Karen

“Kiss me!” I pleaded. “Please, Pigeon! I told him no!”
Abby shoved me away. “Leave me alone, Travis!”
She shouldered passed me, but I grabbed her wrist. She kept her arm straight, outstretched behind her, but she didn’t turn around.
“I am begging you.” I fell to my knees, her hand still in mine. My breath puffed out in white steam as I spoke, reminding me of the cold. “I’m begging you, Abby. Don’t do this.”
Abby glanced back, and then her eyes drifted down her arm to mine, seeing the tattoo on my wrist. The tattoo that bared her name.
She looked away, toward the cafeteria. “Let me go, Travis.”
The air knocked out of me, and with all hope obliterated, I relaxed my hand, and let her slip out of my fingers.
Abby didn’t look back as she walked away from me, and my palms fell flat on the sidewalk. She wasn’t coming back. She didn’t want me anymore, and there was nothing I could do or say to change it.”
― Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster

“Can I borrow your phone?" she asked.

I frowned, unsure what she would do. "Sure." I pulled my phone from my pocket, handing it to her.

She fingered the buttons for a moment, and then dialed, closing her eyes as she waited.

"I'm sorry for calling you so early," she stammered, "but this couldn't wait. I . . . can't go to dinner with you on Wednesday."

She had called Parker. My hands trembled with apprehension, wondering if she was going to ask him to pick her up - to save her - or something else.

She continue, "I can't see you at all, actually. I'm . . . pretty sure I'm in love with Travis."

My whole world stopped. I tried to replay her words over. Had I heard them correctly? Did she really just say what I thought she had, or was it just wishful thinking?

Abby handed the phone back to me, and then reluctantly peered up into my eyes.

"He hung up," she said with a frown.

"You love me?"

"It's the tattoos," she said, flippant and shrugging, as if she hadn't just said the one thing I'd ever wanted to hear.

Pigeon loved me.”
― Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster

“So you like her and you're scared. Now what?"

"Nothing. It just sucks that I finally found the girl worth having and she's too good for me.”
― Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster

“Her shoulders fell. "I know you didn't. But you have got to curb this overprotective big-brother thing you've got going on."
I laughed once. She really didn't get it. "I'm not playing the big brother, Pigeon. Not even close.”
― Jamie McGuire, Walking Disaster