The Country Boy and The City Girl

Driving Miss Danni

Kent's POV

"You alright?" Danni didn't look at me as she kept her eyes on the road and fingers curled around the steering wheel in a death grip. "Do you need me to drive?"

I had overheard some of the argument she had with Jason earlier today and was super smug at first. She told him to back off. It wasn't over for us. But as we drove down the road for a few miles, the hurt in Danni's eyes got to me quick. This had really upset her and when she was hurting, I was hurting.

"No," she stated firmly as she cleared her throat. "I need to drive right now. Keeps my focus."

I thought back to this whole summer and how it flew by being with her again. I knew I shouldn't have pried and been underfoot...but I couldn't help it. I had to know if there was still hope for us...It was awkward at first: shaky hands reaching for the same breakfast foods, awkward eye contact when cleaning up Trouble's stall (my job in exchange for staying in the guesthouse), and uncomfortable closeness when sitting together at the table. But we somewhat grew out of it as time went on. Especially the scorching day at the lake while she stuck her feet in the water and I sat under the nearest tree.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, breaking the silence closing in on us. "Come back, I mean."

I remember leaning my head back against the jagged bark, breathing the summer air in and out. "Because being without you...wasn't something I wanted to adapt to. Or could adapt to for that matter..."

She turned to me, white denim shorts and a plaid button up with tousled blonde hair long and straight. "And do you regret your decision to transfer? After what you've seen?"

I didn't answer right away as my eyes wandered to the nature around me. Blue Kentucky sky stretched farther than I could see, clouds floating in scattered groups of unknown shapes and interesting sizes. It was beautiful to be in the country and not hear the blaring noises that made up San Diego. "Maybe yes...probably no..."

"Probably?" She kicked over a stone with her polished pink toe. "What's that about?" Her voice was calm and curious, like a child asking an innocent question to her parents.

"Do I have to know why I still feel what I feel despite what you do? Because I honestly don't."

She pondered this, hopping over another patch of rocks. "And what if coming here turns out to be a mistake? What if it isn't worth it?"

I shook my head and got up, going to her. "It already is worth it. Being here with you."

Sweat beaded on her forehead as the radiating heat caught up with us. Then again, my face was hot for other reasons as her hand pulled me closer. "Why does everyone think I'm so special all of a sudden?" she whispered against my lips.

"I always have. I just never stopped."

She pressed her lips to mine and I immediately felt the familiar rhythm come back to me. We had done this a million times before but it was still as exhilarating as the first time. That's the way it was for us. I tangled my fingers in her hair and tilted her head back to kiss her harder, feeling my heartbeat banging in my chest. She missed me too.

"Kent," she breathed as she parted. "It's-"

"Too soon. I know. I just had to do that one more time. I'm sorry..."

She nodded and turned back to wade into the water once again. Before I could walk away, I heard her say something over her shoulder. "Don't be sorry.."

That day would then replay a billion times over and over in my head until I memorized every second of it. I guess that's how love seemed crazy, but I was crazy about her. Enough said. No plan B.

I finally came back to reality and leaned back my passenger seat. "Alright.. Well...When you get tired, let me know," I sighed as I closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

Daniella's POV

Tears pooled in my eyes as the road became shaded by the night sky. All I could think about was the look on Jason's face when I told him to leave and I hated myself for doing it. I had to keep telling myself that Kent was the most logical choice for me. He was going with me to UK, my parents treated him like family, my little sister adored him, and he loved me. That's logically the right guy every girl should have. Perfect, actually.

Maybe I just felt guilty that he moved over here for me? Maybe this was guilt.... No. You're overthinking, Somerton. Get your crap together and suck it up. You loved Kent once, you can love him again. Jason is unstable, unpredictable, and overprotective: things that are red flags for boyfriend checklists. Bad. A bad boy. Bad for you. You got out while you still could. This was your fresh start. You were doing what was the right thing.

"A fresh start," I breathed slowly. "Right thing to do."

I hope...

I felt my eyes drooping as the street lights and signs began to blur. I needed to have Kent drive. When I turned to wake him up, he was out cold. Curly blonde hair was covering his eyes, one arm laid over his head and his mouth hanging wide open breathing steadily. Waking him would seem wrong. I grabbed a coffee from the nearest drive thru and drove on, half heartedly smiling to myself. College campus, here we come.

"Danni?" someone shook my shoulder. "Wake up, we're here."

I felt my heavy eyelids open, flinching when the light came through too quickly. "Huh?"

"You were completely dazed when I woke up so I told you to go to the backseat and sleep while I finished driving. Then I pulled over into the college parking lot since it was like one o'clock and slept until morning. So here we are," Kent explained.

"Why did it take so long to get here?"

He chuckled and unclicked my seat belt. "You sat pulled over for at least three hours while I was asleep. You were completely out of it."

"Driving on too much caffeine: bad," I groaned.

"And too much stress. Also bad."

I sighed and leaned my head against the dashboard. "I'm sorry. I know."

He leaned over and gently pulled me close, making me feel more relaxed as I settled my head into his chest. "You have nothing to be sorry about. This is no more fair to you than it is to me. It's hard and I understand."

"Why are you so nice? If I were you, I'd never speak to me again and throw a...pen or something at me."

"A pen?" he chuckled. "That's your hurtful weapon of choice?"

I sighed and played with the bracelet on my wrist, feeling my lungs fill and empty out my steady breaths. "Yeah," I smiled. "Something like that."

"You ready to take your stuff to the dorm?"

"As ready as I'll ever be..."