by Amity Hope
“Obvious?” I echoed. “How is it obvious?”
“Luke is always asking me to invite you along whenever Leo is going to be somewhere,” she admitted. “He’s said it would be fun if we could double date, but I always thought he was joking.” She glanced at Julia. “Luke wasn’t joking, was he?”
Julia, still looking uncomfortable, shook her head. “Leo’s never said anything to me; he’s pretty private. But Adam has hinted at it a few times.”
Both of my friends were staring at me, as if waiting for me to say something. I didn’t know what to say. This information was a bit mind-boggling.
“You have to be wrong,” I finally decided.
“Why?” Meg demanded.
I shrugged. “He can’t want to ask me out. We’re friends.”
A smile slipped onto Julia’s face. “Adam and I were friends before we started dating.”
Meg gave me a nudge with her elbow. “Would that be so bad? Leo’s really kind of cute. He’s also sweet.”
I nodded. “He is.”
Was it possible I was the girl Leo had been talking about?
I didn’t know. I didn’t see how I could be. Why would I be? It didn’t make sense. When he said he’d had a crush on someone for so long, I had assumed it was someone who was beautiful and interesting. Someone he probably thought was out of his league. None of the above described me.
“This is perfect,” Meg said happily.
I shook my head. “No, it’s not. This is…” I didn’t know how to finish that sentence.
“It’s not a bad thing, is it?” Julia asked tentatively.
Was it?
“It’s just surprising,” I said. “And really, I’m not sure either one of you is right.” My gaze bounced between them. “Luke and Adam have never actually said it, have they?”
My friends shared a look.
“No,” Meg admitted.
Julia shrugged. “Adam’s slipped up just enough to make me suspicious.”
“I think you need to talk to Leo,” Meg said.
“Why?” I asked, the panic back full-force. I liked how things were with Leo and me. I didn’t want anything to change. Being friends with Leo was easy. I felt completely blindsided and had no idea how to process this information. “What am I supposed to say?”
“You should say you’d be happy to go on a date,” Meg said, her tone confident. “It’ll give you a chance to get to know him better.”
“I already know him,” I said.
“And do you like him?” Julia pressed.
“Of course I like him.”
“Then I don’t see a problem.” Meg smiled, as if she had my life all figured out. “Go out with him. See where it leads.”
“I agree, I think you need to talk to Leo,” Julia said.
Meg nodded toward the door. “Now would be good.”
I glanced toward the tree line at the edge of the huge backyard. The guys were trudging across the lawn.
“I really do need to get more soda,” Julia said. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She darted off down the hallway while Meg and I headed back outside. We dropped our s’mores essentials on the table as the guys returned.
“Where’s Julia?” Adam asked.
“Downstairs, looking for more soda,” I said.
“I’ll go see if she needs help.”
When Adam took off toward the house, Meg gave Luke’s hand a yank. “Let’s go see what’s in those trees,” she commanded.
He frowned. “Why? You didn’t want to go with before.”
Without answering, she tugged him away.
Leo turned to me and smiled. It was a smile that was so familiar to me, that some of my confusion began to fade away.
“Did you guys find anything? In the woods, I mean?” I asked.
“No,” he said with a soft laugh. “You might have noticed that Adam can’t sit still for very long.”
I nodded absently because I had noticed that. The boy was constantly in motion. Either his feet were bouncing, his hands were tapping, or he was hopping out of his seat for one reason or another.
“Hey.” Leo lightly ran a hand down my arm, and suddenly I felt a sizzle through the fabric. “What’s wrong?”
What was wrong? His fingers should not be sending a sizzle across my skin…let alone anywhere else. I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing, or a bad thing. In the past five minutes, I felt like my world had been flipped upside down.
“Kylie?” Real concern laced Leo’s features. He took my hands in his and gave them a squeeze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I nodded, trying to negate the wobble in my tone. “But I did want to ask you about something.”
“Sure.” His thumbs brushed against the backs of my hands. The swirling motion shot straight to my knees, making them tremble. “What is it?”
I glanced up, my eyes locking with his. I had thought he had been looking at me with concern. And maybe he was. But it also seemed as if he were looking at me with something…more.
“I was wondering…”
I wanted to ask him if I was the girl he’d been crushing on. But the question faded away before I could get the words out of my mouth.
Maybe that was okay. Because his expression gave me the answer I was searching for. He was looking at me the way Luke looked at Meg. It was the way Nate looked at Francesca, and the way Adam looked at Julia.
I had zero experience with this whatsoever, but if I had to guess, I’d say he was looking at me like he wanted to kiss me. It was a fortunate coincidence because—to my complete surprise—I wanted to kiss him, too.
The way the flames danced across his face, illuminating his features in their soft glow, made my insides swirl. His eyes were such a startling shade of blue, his cheekbones so perfectly sculpted. His lips looked soft, and his hair was adorably tousled. I thought I knew how the princess in my book felt when a spell had been cast, causing her to find the prince absolutely irresistible.
