The Challenge

"Because you're a horrible person?"

"That was cheesy," I stated flatly.

"Exactly." Mike smiled as Anna pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But what's cheesier than falling in love with your best friend."

"What about you?" I asked, looking at Anna. "How did you know you were in love with Mike?"

Anna scoffed. "Oh, I knew right away. Girls tend to make it very obvious when they're in love."

I shook my head, looking down.

"Not Lilly. Lilly hides all of her emotions. It's so hard to read her."

"Oh please," Anna said. "Lilly is a girl. And all girls have the same reaction to love."

"What is it?"

"Nope." She shook her head. "I'm not telling you. It's a secret between girls only. But don't worry, you'll figure it out eventually."

"I'm trying," I groaned in frustration. "But she won't talk to me. I deserve to explain myself."

"Okay, let's just get something straight, Cooper," Anna said harshly. "You do not deserve her."

I barely had time to mutter an I know before she continued.

"Lilly will always be too good for you and that will never change. I will never understand how someone like you could ever make Lilly happy, but," Anna swallowed, looking down at her plate, "you do."

She looked up at me and for once the look wasn't filled with annoyance or distaste.

"And for that reason," Anna said with a half smile, "I am allowing you to be with her and potentially hurt her."

I grinned; her blessing meant more to me than any of us were willing to admit. "Thank you."

She shrugged, nonchalantly. "You make her happy. And who am I to keep that away from her."

"I still don't know how to get her back though," I sighed, miserably. "I've tried almost everything."

"Have you tried telling her how you feel?" Anna asked.

"Yes!" I groaned. "I've told her everything. I told her how much I loved her and wanted her back."

"Well, maybe it's not about telling her how you feel," Mike said, his eyes furrowed in thought.

"What do you mean?"

"You said that you told her how you feel, right?" he paused as I nodded my head. "If you really think about it, the reason Lilly is mad at you is because she thinks that you don't love her. She thinks that you were using her and that you're ashamed of her. Maybe instead of telling Lilly you love her, you should tell the everyone how much you love Lilly."

"That might actually be right!"
Anna smiled. "Lilly's mad because she thinks that you're still playing her. If you tell everyone how you feel, then she'll know it's not a game."

"I don't know," I said, skeptically. "What if she won't even listen?"

Anna frowned, taking pity on me. "Just prove to her that you're worth believing in and she'll come to you. Girls aren't really that complicated. Guys just like to say that because they're too lazy to actually fight for us."

"Hey," Mike protested. "I fought."

"No," Anna glared at him, but I still saw the smile forming on her lips. "I was so into you that all you had to do was say please."

Mike grinned triumphantly. "You were into me," he stated, not bothering to hide his joy.

"Yeah, yeah," Anna said. "But you're way more into me than I am to you."