The Pick Page 7

  Ally nodded her head. “I’ll try, but he is so focused on his mission. Not that I don’t want him to focus on his mission. I just don’t know if I will get the opportunity.”

  “Text him.”

  “Text him?” Ally said with disgust.

  “Ya.”

  “I think that this is a conversation that we should have face to face. Not over text.”

  “Okay if you say so, but it might knock some sense into him. At least make him think about it,” Kylie said as she flipped on the tv.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Kylie had promised not to get involved and she wasn’t going to get involved. But she really wanted to know why Tyson hadn’t said anything to Ally. She had a hard time believing that Tyson didn’t want Ally to wait for him. She headed over to her parent’s house where Tyson was living until he left for his mission.

  “Already started packing?” Kylie asked Tyson as she walked in the front door to find suitcases and clothes spread out on the couches and all over the ground.

  “Yep. I really don’t want to forget anything,” Tyson responded.

  “You do realize that there will be stores where you are going. At least for the first few weeks,” Ally teased as she plopped down next to Tyson. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes as Ally contemplated how she wanted to approach the subject.

  “Two years is a long time. So many things could change,” Kylie said.

  “Ya. I guess a lot of things could change. Like my favorite sister could get married while I’m gone,” Tyson bumped his shoulder into Kylie’s.

  “Ha ha, you're funny. I think that Ally has a better chance of getting married than me,” Kylie said liking how this conversation quickly turned in her favor.

  Tyson paused, “I guess she could get married while I’m gone. But I hope she doesn’t. I mean I don’t want her to sit around and wait for me. I want her to go the institute activities and I want her to have fun while I’m gone.”

  “Have you told her that?”

  “Not in those words. We have been dating for over a year. I think she knows that I would love it if she was still available when I got back.”

  More than anything, Kylie wanted to slap him with the pillow next to her and tell him that he needed to tell Ally that she was free to date while he was gone but that he would like to still date when he got back. Kylie had to hold her tongue. She had promised herself that she would not get involved and she was not going to get involved.

  It was a good thing that it was the beginning of the semester and the real homework load hadn’t built up yet, because Ally was a wreck. Tyson was so busy catching up with all of his friends one last time, final preparations, and a farewell talk that Ally wasn’t able to sit down and talk with him.

  Kylie had to admit that Tyson was doing a very good job at getting in the missionary mindset. At his farewell, Tyson hardly talked to Ally. Kylie understood it was because he didn’t want a girlfriend distracting his focus. But at the same time, Ally was beginning to doubt Tyson’s feelings for her. Especially when Ally only got a handshake when she said goodbye to Tyson for the last time and everyone else received hugs.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tyson just wanted to hug Ally one last time and hold her in his arms for a few minutes, just to make sure that she knew just how much he loved her. He had tried to distance himself from Ally over the last couple weeks by intentionally limiting their hugs and kisses. He thought it would help him get her off his mind. It hadn’t been working. He was going to miss Ally while he was gone. He hoped that once he started the day to day duties of a missionary she wouldn’t be constantly on his mind.

  Tyson shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her. He grabbed the last suitcase and placed it in the trunk. Today he would head to the MTC. Tyson was excited. He knew this was the right thing to do. It was going to be the best two years of his life.

  When Kylie got home, Ally was sitting on the couch eating ice cream.

  “How did it go?” Ally asked.

  “Good. My mom cried, which is no surprise, and Tyson was practically running toward the doors,” Kylie responded as she reached in the cupboard for a bowl to dish up some ice cream for herself.

  Ally smiled. “I’m sure he was. He wants to learn Spanish as quickly as possible. How are you handling it?”

  “I’m fine. I thought it wouldn’t be too hard to see him go, but I already feel like I miss him. We haven’t been that close in many years. I’ve spent more time with him since he started dating you than I have since the beginning of middle school. I guess I have grown more attached. How are you handling everything?”

  “The ice cream makes it a little better. Two years is going to last forever, especially since I never found out if he wants me to wait for him. Am I just supposed to sit here on this couch until he gets home?”

  “I don’t think Tyson expects you to just sit here the whole time,” Kylie said taking a seat next to Ally. “You are in college. This is the time to have fun and be adventurous. Plus, it would be really boring if my best friend didn’t ever want to go do anything.”

  Ally chuckled. “Fine, I won’t just sit here on the couch.”

  “Good. Now, let’s go have some fun.”

  Talking about going out and doing things was much easier said than done for Ally. A majority of the time, she found herself feeling lonely and she struggled finding things that she was willing to do to change it. Ally found that she had a lot of extra time on her hands. All of the time she had spent with Tyson was now filled with studying, watching tv and movies, or reading a book.

  Once Ally and Tyson started dating, Ally’s social life had expanded greatly and she had made a lot of new friends because of it. Without Tyson, it was easy to go back into her little turtle shell. She had her best friend, Kylie, her roommates, and some acquaintances from classes. That was good enough for her. She was perfectly content to just dive into her studies and wait for Tyson to come home. But if Kylie had her way, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Ally, come on. It has been three weeks since Tyson left. You need to get out. You need to meet new people. Please, just come to the institute dance. If you really hate it, we can leave after an hour. I promise,” Kylie begged.

