The Risk To Love

CH 28: Spilling The Beans & Trust Issues

I stared in awe at where he'd taken me. I recognized where we were instantly. I painted this exact scenery a thousand times.

It was a little clearing that was hidden on the left side of the woods near the Oakwood camp site and a few picnic parks. It was my absolute favorite place to come to clear my thoughts and vent most of the time. I'd discovered it when I was a kid and it became my secret of an escape from reality.

If you saw the view you'd understand why. It was a flat boulder that was naturally shaped as a huge deformed chair which made me think it was actually used by the king of the forest. Well, what my 10 year old self assumed. It was safe enough to climb onto and was set sturdily on a cliff overlooking Pine river. Surrounding it was patches of daisies and green grass giving it a magical feel.

"My special place..." I sighed outloud walking round the chair listening to the crickets chirp and the rush of the water beneath us.

"How'd you know?" My voice faltering. I hadn't been here in so long I had nearly forgotten the peaceful and serene emotion that it filled me with.

"I saw it in one of your paintings..." he scratched the back of his head sheepishly his hands deep in his pocket. "...and I came across it the other day. I figured you came here alot."

My smile stretched wider at the realization of him noticing the little things like that.

"What?" He asked getting weirded out by enormous grin.

"Nothing. It's just that you actually can be a good guy on certain occasions," I gushed.

His face slightly reddened. "Don't push it Taylor."

Tapping the spot beside me he hopped up and plopped down leaning back. Both of our legs swinging off the edge with the rippling water beneath us.

"Isn't it beautiful up here?" I leaned back on my hands tilting my head back to gaze at the sky full of stars.

"It sure is," he replied. Although I felt his eyes on me the whole time instead of the view. His intense look and bright eyes made me look back and forth before sitting up straight. I felt so nervous and giddy around him I still didn't understand how my brain was functioning.

"You cold?"

"Nah," I shrugged giving him an appreciative loop sided smile.

"Good...cause I wasn't gonna give my jacket," he exhaled deeply leaning back next to me earning him a punch in the shoulder.

"I used to come here all the time after my aunt passed," I reminisced. "...to think and try to clear my head-"

I glanced quickly facing him to meet his chiseled face and dimples that were on full display.

"You're probably tired of hearing me rant on and on about myself-"

"Surprisingly, your rants amuse me so I wanna listen," he snaked his arm behind me making me scoot over a little closer trying to be subtle about it since it was starting to get a little chilly. But he picked up on my body language and had to make another innuendo.

"I knew you couldn't keep your hands off of me," he joked. I warned him to stop otherwise the next punch would be right in his ribs.

"Thanks for tonight." His voice faltering on purpose at the word thanks so I wouldn't hear his apology.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I didn't quite hear you," I put my hand near my ear squinting my eyes.

"I appreciate what you did for me and for saving my life eventhough I could've handled the situation," I quirked my eyebrow at that sentence waiting for the actual full apology.