Crackship Friday - Monica and Jared

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She could sense it. Instantly. He pulled away and it was like a rewind moment. They weren't going there today. Now were they?

"Is anything wrong?" Monica looked puzzled as he gazed at her over his shoulder, but he looked back at the lake as if they had no business, really being here. He should be in the lake, he supposed. The bottom of it, perhaps. He gritted as if he imagined it. He would never stop thinking about the accident. Couldn't he forget it, perhaps for a minute or so?

"There's nothing wrong with me." He squinted hard, letting the words slip. He could not discuss this with Monica. After all, he hardly knew her, yet he wanted to. He did.

"Fine." Now he'd scolded her, somehow. Not meaning to. She stumbled up. He knew she had no intuition, finding her way back. He couldn't let her go, but she grabbed her backpack and started off down the trail.

"Wait!" Jared went after her. He grabbed her arm. "Stay with me, please." He hadn't meant to beg, but he couldn't let her go off drunk, either. "I won't let anything happen to you. I won't."

Her smile was grim. It was as if more had happened, than it should.

"You picked me, of all people. Hoping..hoping to get lucky, didn't you?" She glared at him as if she might spit on him.

Jared didn't see that coming.

"What?" He winced back. "What are you talking about?"

"You've never been with a girl." She clarified as if she were a professional of some kind and documented this sort of thing on a regular basis.

Jared cracked up. He laughed at her and finally sighed. Jared kept a steady eye on her. "You are so drunk, aren't you?" He got her back to the blanket. If only he knew what to tell her. Exactly. But he sat down first and pulled her down to sit with him in comfort.

"I wish you were right about me. I do. I'd love it, if I'd waited for you." He cleared his throat. "Its just, I'm not quite ready for a history with you." He looked away. He felt her lips on the corner of his chin. He had to smile. "But maybe I am."