𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 | 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

"oh, it speaks"

"Good."

"Ro, I'm so fucking sorry."

There was no response. Instead, the door flew open, surprising Adam. "Does this mean..."

"No," She answered, not giving him the satisfaction of meeting his eyes as she walked past him and into Matt's dorm room.

Adam heavily sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting on the ground.

"You alright there, Banks?" Jesse asked, plopping down next to him.

"No," He admitted.

"This is about Rowan, right?"

"Yeah," Adam confirmed. "I screwed up, Jesse. I really screwed up. I lost the most important person in my life just for some girl who I won't ever see after we go back to Minnesota."

Jesse hesitated. "Remember the first time we met --  not at hockey but in the alley?"

Adam nodded, not quite sure what this had to do with the issue at hand.

"I do. And not because it was funny watching the kid I used to hate get socked in the face. But because I remember while you, Larson, and McGill were acting so tough, Rowan was right there behind you guys. And something I don't think I'll ever forget is the way your face softened, almost breaking into a smile when she grabbed your hand to pull you guys away," Jesse told him.

"Jess, what is this ab-"

"No, I'm not done. Just listen," He said. "And then Fulton came in -- being like a foot taller than her -- probably scaring the absolute hell out of every kid in town. But you cared so much about her that your first instinct was to keep her safe, willing to take on Fulton Reed just to protect her. I don't think I've ever seen anyone love someone like that."

"How is this supposed to be helping right now?" Adam asked.

"It's not," Jesse answered while standing back up. "It's supposed to remind you what it was like to love Rowan back home -- before any of this complicated bullshit got in the way. Before California got in the way. Then maybe you'd remember what really matters."

Adam was left sitting in the hallway, alone -- thinking about everything Jesse has just said to him.

"Come on, Ro! You just heard all of that and you're still gonna ignore him?" Matt desperately asked, taking his ear off the door.

"That's exactly what I'm gonna do."

"How can you be such a bitch?" He laughed.

"Matthew, he told me I didn't mean anything to him," She reminded him. "Why would I forgive him for that?"

"Because it's Adam!" He tried to reason with her.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who he is. He still hurt me. And since it's so important that it was Adam -- he was the last person I thought would put me through this much pain."

"But he sounds genuinely sorry," Matt quietly said.

"And I sound like I genuinely don't give a fuck," Rowan shrugged, trying to leave just as quickly as she came.

Before she could open the door, Matt ran to block her exit. "I'll tell you a secret of mine if you promise to have just one conversation with him."

"Will you really?"

"Yes, anything", he begged.

"Okay, deal. Tell me who you like."

"You're such a little bitch, Rowan," Matt groaned, mumbling his answer.