanted to be in Jacob's place. When I saw him storm off and you told me he got mad, I went after him remember?"
I nodded, mesmerized by this whole story.
"I caught up to him and we went to talk at the bar on the first floor. He told me the whole story, how he thinks the world of you. He said he'd been in love with you since you guys were fifteen, he just didn't want to risk anything by telling you. He went on to explain that he had let it slip to Fletch and that's why we had the 'No dating your coworkers rule', because Fletch knew it would get complicated. He kept drinking down those beers and telling me that he would give anything to be in Jacob's place right then, that if he could just have one chance with you, he'd be the luckiest guy in the world."
I was crying at this point in the story. I couldn't help it, some of the things Tom had said were so sweet. Danny wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
"He is so in love with you, Abby. That's also why I was so angry at Dougie for some of the stuff he was doing to you, because I knew Tom was sitting in the background, doing everything he could to make you fall in love with him, while Dougie got you in one day and then threw it away just like that. Tom was heartbroken when he found out about you two, basically gave up any hope of ever being with you. It was killing me to keep all this from you and to keep the fact that you loved Tom a secret from him. I wanted so badly to tell you guys everytime I saw one of you cry or give the other a look so painfully obvious, but I couldn't. I had to let you guys find out on your own, but honestly, I'm really glad I let it slip last night."
I sniffed and laughed a little," I am too, but there's one thing I don't understand."
"What?" he whispered.
"If Dougie didn't know about Tom's feelings, then how come he helped you tell me last night?"
"He did?"
I nodded," He basically urged you to tell me and then told me himself."
Danny shook his head," I don't know. I didn't think anyone else knew. I probably told him while I was drunk last night."
There was silence for a second and then I said," God, I probably look horrible. Why don't you go down to breakfast, and tell the others I'll be down in a minute?"
Danny smiled at me and nodded his head," Gotta look good for Tom, huh?"
"Something like that," I laughed.
Danny stood up and squeezed my shoulder before walking out of the room. I walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, fixing my makeup. I am in total shock. How did I not pick up on this? Well, you know what they say, love is blind.