  Kylie was getting sick and tired of Ally just sitting around their apartment. She was either there or at class. Kylie was starting to get worried that Ally was becoming depressed. Her wardrobe had started consisting of sweats and loose t-shirts. Ice cream had taken a key role in almost all of her meals. Kylie knew that she had to get Ally out of the house and the institute dance was the perfect opportunity Tonight she was determined not to let Ally sit around in her sweats, eat ice cream, and dwell on the fact that Tyson was gone.

  “I don’t know, Kylie. They are having a Say Yes to the Dress marathon tonight.”

  “I thought you had decided you weren’t going to just sit around and wait for Tyson. I doubt he wants you sitting in front of the tv on a Friday night when you have a chance to go have fun.”

  Kylie felt like adding that Tyson didn’t want to come back to an Ally that had gained 20 pounds and dressed like a hobo, but she knew that probably wouldn’t go over very well. The goal was to get Ally to come with her, so she held her tongue.

  “It is a country themed dance and you love country. There is food and you love food. And there could be some really cute boys. It’s everything you need to have a good time,” Kylie added.

  Ally raised her eyebrow.

  “Maybe you can find a cute boy just to take you mind off Tyson until he gets back. Or maybe you can just help me find someone. We both know that I need the help.”

  “Fine, I’ll go, but only to find your future husband,” Ally said as she got up off of the couch.

  “Good. Thank you,” Kylie said as she hugged Ally and followed her into the room that they shared.

  As Ally went to grab her comfy jeans, Kylie shoved a curling iron in Ally’s hands. “Wh
ile you curl your hair, I’ll pick out your outfit.”

  Kylie had come to accept the idea of Tyson and Ally getting married and actually couldn’t wait until Ally was her sister-in-law. But Kylie knew that Tyson didn’t want Ally to just sit around and wait for him. She wished that he would have just told Ally that before he left. That he wanted Ally to have fun. She knew that Tyson was torn because he didn’t want Ally getting married while he was gone, but he also didn’t want her to pass up other opportunities if they came along. Kylie didn’t want her to find someone else either, but Ally needed something or someone to take her mind of Tyson. If not, Ally and Kylie were both going to be miserable. Kylie wanted to experience the college life with Ally by her side, just like they had always dreamed they would.

  Kylie scavenged Ally’s closet for the outfit she knew would get some heads turning. A plaid button up shirt and the pair of skinny jeans Kylie wished that she could fit into, with some ankle cowboy boots.

  When Ally walked out into the living room, ready to leave, Kylie knew that she had picked the perfect outfit. Kylie was sure there would be a few guys asking Ally to dance. And maybe, just maybe, one of their friends would ask Kylie to dance. At least, that’s how it usually worked.

  “Man, I think I need to go running with you. These skinny jeans are a little tight,” Ally said.

  “They look good, but I could always use a running buddy,” Kylie said with a smile. At least Ally was realizing that maybe she had and would gain some weight if she just sat around on the couch all day long. “Let’s go.”

  Ten short minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot where the dance was being held. As they walked toward the entrance, Kylie could tell that Ally’s countenance had changed and there was an extra bounce her step. Tonight was going to be a good night, as long as Ally didn’t dwell on Tyson too much and tell every guy that she had a missionary. Ally might find someone to go on a couple dates with just to make these next two years not as miserable as she was making them.

  Within 10 minutes of hitting the dance floor Ally got her first dance offer. Just like Kylie had hoped there was usually a friend of the guy that asked Ally to dance that asked her to dance as well.

  “Thanks for convincing me to come,” Ally said after finding Kylie in the crowd after a slow song.

  “See? Didn’t I tell you that you would have fun,” Kylie responded. “It looks like it has been over an hour since we got here. I’m taking it that you want to stay and dance some more?”

  Ally nodded their head as Kylie and Ally joined the line dance to Boot Scootin’ Boogie.

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached the last dance of the night. So, fellas find that girl you have been wanting to dance with all night and just ask her. It’s your last chance,” the DJ announced.

  “Well shall we head out?” Kylie asked and Ally agreed.

  When Kylie held the door open and looked to make sure that Ally was following right behind, she wasn’t there. Kylie stepped back inside but couldn’t see Ally anywhere. After watching most people leave, Kylie began to wonder if she had missed Ally walk past her and maybe she was waiting by the car. But when she got to the car, there was still no sign of her there either.

  After sitting in her car for twenty minutes and being one of the last cars in the parking lot, Ally slid into the passenger seat. “Sorry, someone asked me to dance on the way out.”

  “A twenty-minute song?”

  Ally laughed. “Yep. Apparently, he liked something about me because he asked for my number.”

  “Really? That’s awesome. Maybe he will ask you out.”

  “Maybe.”

