Chapter 25
All through the week Julie was excited beyond belief about her big date with Tim. It would be their third – the first ending in hair removal and the second unfortunately involving a parent. The third would be unencumbered by outside forces. They would be on their own, without her mom, without her dad and without Matt. Hopefully this would be possible.
Julie had gotten used to seeing Tim regularly, he resumed the 'lift to school' responsibility he had adopted when living with her family. Although the pull over's didn't occur, they had grades to maintain and parents to impress. She started attending football practices sitting on the bleachers doing her homework while Tim slogged his guts out. They may not have been in each other's direct presence but she liked looking up and seeing him sending her an admiring glance across the field. Even if that glance was intercepted by her father and Tim suffered accordingly.
Julie had always been a tactile person and she had attempted to restrain herself around Tim, especially in public. She was touchy feely but she didn't want to impose that on him. Tim was more likely to sling his arm around her or drop a kiss on her neck, both of which she adored. There were no rugby tackle hugs and hand holding in this couple. Julie also believed that her parent's presence at the school had to be a contributing factor. Occasionally he would pull a stealth attack, pull her into an empty classroom and kiss her senseless on the teacher's desk. It definitely made her classes in those rooms a much more entertaining proposition.
Tim wasn't a caller, he didn't phone her in the evenings. Not much of a surprise really, he didn't talk much so phone skills were pretty much non-existant. She didn't mind. Julie would rather he use his mouth for more other things like whispering her name into her hair or singing Metallica off key (was it ever on?) in his truck.
Julie didn't say anything about her feelings and although she felt strongly that he felt an intense pull towards her, the doubt plagued her. Her idea to concentrate on the lust factor also began to falter, what had she been doing? She was a virgin. He wasn't, that was pretty conclusive. The fear that she would baulk like with Matt that time, or that she'd be horrible and disappointing to him, or that he'd tire of her once they had, were very present fears in her mind. She began to think about it more and more. They definitely had strong sexual chemistry but she was beginning to feel it was too soon to go there. He had never had to wait for anyone. He was used to it happening when he snapped his fingers, not in a malicious/thoughtless way but would he wait? They had been together officially a week with a few weeks of confusion, miscommunications and sneaking around. Her feelings were real and he was way into her but that little voice in the back of her head, which sounded weirdly like Tami, told her she was rushing things.
Julie's confusion and pensiveness was not that easy to hide. Tim picked up on it right away but she refused to voice her actual concerns. She found herself using horrible passive aggressive phrases like 'I'm fine', 'don't worry' and 'nothing's wrong' and hated herself. Even Tim knew that this was code for PROBLEM. Unlike some people he gave her space, some questioning glances, but some much needed space and she appreciated him even more.
Saturday came around quick. Julie found herself waiting on her porch waiting for Tim's truck to pull up. She was nervous, this would be their first time they would spend more than twenty minutes alone and uninterrupted. He pulled up, got out, stuck his head in the door and had a courtesy conversation with the parentals and then led her into the truck. He didn't speak and neither did she.
He ended up parking in their spot, near the vacant block. Julie felt fission of fear pass through her body, she might have to come clean and stop putting off this conversation.
"Come with me." He grabbed her hand and took her to the back of the truck.
Julie stared at the bed of the truck for awhile. There was a picnic basket and a blanket. She began to wonder what his plans were for the night.
"I thought that we could come here, our place. We don't have to worry about people staring and we get to spend some time just the two of us," he spoke quietly. Her face was expressionless. Inside she thought it was lovely but her doubts keep crowding her mind. She couldn't deal anymore.
"Tim, what are you expecting?" his face was quizzical. He didn't know how he was supposed to answer the question.
"I was expecting us to have some food and talk and maybe ... I don't know." He trailed off sensing he was stepping into a landmine.
"That sounds nice and all. But you know that I am ... a ... virgin right?" it was difficult to get out, she thought she heard a sigh or relief. "I am not going to sleep with you in a truck, in the back of a truck, or on a picnic rug in the middle of a vacant field, okay? With every word she spoke her delivery quickened and she got more visibly upset. Oh my God, I have complete lost him now.
Tim stood there letting her finish her out poring. He looked like he had kind of expected her to do that. She immediately got defensive. Her nose scrunched up, her hands flew to her hip and she said fiercely
"What?"
Quietly he responded "I was wondering how long it would take for you to talk. Although I must admit, I didn't think you would get that much out in one hit," he chuckled, it made her angrier.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Jules, stop trying to pick a fight with me. You were obviously bugged about something and you weren't going to tell me until you were ready. Tonight. You were ready." He looked at her, no judgement in his eyes.
"Well the idea was nice." She conceded looking at the basket. It was actually really sweet.
"Yes it was. But I didn't bring you here to have my wicked way with you," a sigh of relief was released from her lungs. "I wanted to spend some time, just you and me."
"Well that's okay then." She was sulking a little now and she couldn't help herself. He stepped into her, put a finger under her chin and raised her face to his.
"You and me, Jules. You and me. I know you think I am some kind of man-whore..."
She interrupted him "Oh no Tim, I have never thought of you like that," she lied. He rasied his eyebrow.
"...and I am not going to lie that I have been with other girls. But you and me. We're different. Things are going to be different. I'm different."
Now Julie was faced with a new concern "You don't want me?" her face fell.
"Are you serious?" He leaned in and kissed the oxygen out of her body. "I just think that I want this to last Jules, I don't want this to be like other relationships, and I have to do things differently. This is differen." She nodded her understanding. "We'll worry about that stuff later okay? Later".
"What happened to Tim Riggins, meathead and sycophant? "she asked, no one would understand this transformation. She was still amazed that he had said what he had.
"I love you, you know?" it spilled out of her. She held her breath, what had she done?
"I know," he responded. She moved her head from his chest and looked up at him in consternation. He had a smile on his face. She punched him, hard. "Ow, you want to beat a confession out of me?"
"I'm considering it," he was leaving her hanging and she didn't like it at all.
He leaned in, pressed his mouth against hers and said into her lips "I love you too." The breath she had been holding forever leaked out of her. "Are you still going to hit me?" he joked. She kissed him with everything she had, laughing all the while. How had she been this lucky? And to think she hadn't wanted the biggest man-whore in the land to move into her house.
AN – Epilogue coming in a matter of hours. Thanks for the responses, they were pretty divided. I decided to go where the story led.