Without thinking more about it, I pressed up on my toes, slid my hand into his hair, and tilted his face toward mine.
The kiss started slow, tentative, but then Leo decided to take control of the situation. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer. The sizzle I’d felt earlier returned, sliding through my veins and burning away what might have been left of my hesitation.
When the kiss finally came to an end, I rested my forehead against his chest. An unfamiliar, deliciously sweet longing echoed through my body.
My knees were so weak, I appreciated the way his arms were around me, helping me to stay upright. I also wasn’t sure I wanted to look into his face. What if he’d kissed me back because it had been a reflex or something? What if…what if he only kissed me because he knew it was on my list? My zero experience could’ve caused me to read him all wrong.
He slid his fingers under my chin, forcing me to raise my eyes and look at him. What I saw was the same look I’d seen before. When he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me again, I knew that everything was all right.
It was more than all right.
It was freaking amazing.
But what I was doing? Leo liked me, a lot, apparently. Did I like him? Or was I simply allowing myself to get caught up in the moment? I didn’t know. I could only hope my impulsiveness didn’t come back to haunt me. But right now? All that mattered was that Leo continued to kiss me.
And I didn’t want him to stop.
Chapter Eight
Leo
Kylie lived on the edge of town. Her house was tucked away on a private lot. I could barely make out the silhouette of the white, two-story home as I rolled by in the dark. Mailboxes were scattered along the quiet street. The reflective numbers glowed in the low beam of my headlights. I pulled over to the side of the road.
It was two a.m. I was right on time.
I sent off a text to let her know I was waiting.
I leaned my head against the back of my seat, replaying the night before. I still couldn’t beli
eve Kylie had kissed me.
I’d kissed a few girls before. It had never been anything spectacular.
But kissing Kylie? All I could think about was how long it would be until I could do it again.
To say I was shocked by that kiss was an understatement. But when she explained that Meg and Julia had figured out how I felt, it made a little more sense. Then Adam came barreling out of the house with Julia right behind him. Luke and Meg came back from the woods, and our chance to talk was gone.
Now I had to wonder if she felt something for me, too, or if she’d simply wanted to be able to cross another item off her list. Meg had driven her home last night, so I hadn’t had a chance to ask.
A pinpoint of light bounced down the center of her driveway. She was using the flashlight app on her phone as she ran toward my truck. I reached over and threw the door open for her. She hopped in, the dome light illuminating the cab briefly before she tugged the door shut.
“Borrow your outfit from Meg?” I asked.
For a few years Meg had worn black; only black. She’d given up the habit now, but Kylie’s attire was like a throwback to Meg’s darker days.
She started giggling as I pulled back onto the road.
I smiled and said, “It wasn’t that funny.”
“Sorry,” she said through another fit of giggles. “I’m nervous. If my parents go into my room, they will kill me. Like, seriously kill me.”
“What are the chances they’ll go into your room?”
“Unless they heard the front door close, they shouldn’t. I’m sure they were sleeping.” She held up her phone. “They must be sleeping. If not, my phone would be ringing by now.”
I rolled to a halt at the stop sign at the end of the street. “Are you sure you want to do this?” I paused. “Technically, you already snuck out. I could bring you back home, and you’d still be able to cross it off your list.”
I studied her face in the dim glow of the dashboard lights. Her eyes practically glowed with excitement as she bounced in her seat.
Damn.
She was adorable.
“Do you want to bring me home?” she asked.
“No. Definitely not. I want to spend some time with you.” My heart flipped when her smile lit up her face. “But I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“I’ve made it this far,” she said. “It would be silly to turn around now.”
I nodded, pleased with her answer.
“Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?” she asked.
“Nah,” I said. “I have four older siblings. Two of my brothers, Mike and Eric, were real troublemakers. After dealing with them through their high school years, I’d have to do something pretty awful to set my parents off. They wouldn’t be happy if they knew I’d snuck out, but I probably wouldn’t get more than a five-minute lecture.”
“Must be nice,” Kylie murmured.
“Sometimes,” I said vaguely. Other times? It would be nice to know my parents gave a damn. I wasn’t going to mention that to Kylie, though. No sense in being a downer.
“Any idea where you want to go?” I asked.
There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Laurel during the daytime, let alone in the middle of the night. The city park was nice, but I thought it might be kind of sketchy in the dark. The likelihood of anything happening was almost zero, but I wasn’t going to take a chance of some random mugger showing up.
“No clue.”
“We could go to Maebelle’s,” I suggested. It was a diner on the edge of town, and happened to be the only place I could think of that was open this time of night.
She nodded with a smile. “Let’s do it.”
…
“What are you going to have?”
She frowned as she scanned the menu. “I really shouldn’t have anything. I’ll probably gain ten pounds if I have anything at this time of night.”
“I’m not going to eat all by myself,” I said lightly. I put my menu down. “How about I get an order of nachos and you split it with me?”
I knew Kylie was concerned about her weight. I’d been eating lunch with the girl for several months now and I wanted to tell her she had nothing to worry about—I always thought she looked amazing—but I wasn’t sure if she’d appreciate the comment.
