Willing to be Hurt

Part 2 Ch 14

Dylan was free to leave early. It's only the second time he had asked for anything from his work - the second time they agreed. He arrived at the university with time to kill. It was mostly older brick buildings, green areas cut through with walkways, newer additions that didn't quite fit with the brick buildings. He made his way to the giant library.

It was a library, like any other. No, not like any other, possibly the library he would use for studying. The idea of going to college had been non-existence. Always ignoring others when they brought it up. They would talk of moving, and the excitement of school - he would become quiet. Dylan walked along the tables. A few covered in books and bags - laptops before them. One had a notebook with a student who looked like she was drawing. A book open next to her of sketches. She scrutinized the sketches before moving back to her notebook.

He was embarrassed for a long time about wanting to be a writer. Nick had made fun of it, calling it pointless. Which he found ironic considering he wanted to start a band - but apparently writing lyrics was not like writing a book. He shrugged it off and stopped mentioning books around him.

The phone buzzed, Sarah's name popping up on his phone. She said she would text when she got home. Arriving earlier, he asked if it was alright to come now. she said it was fine if he came over early as long as he didn't care about the mess, she then laughed and told him it didn't matter because she wasn't cleaning the house for him.

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The door opened, and she was drying her hair. "Hey..come in.."

"You apartment has hookup for a washing machine?" he asked as he walked in, She nodded.

"Why...is that weird?" Dylan shrugged. He doubted most did. "Doesn't yours?"

"It does..." But that wasn't the point, "How do you afford this?"

"My parents help, and it's way cheaper than yours, I just waited until I found a unit with this." She opened the folding door in the hallway to a combination dryer/washer.

Dylan sized it up before looking back at her. "Too lazy to leave the house to do laundry?"

"Yep..." She smiled. "Now...fix.." He rolled his eyes and set the tools down he had brought in. Sarah returned with a beer and set it beside him - his payment. He rolled his eyes.

"Thanks honey." He joked.

She raised her eyes at his tone. "You should be so lucky to have me as a wife."

"Oh, Don't I know...you texted me like twenty times since I was last here, saying you are going to yoga, and had an amazing sandwich, and sunscreen mixed with lotion was underrated."

Sarah scoffed, "And you didn't reply to any of them..."

"What am I supposed to reply...wow, have fun at yoga. You are a serial mundane texter." He was focusing on moving the machine.

"You reply with an emoji of someone doing downward facing dog...it lets me know, you read it and you see me.." She said it so seriously he did not mean to burst out laughing.

He controlled himself and nodded solemnly, "You're absolutely right Sarah, I will make sure you feel more seen by me."

She sat by him and sipped wine from a can, "What you doing.." She asked too sweetly.

Dylan looked at her skeptically as he checked the chord on the washer - it looked bad. He ignored her and went back to work.

"Heard you have been talking to B..."

"Oh...It was like two times. Text and she called me to apologize for not calling me."

"Hmm she called to apologize for not calling huh..Interesting."