Part Four
Newton’s Law of Gravity:
Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
June, 10
Distance wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It gave them space to grow as individuals and over the last few months, Jasmin had seen a noticeable change in both of them. She was finding her feet in her job, in her life. Social interaction wasn’t as tough as she’d thought. It was trying to manage a department where some people were twice her age that was difficult. Not everyone thought she was properly qualified for the role, but she was starting to prove herself, albeit slowly.
She had moved out and even though her dad had offered to buy her an apartment, she’d wanted to gain some independence and do it on her own. Her relationship with her father was flourishing. They had dinner together at least twice a week and they grew from strength to strength. Her relationship with Kevin was a little more complicated. The first two months had been rough. Not only did they have to learn how to deal with this new long distance arrangement, but he’d decided to seek professional help. He’d apologized to every person he’d hurt and while their forgiveness was a crucial part of him moving on, he needed to find a way to truly forgive himself.
The therapy sessions forced him to relive that night again and again, and it hadn’t been easy for him. She’d learned not to push too much and allowed him to open up to her at his own pace. And he did. There were times when he got moody and depressed and it was during those times that Jasmin saw the real change in him. He didn’t close up or lash out. In fact, he’d gotten rid of every log in the backyard. That alone was a symbol of a drastic change.
He and Clayton had also gone back to college and that was a major turning point for him. He became more positive and more determined to be better.
That didn’t mean that they always got along. They still argued a bit.
A lot.
Every day.
Most of the time it was playful, but they’d had a few big fights so far. Having a long distancefriendshipbetween two people who were in love with each other came with all sorts of complications. Friends didn’t flirt, but there was a lot of flirting. He’d told her she could date if she wanted because she’d been restricted enough and he didn’t want to hold her back. Of course, he also told her that if she did date someone else, he didn’t want to hear anything about it. It never materialized, though. She had only one requirement that so far no one else had fulfilled. She’d met a lot of guys from across the country, and not one of them gave her the tingles.
He didn’t even entertain the possibility of another girl, yet there was still a moderate amount of jealousy from both of them. It was inevitable and the root of the problem always came down to distance. Phone calls and video chats were great, but sometimes they just weren’t enough. On some days, it became too much and today was one of those days. Today she just wanted him near.
She was about to deliver a presentation to renowned scientists from across the country about how to reduce methane gas emissions from biodegradable plastics and she was sweating bullets. Presenting to college students was nerve-wracking, but at least they were around her age, which made it less intimidating. Today she was going to be in front of men and women with years of experience and she was afraid she was going to make a fool of herself.
Her phone rang and she let out a breath of relief when she saw the number. She walked to a quiet corner, away from the crowd entering the conference room before she answered. “Kevin…”
“Hi.”
Just hearing his voice made her feel better. “Oh, my God! I’m so nervous. If my body releases any more adrenalin, I’m gonna pass out. I’m shaking and I’m all sweaty. I feel like I need to stick a bunch of tissues under my arms. It’s so gross.”
“It sounds gross. I generally like you all sweaty…but for different reasons.”
She rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. “Did you really just say that to me? I’m freaking out and that’s what you say?”
“Yep. And now I’m picturing you naked. Can I call you back? I need some time alone.”
“Kevin!”
“Hey, what time is it there?”
His casual tone annoyed her, but she answered anyway. “It’s a quarter to nine.”
“Good. It should be there any minute now.”
She didn’t even bother to find out what the hell he was talking about. “Can you focus, please? I’m in the middle of a crisis. I go up in fifteen minutes. What if they think my ideas are dumb? I’ll be the laughing stock of the science world. What if—”
She was cut off when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around to see a man holding a cardboard box.
“Are you Jasmintha Daas?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He handed her a clipboard. “This is for you.”
She signed the delivery note and he handed her the package.
