Spoiled, rich, and extreme - Anders was used to having his way. But when he met Meadow, everything seemed to take a wrong turn.
Being sent to a small town was the worst punishment he could ever imagine. He was sure he'd die of boredom.
He didn't exp...
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"I like you."
He chuckled. "I like you, too."
"No, Kobe... I like you like you."
He blinked, staring at me for the longest time. "Oh..."
I took a deep breath. "Yeah..."
He looked away, stared at the ground, and didn't speak for a while. I turned my attention to our beloved town below us. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to confess at the water tower. I couldn't run away easily.
A part of me wanted to take back my words, but the other part of me held my ground. It was already out there. There was no going back.
Kobe sighed, and finally said, "Mead, you're one of the most important people in my life... I care about you a lot. I'd do anything for you."
There it was. The soft blow before he delivered the real one.
"But... you don't feel the same way," I finished for him, because I didn't want to hear it come out from his mouth. I nodded, before letting out a forced smile. "It's okay, I understand."
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
I shook my head, my eyes wandering to my tangled hands. "Don't be."
Awkward silence engulfed us. I didn't know what else to say. I didn't know what else to do. How did we go from here? Did I just ruin our friendship?
"What would you even like about me, anyway?"
I shrugged, before looking at him. "You're just you."
He stared at me, concern in his eyes. "Are we cool?"
I put out my best reassuring smile. "Yeah."
That was what I said.
But then right after that, I avoided him like the plague and made up excuses not to see him. I spent almost all of my free time at the center for most of the summer that it was Sunshine who became my go-to vent person.
Still, Kobe's last words that night played in my mind for weeks.
"When you find the person you're meant for, you'll thank me."
Ha, what a load of bull. That was just what they all said right after they rejected someone. As if I'd find the person I was meant to be with at sixteen.
Not everyone was that lucky.
I needed to stop thinking about him. I needed to busy myself and be productive with my time. I was a strong young lady.
So why on earth was I still staring at my ceiling, thinking about Anders and how he was doing with his high society friends? Why couldn't I stop thinking how he always made me laugh this summer? Why didn't I want it to end?