  As Ally got ready for bed that night, her mind kept drifting to the handsome guy that had asked for her number. She had enjoyed talking to him and they actually had a lot in common. He loved football and had been the quarterback during high school. He had gotten injured right before the state championships his senior year. His injury had ruined his chances at being a college quarterback. Ally was surprised that she hadn’t ever met him before, since he played for her high school rival. He was a Freshman and was planning to go on a mission after the end of the semester. He was also a very good dancer and he had been easy to talk to.

  At the same time Ally almost felt guilty for even thinking about dating someone other than Tyson. She reminded herself that Tyson hadn’t asked her to stay locked up in her apartment and just sit around twiddling her thumbs waiting for him. In fact, he hadn’t given her any direction. Yet, Ally felt as if she was being unfaithful to Tyson. But he was gone. She wasn’t in a committed relationship. He was going to be gone for 23 more months.

  It was okay for her to think a guy was cute or to have fun talking to a different guy, right? Maybe she was just struggling with the fact that someone other than Tyson had caught her eye? Maybe she was strung up on having someone ask for her number? Why was she even debating this? It’s not like Justin had asked her out on a date. He had only asked for her phone number. And just because he had her number did not mean that he would actually call or text her.

  Just as Ally was falling asleep, her phone’s vibration startled her awake. “Hey, it’s Justin.”

  A grin started to spread across Ally’s face as she unplugged her phone from the charger and pulled it closer. But her smile stopped for a minute when Tyson crossed her mind. Ally closed her eyes. Tyson wasn’t even thinking about her. She emailed Tyson every week, but he had only responded one time. She knew he was busy and his focus should be on being a good missionary. At some point during the night, Ally realized that she couldn’t just sit around and wait for Tyson. She was going to go crazy if she did. She had given him every opportunity to let her know where they stood before he left, but he didn’t.

  After an exchange of multiple texts, she was meeting Justin at the Utah basketball game that Wednesday. What was wrong with one date?

  Chapter Sixteen

  It had been two months since the institute dance and Kylie was beyond starting to regret convincing Ally to go with her. At first, it was just one date a week, which was right in line with her plan, but now Ally was spending more and more time with this guy named Justin.

  Kylie was happy that Ally was getting out of the house. But she had hoped that Ally would be going out and doing things with her and only occasional dates with boys.

  Kylie walked into her room to find Ally debating on which outfit to wear. Kylie didn’t remember Ally worrying this much about how she looked when she was dating Tyson.

  “Are you going to the institute movie tonight?”

  Ally nodded her head. “Are you going?”

  “Yep. Maybe I can finally meet this Justin you have been spending all your time with,” Kylie responded.

  “I have not been spending all my time with him.”

  “You kind of have… How many days have you seen him this week?”

  Ally paused.

  “Every day?” Kylie asked.

  “Ya, I guess so. Is there something wrong with that?”

  “No, not necessarily, but what about Tyson?”

  Ally sighed and plopped down on her bed. “He never asked me to wait for him and you even said that Tyson doesn’t want me to sit around and wait for him. Is there really any harm to just going out on a couple dates with this guy?"

  Kylie rolled her eyes and tried to hold back what she really thought. “It’s been more than a couple dates. And I haven’t even met him, which is a little odd since he is picking you up all the time. He hasn’t had to pass the best friend test yet, unless you’re scared he won’t pass?”

  “Fine....”

  “Then I get to meet the mysterious Justin tonight?” Kylie asked.

  “Yes, you can meet him tonight. Do you like this outfit?”

  “It looks great.” Kylie couldn’t wait to meet the new guy that Ally was obviously falling for. Ally quickly pulled the t-shirt over her head and grabbed her coat and purse just as there was a knock on the door. Ally slipped out the door without Kylie
even getting a sneak peek at this Justin guy. It added to the feeling Kylie had that Ally was trying to hide him from her and it kind of hurt her feelings that Ally was keeping him a secret.

  The movie theatre was mostly full by the time Kylie and the rest of her roommates, arrived. She looked around for Ally and the mysterious Justin, but didn’t see them. They were able to find a seat toward the back of the auditorium as the movie was about to start. Just as the lights were beginning to dim she spotted Ally.

  Kylie gasped. The Justin Ally was sitting next to wasn’t just any Justin. It was Justin Hawthorne.

  Ally couldn’t focus on the movie as she kept glancing down at her hand which was entwined with Justin’s. They had been dating for a while now, but Ally had made Justin aware that she had just gotten out of a serious relationship so she wanted to take things slow and he was doing his best to respect that. Her thoughts slowly turned to just how surreal the last year had been. She had hardly dated anyone before Tyson and now she had dated two guys who were the stars of their high school football team. They were both popular, extremely good-looking, and for whatever reason, they had chosen to date a normal girl like her.

  Her eyes drifted from their hands as she glanced at the guy next to her. At this moment, he could have literally walked out a magazine. He looked like a model with his plaid flannel shirt, dark wash jeans and brown canvas shoes. His blonde hair was cut perfectly. He had bright blue eyes that were the color most people had to get contacts to achieve. His white teeth were perfectly straight which matched his perfectly put together outfit. Not to mention that he was tall, well built, and tan.