The Twenty Year Triangle

Chapter Fifteen

So why does he have it?

Because he likes you, I hear Brandi's voice in my head, and this time I choose to believe it.

My eyes fill with tears as I look at the photo; we look like a real couple in it. I never got the chance to really look at it when Mary Beth was shoving it in my face. Hunter's arms are tightly secured around me, and there's even a tiny smile on his lips.

He kept it. I asked for proof, and here it is.

"You can do this," I whisper to myself as I look at the photo. "You have to do this. I want this."

I hear Hunter getting home, and my heart nearly flies out of my chest.

I quickly put the photo back in the notebook and close the drawer. Just in time, Hunter walks into his room as I close it.

"Looking for a book?" He guesses.

"Yeah," I let out a nervous breath as I glance at the book on the bed. "All I could find was The Giver."

"Olly said that's one of the best books ever written," Hunter comments.

"He says that about every book he likes," I laugh.

"I know, but this one, he swears, is. I was supposed to read it this summer."

"How's that going?" I ask with a half-smile, and he shrugs.

"I'll do it.... eventually," he offers with one of his own. "Whatcha doing over here? I was going to shower and go to the farm."

He's a dirty mess, his face streaked with sweat and dirt, his inky hair ruffled. Even his faded jeans are coated in dirt, and it's so hot. Maybe even more so than when he's freshly showered and smells good.

It hits me hard, what I'm about to do, and I suddenly feel a little sick.

His eyes are narrow as he studies me worriedly.

"You okay, Darlin?"

No, nope, not at all.

"Yeah, I'm good, um. I wanted to talk to you about something." My heart is beating so hard there is no way he doesn't hear it.

"What's up?"

Holy crap, okay, here we go; no going back now, Kinz; you got to do this. Every word I rehearsed leaves my head at that moment, and I go blank as I stare dumbly at him.

"Is something wrong?"

"No... not wrong, I hope... crap, I don't know how to say this," I groan.

"Say what?"

"I like you," I blurt it out so fast it sounds like one long word. My face is so hot I'm sure it's purple. His eyes flicker with confusion and something I can't read.

"Well, of course, you do, and I like you too, Kinz. We're best friends."

"Not like that. I mean. I like, like you," I continue before I totally lose my nerve.

No way am I using the other L word. This is hard enough.

His eyes widen as he stares back at me, but then he averts his eyes from mine in a hurry.

"I... um. Kinz, it's uh. We been hanging every day, and we're getting older. It's probably normal to find each other, uh, hot at times," he's stammering, and Hunter doesn't do that.

It's an out though, I could back track right now and we can laugh this off. But I can't. I opened the box now and I have to try.

"It's not just thinking you're hot. I always thought you were," I say, his cheeks get even redder, but he still won't look at me. "It's more than that. A lot more than that. I have real feelings for you, and I think you do too. I mean, maybe..."