A few moments later a weary-looking waitress brought us our drinks. Lemonade for me and unsweetened iced tea for Kylie. After taking the rest of our order, she walked away.
As soon as we were alone again, I asked, “Does Allie have a cover story ready if your parents find out?”
“No. I didn’t involve her this time,” Kylie admitted. “She already has enough to hold over my head. Besides, if my parents find out I’m gone, there’s no cover story in the world that would be good enough to satisfy them.”
“Yeah. I guess not.”
“You know how in movies when someone sneaks out, they always stuff pillows under their covers?”
My lips twitched. “Yes.”
“I’ve always thought that was so stupid. I mean, it can’t really work, right?”
I chuckled. “Probably not.”
She crossed her arms and rested them on the table. “Well guess what I did.” Her face twisted into a comical expression.
“You used the pillow trick.”
“I did,” she said. “As lame as it is, I figure it couldn’t hurt.”
I fidgeted with the bundled-up silverware.
Despite the hour, I felt wide-awake. Sort of wired, yet my mind suddenly went blank. I abandoned the silverware and strummed my fingers against the table, scrambling for something to say.
Kylie’s eyes darted around the restaurant, as if worried someone would recognize her.
“Why did you start making candy?” Most of my friends had some idea of what they wanted to do after graduation. But Kylie had a clearer picture than most. “Did you always know you wanted to own a candy store?”
My question pulled her back to the table; the little worry line between her brows disappeared as she focused her attention on my question.
“I started making candy because of my grandma—one of my first memories is of helping her in the kitchen. She was always so patient with my sisters and me. Lexie and Allie would usually get bored and run off after a while. Not Maddie or me,” she said firmly. “We loved creating something that not only tasted fabulous but looked pretty, too.” She paused, her voice softening. “She died—cancer—when I was twelve. I started making candy at home all the time because it made me feel close to her. Not too long ago I discovered I have a passion for it. Being in the kitchen, it’s my happy place. I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do more than own a candy store.”
“I’m sorry about your grandma, but I’m glad you found a way to feel close to her.”
She smiled, though it looked a little sad. “Thanks. Me, too.” She paused, as if searching for something to say. She settled for, “Are you excited about baseball starting? A few more weeks, right?”
She knew this because Luke and Adam talked about it constantly.
“Yeah, practice will start soon.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You do not sound excited.”
“I’m not, I guess. I’m the worst player on the team.” She was studying me with those big, green eyes. They were flecked with gold. I’d always thought they were beautiful.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” she said. “You’re probably great.”
“No. I’m really not. I’m not looking for sympathy, either—I can own it.” It was true. I’d come to grips with it years ago. “I’m pretty sure the only reason Coach lets me play is because of my family. My three brothers were all amazing ball players. My parents have pumped more money into the program than any other single family. Coach plays me out of a sense of obligation. Or at the very least, it’s his way of thanking my parents.”
In all honesty, I thought he was probably relieved I was a senior this year. He was probably looking forward to a team that was Leo-free.
<
br /> She looked like she was going to argue but cut herself short. I felt myself relax. I was willing to own my weakness, but that didn’t mean I wanted to dwell on it.
“I’m not really into baseball,” I confessed. “That’s probably part of why I’m not very good.”
“Why do you play?” She cocked her head to the side, studying me as if she really wanted to know.
“I’m not sure. I used to enjoy it. Now it’s just expected.” I paused before saying, “I haven’t told anyone this yet, but I’m thinking of quitting.”
She leaned back in the booth, her eyes widening in surprise. “Is that really what you want?”
I nodded slowly. “I think it is. I’ve been tossing the idea around for months now. My dad will probably freak out. On one hand, I tell myself it’s my last season. I should stick it out. On the other hand, Tyler Duvall is good. Like, incredibly talented. I think he could have a career in baseball. And we play the same position. If I drop off the team, he’ll get a lot more playing time. It feels selfish to stand in his way when he loves the game, and I don’t.”
“You’ve really thought about this a lot,” she said.
“Yeah.” I had. Funny thing is, I’d never verbalized it to anyone before. Adam and Luke would never understand. My parents wouldn’t want to hear it. My brothers would turn it all into a joke. It was nice to talk it over with someone unbiased. “I’m still not sure what to do.”
“I think you should do whatever makes you happy.” She paused. “Do you have any other hobbies?”
I twisted the straw wrapper into a knot, debating whether I wanted to get into it. “Yeah,” I finally said. “I do.”
“What is it?” she pressed.
I dropped the wrapper onto the table. “It would be a lot easier to show you some time, than to try to explain it. If you’re interested.”
She nodded. “I’m definitely interested. Whatever it is, do you like it more than baseball?”
“Absolutely.”
“Would quitting give you more time to spend doing this other thing?”
“It would.” I picked up the wrapper again. “If I quit ball, I’d have more time to spend doing what I love. Baseball just takes up so much time. And for me, there isn’t much of a payoff.”
