“I got the job.”

I clicked the e-mail and reread it again, just one last time to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

_Dear Ms. Daniela De Leon,_

_We are delighted to offer you the position of Public Relations Specialist at Leighton & Co. We have been impressed with your skills and experience throughout the interview process and are excited about the prospect of having you join our team._

I finally got the job. I can celebrate.

I pull up my phone to call the only number that mattered today. Even before I dial, his name comes up on my screen.

“Dani?”

“Theo?”

“I have news.”

“So do I.”

“Me first?”

He took a deep breath, the kind that made you worry about what was coming next, and said, “Always.”

“My news is better in person. Can you come over?”

“I can’t, but I can meet you at our place. I’m about ten minutes away.”

He was never near that area, not unless we needed to be. “I’ll be there in eight.”

—-

I parked my car on the side of the school, making sure not to hit another dumpster or crash into the flagpole like last time. I’m a hundred percent sure both are still dented and unrepaired to this day.

Grabbing the bag of snacks and the unopened bottle of vodka I reserved for this special occasion, I hunched over and ran across the field.

When your special place is the abandoned supply closet across your old school gym, you learn quickly which areas the security guards watch closest. Especially so late at night.

As soon as I descend down the stairs, I see the little flicker of our disco lamp inside. Matteo beat me here.

I tap the _How I Met Your Mother_ opening song on the door. He pops it open slightly to let me squeeze through without making the hinges creak.

He’s seated on a bean bag we snuck in here ages ago, his long legs sprawled on the floor. The disco lamp casts a soft glow on his face to the beat of a 70s song neither of us could figure out.

He sniffs a bit and wipes his nose on the sleeve of his shirt.

“I come bearing gifts,” I said, holding out the slightly condensed bottle. He raises his hand and I toss it to him.

He unscrews the cap, takes a suspiciously long swig, and hands it back to me. “Hit me with the headline.”

I sit across from him on the makeshift hammock. “I got the job, Theo.”

“The Leighton job?”

I try to keep it cool, but around Theo, that just doesn’t matter. He’s seen me every way possible, bawling my eyes out, screaming in happiness, laughing till my belly hurt so much.

Even as teenagers, he’s seen everything.

“Dani, that’s incredible,” he said softly. “I’m so fucking proud of you. He gets up and rushes towards me, hugging me tightly.

I wrap my arms around him, letting him lift me with ease. “I finally got a job, Theo.”

His chin rests on top of my head. “I told you it would happen,” he said. “That blacklist thing was a pile of fresh crap and you know it.”

After the shitshow that got me fired from my previous job, it seemed almost impossible to be saying this now.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. “I got the job.” I’ve said it so many times already, but I still couldn’t believe it.

“That company didn’t have the power to block you from any other agency like they basically threatened they would do,” he said, his grip still tight around me. “I’m so happy for you.”

We stayed this way for a second, until I felt his cheek just rest on my head and his shoulders slump. His arms fell limp on his sides, his whole weight resting on me.

I fell silent.

He was crying.

I adjust my footing to stabilize both of us. Hands on his shoulders, I hold him out at arm’s length. “Matteo?”

He shrugs his arms away and wipes his tears with the back of his hand. He turns his back on me and clears his throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing, D. I’m just happy for you.”

I took his hand and tugged a little. “You told me you had news,” I whispered. “Theo, what’s going on?”

He didn’t look at me, choosing instead to look up at the ceiling. I give him a few seconds.

“Ally’s pregnant, D.”

What?

That’s not possible.

“She’s what?”

He shrugged and faced me, his eyes red and his face just sad. “I should have known she was gonna go back to him one of these days.”

“Theo. You don’t know that.”

“Well, I know it’s not mine!” he yelled loudly, slamming a fist on the wall. I stare in shock and he shakes his head in apology. “My fiancée’s having a baby and it’s not mine.”

It’s not his. There’s no way it could have been. Not after that football incident.

“Theo…”

“I can’t believe this is happening.” He buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking violently. “Why does this keep happening?”

Without another word, I pulled him to me, his whole body resting on me for support. His head rest on my shoulder, making him look small for the first time. I could feel his tears on my bare skin.

“Honey, I’m so sorry,” was all I could manage to whisper to him. “I’m so, so sorry.”

His sobbing went quiet. His breathing slowed down and evened out, his hands letting go of mine.

He lifted his head from my shoulder, his face still close to mine. He didn’t say a thing, just planted a soft kiss on my shoulder.

My breath hitched in my throat, but I didn’t say a thing. He trailed kisses up my neck, my jaw, my cheek, and eventually, my lips.

He started soft and slow, his hands finding my waist. He gripped tightly, clinging onto me for dear life. He pushed us back onto a wall with his lips still perched on mine.

Then, I kissed him too, my hands resting on his cheek and the back of his neck. I pulled him closer to me, tasting the vodka and salty tears. He pinned me against the wall again, causing something to collapse loudly on the floor.

We both jump, spotting the abandoned mop that snapped us back into reality.

Still in each other’s arms and slightly out of breath, I look up at Theo, his forehead resting on mine.

“Dani…”

I don’t know what expression was on my face, but it made him inch away carefully. His hands still rested on my waist, underneath my top.

“Theo, I-.”

He shook his head, his thumb running up and down my bare skin. “I… I have to go. I have to make a call.”

“What?”

He let me go and stepped back, smoothing down his shirt. He picked up his jacket and turned to me, keeping an odd distance between us.

“I really am happy that you got that job, Dani. I’m so proud of you,” he said, still not letting me get a word in.

He walked towards the door and pulled it slightly open, making sure it wouldn’t creak.

“I really am proud of you,” he said again, before completely disappearing out the door.