around my waist so that my back is against his chest. I close my eyes, letting myself feel the warmth of his body against mine. His fingers stroke my side, sending butterflies into flight in my stomach.
“That means I still have time to get the first catch,” he says, pressing his nose into my hair. I feel safe in his arms, and for a second I imagine myself spending more time wrapped up in them, but I quickly let the thought go. We’re just friends, and I can’t be anything more than that with anyone right now.
He surprises me by kissing the top of my head before letting me go. I feel cold, wishing I had the courage to ask him to wrap me back up again. He keeps giving me these lasting memories that make me aware of the heartbeat that still exists within me. I haven’t had these feelings in so long, and I’m not sure what to do with them.
“I think it’s time I tell you my fact for the day,” I pause, glancing down at the dock, “I haven’t laughed this much in two years.”
He stops working on the hook and seems to contemplate what I said. He’s probably wondering what happened two years ago, but he doesn’t press me. He knows what it’s like to have to keep things buried inside.
“I’m glad,” he says, returning his attention to the hook. He pulls the last bit of the slimy greens off before putting another worm on the hook and throwing it back in the water for me.
“So what’s yours?” I ask, turning to face him. He puts my pole down in a holder at the end of the dock next to his and stares down at me like something is tearing him up inside. He swallows hard, looking up to the sky, then back at me. I want to curl up in his arms and take away his uncertainty, but I can’t solve problems that I know nothing about.
His brows are pulled in as he moves closer to me and reaches his hand up to my face. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t look away from him right now. His eyes captivate me and pull me in every time I see them. Right as his hand is about to touch my face, he pulls it back to his side. His eyes move down to my lips before coming back up to meet mine.
“I really want to kiss you . . . but I don’t want to scare you away,” he whispers.
I step back to get some more space between us so that I can catch my breath. He closes his eyes tight and turns to look out onto the water. My skin tingles and that fluttery feeling is back in my stomach. If he had given me a million chances to guess what he was going to tell me today, I would never have guessed this.
I want to say something, but all my thoughts are fuzzy. He starts reeling in our fishing lines and packs up his tackle box, throwing things inside and closing it shut. I feel horrible, but I still can’t say anything. He seems hurt, but not shocked. I’m the one in shock.
He turns around and looks everywhere but at me with his hard eyes. “We should get going. It’s getting darker to the west. I think a storm is coming,” he says before walking past me to put the poles in the storage shed. My heart sinks past my stomach to my feet. Would I have let him kiss me?
I walk to the car and wait for him, resting my head against the passenger side window. I sneak a glance at him when I hear his door open, but he doesn’t look my way. He starts the car and doesn’t waste any time before putting it in reverse. His jaw is tense, and he’s gripping the steering wheel as if it’s his lifeline. I want to apologize, but I have no idea where to start, so I focus back out my window, watching the houses go by until I snap out of my daze and recognize the ones on my own street.
I thought I’d be relieved when he dropped me off, but I feel like crap because I still haven’t said a single word to him. If I don’t acknowledge it, it will all go away.
He stops in front of my house, putting the car in park, but not saying anything. I unbuckle my seatbelt and put my hand on the door handle, pausing before opening it. “I’m not scared of you,” I
“That means I still have time to get the first catch,” he says, pressing his nose into my hair. I feel safe in his arms, and for a second I imagine myself spending more time wrapped up in them, but I quickly let the thought go. We’re just friends, and I can’t be anything more than that with anyone right now.
He surprises me by kissing the top of my head before letting me go. I feel cold, wishing I had the courage to ask him to wrap me back up again. He keeps giving me these lasting memories that make me aware of the heartbeat that still exists within me. I haven’t had these feelings in so long, and I’m not sure what to do with them.
“I think it’s time I tell you my fact for the day,” I pause, glancing down at the dock, “I haven’t laughed this much in two years.”
He stops working on the hook and seems to contemplate what I said. He’s probably wondering what happened two years ago, but he doesn’t press me. He knows what it’s like to have to keep things buried inside.
“I’m glad,” he says, returning his attention to the hook. He pulls the last bit of the slimy greens off before putting another worm on the hook and throwing it back in the water for me.
“So what’s yours?” I ask, turning to face him. He puts my pole down in a holder at the end of the dock next to his and stares down at me like something is tearing him up inside. He swallows hard, looking up to the sky, then back at me. I want to curl up in his arms and take away his uncertainty, but I can’t solve problems that I know nothing about.
His brows are pulled in as he moves closer to me and reaches his hand up to my face. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t look away from him right now. His eyes captivate me and pull me in every time I see them. Right as his hand is about to touch my face, he pulls it back to his side. His eyes move down to my lips before coming back up to meet mine.
“I really want to kiss you . . . but I don’t want to scare you away,” he whispers.
I step back to get some more space between us so that I can catch my breath. He closes his eyes tight and turns to look out onto the water. My skin tingles and that fluttery feeling is back in my stomach. If he had given me a million chances to guess what he was going to tell me today, I would never have guessed this.
I want to say something, but all my thoughts are fuzzy. He starts reeling in our fishing lines and packs up his tackle box, throwing things inside and closing it shut. I feel horrible, but I still can’t say anything. He seems hurt, but not shocked. I’m the one in shock.
He turns around and looks everywhere but at me with his hard eyes. “We should get going. It’s getting darker to the west. I think a storm is coming,” he says before walking past me to put the poles in the storage shed. My heart sinks past my stomach to my feet. Would I have let him kiss me?
I walk to the car and wait for him, resting my head against the passenger side window. I sneak a glance at him when I hear his door open, but he doesn’t look my way. He starts the car and doesn’t waste any time before putting it in reverse. His jaw is tense, and he’s gripping the steering wheel as if it’s his lifeline. I want to apologize, but I have no idea where to start, so I focus back out my window, watching the houses go by until I snap out of my daze and recognize the ones on my own street.
I thought I’d be relieved when he dropped me off, but I feel like crap because I still haven’t said a single word to him. If I don’t acknowledge it, it will all go away.
He stops in front of my house, putting the car in park, but not saying anything. I unbuckle my seatbelt and put my hand on the door handle, pausing before opening it. “I’m not scared of you,” I
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