On His Knees by Tabatha Kiss

Chapter 59

Jenna

Swish, swish.

I shift the mouthwash from one side to the other in a feeble attempt at expunging the vanilla cupcake vodka flavor from every inch of my mouth.

I’m going to medical school.

That has always been part of my plan, but something about it feels so real tonight. I’m accepted. It’s happening. It’s really, truly happening.

If I had made a vision board this semester, I’m sure I’d be blissfully marking off number one tonight.

I spit the remaining mouthwash into the sink. With a pause, I stare at myself in the mirror. If I could go back to August, what would my vision board have?

Five Goals to Crush My Senior Year

1. Get into medical school.

2.

I give up here. To be honest, I’m not sure I even recognize that girl anymore. She’s only two months younger than I am now, but I already feel like our priorities have shifted. August Jenna loved being the center of attention in a crowded room. August Jenna had an active Little Black Book subscription. August Jenna thought her mother would come around, eventually.

October Jenna has… well…

She has something August Jenna would never believe.

I leave the bathroom and walk down the hallway to my room. My phone sits face down on my bedside table. I pick it up, turning it over to check my notifications.

No missed calls. No new messages.

I sigh.

Then again, maybe October Jenna is lonelier than she thinks.

My ears twitch as the floorboards creak in the hallway outside of my room. I spin around and gasp, shaken by the shape of a man leaning against my bedroom doorway.

“Fuck!”I touch my chest, recognizing Seth with his hands in the pockets of his blue Botsford Plaza blazer. “Seth...”

He smirks. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Yes, you did!”

“Yeah. I did. I couldn’t resist.”

“Asshole.”

“Worth it.”

I exhale hard. “I legitimately thought I locked the front door this time, though.”

“You did not.”

“Whoops.”

One look into his golden eyes and I relax.

“Sorry I’m late,” he says.

I glance at my phone again. “No phones at the desk,” I say, more than used to it by now.

He nods as he looks over his shoulder into the hallway. “Everyone leave already?”

“About an hour ago,” I answer. “Heidi went back to the apartment with Drew, so we’re alone.”

Seth pushes off the frame and steps into the room. “I’m so sorry I missed your party.”

“It’s all right,” I say. “It was last minute.”

“I tried to get out of work. No one could take my shift.”

“Seth, it’s okay.” I smile. “Really.”

“You aren’t mad?” he asks.

“No, I’m not mad.”

“Do you want me to make it up to you?” he teases.

“You’re here now,” I say. “That’s more than enough for me.”

“Oh, well...” He pulls his hand from his pocket, revealing the blue velvet box between his fingers. “I guess I don’t have to give you this, then...”

I lurch a step forward. “What’s that?”

“Just a small gift, but...” he smirks, “since you don’t want it—”

“No, I want it.”

“But you said—”

“I said I want it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

He hesitates. “No, I’ll take it back. You don’t want it.”

“Seth.”

“Jenna.”

I pout. He laughs.

“All right.” He closes the short gap between us and holds up the box in his palm. “Congratulations, Jenna,” he whispers.

I take the box as my smile digs deeper. I chew my cheek, my fingers tingling to open the damn thing, but this is perfect enough already. Just me and Seth in another one of our quiet, stolen moments together that I’ve come to look forward to so much.

August Jenna, eat your heart out.

I lock into his eyes as I open the box, delaying my gratification for one more second before looking.

A pair of earrings sit inside. Small and white.

Pearls.

They’re motherfucking pearls.

“Seth...” I whisper. “Holy crap.”

“Do you like them?” he asks.

I choke. “Yes! Fucking yes.” I lightly pinch one then quickly abandon it, too scared to give it any imperfection. “Are these real pearls? Can you even afford these?”

“Yes, they’re real. And no. Not really, but — as we learn in business school — there’s good debt and then there’s bad debt and buying your girlfriend a pair of pearl earrings when she gets into medical school is widely considered good debt. I asked around to be sure.”

Girlfriend.

Girlfriend?

I swallow around the lump in my throat. “You shouldn’t have...”

“Well, I did.” He smiles. “I’m really proud of you, Jenna.”

“You are?”

“You’ve worked your ass off,” he says, eying the velvet box. “You deserve something pretty.” He reaches out to touch my cheek, softly pushing my hair back behind my ear. “What’s wrong?” he asks, seeing right through me.

“Nothing. I’m just...” I exhale slowly. “I didn’t expect... you to be so...”

“Charming?” he quips. “Ruggedly handsome?”

“Supportive,” I say. “Maybe that’s the wrong word.”

“Why wouldn’t I be supportive?”

“Not a lot of men are?” I say as I think out loud. “Men who date me rarely gift me expensive things unless they’re getting something out of it, so for you to buy it for me for me... feels a little weird.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sorry.” I sit on the edge of my bed and close my eyes. “This is wonderful, Seth. Thank you.”

Seth takes a step closer, his shoes sinking into the carpet. After I moment, I feel him lower onto his knees in front of me. He places his hands on my lap, gentle and reassuring.

“Jenna,” he says, just as gentle. “Look at me. I have something to say to you.”

I take a breath before looking up at him.

“I’m not sick of you yet,” he says.

“Uh...” I blink. “Okay.”

“That... didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. Let me rephrase.”

“Please do.”

“You’re not boring yet.” He pauses. “No, wait, I—”

“Seth.”

“I’m not good at this! The longest I’ve ever been with a single person is... two months? Three? And that was in high school!”

“What’s your point, Seth?”

“My point, you impatient shrew,” he grins, “is that I think about you all the time. We’ve been doing this for a few weeks now and you’re still the first person I think about when I wake up in the morning. That’s never happened to me before. By now, I’m usually bored and looking for the next one, but not yet. Not you. You’ve still got me wrapped around your little finger. So...” He tilts his head. “Yes. I did gift you something expensive because I’m getting something out of it, but it’s not what you expect.”

I smile. “Oh.”

“There she is,” he says, his eyes searching mine.

“Who?”

“You. I like it when you smile.”

Seth bows his head to kiss my hands in my lap. He holds them together, softly cradled with his palms.

“You’re getting better at saying the right thing,” I say.

He chuckles. “Marginally.”

I laugh as I touch his face. I draw a line beneath his bottom lip, watching as it curls with his smirk.

Seth Newbury.

Why did I ever hate you?

“You know,” I say as I hold up the box, “these would go really well with a pearl necklace.”

“No,” Seth says, putting his foot down. “No. You have to graduate to get the necklace.”

“Not that kind.”

I peek at him and bite my bottom lip.

“Oh,”he says, getting it. “You meant the dirty kind.”

“Yes, I did.”

“How did I miss that?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, our lips so close. “It’s a mystery.”

I kiss him. He moves forward, gently pushing me back onto the bed as he rises off the floor.