Best Friends With Benefits

Chapter Thirty Four

"That's it? No confusing, embarrassing story on how you met, why didn't you just tell me this weeks ago?" I sighed, I at least thought an element of it would be cute but it was just boring. There was no story to tell unlike myself who was currently in the middle of a relationship crisis and some sort of strange disorder that meant I couldn't control my love and couldn't decide between a friendship and a relationship. After a disappointing lunch I left Alex and completed several assignments in my next class making me even more grateful that the end of the day had arrived.

I sauntered out of the classroom to see Gale waiting at the door.

"Oh, hey" A smile sweeping my face and infecting onto his.

"Hey, you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"You asked me to come over to your house after school?" Now I remembered, I did didn't I.

"Sure, let's go" As we wandered through the hallways it felt odd to have Gale walking next to me and not have his protective arm around my shoulder that I was used to. I also continually swept my eyes over turnings, alert that Aiden may see me exiting school with Gale. That definitely would not look good, however much I told him 'it's not what it looks like'.

We reached Gale's car and he held open the door as I slid in, he climbed into his own side and hummed the engine setting off. We left the school behind us with the radio blasting out of the open windows. We came to a turning and Gale took a left turn.

"Where are we going?" This wasn't the way to my house, I looked over to see Gale smiling as he concentrated on the road ahead. For an unknown reason I didn't mind where we were going I just didn't want it to end.

"Well I thought we could grab a bite to eat" He glanced over to me for a moment and I flashed him a smile. Gale was acting as if we were in the past and that he hadn't told me he loved me which still tug at my heart every time I thought about it. The summer breeze was playing at my hair and I continually had to remove it from my face. After 10 minutes we pulled up outside a small shack, nicely decorated and hidden in the trees it held the classic beach vibe with wood exterior and the front of the building fully open to access the outside seating. I had never been here before which was surprising and I was suddenly excited to be here.

"This place is beautiful" I admired the few willow trees and the shells that scattered the floor as we entered. The place wasn't a  cafe nor a restaurant but had a barbeque sizzling at the back and the smell of grilling meat filled our noses and taunted our hungry stomachs.

"I love it here" Gale rested a hand onto my back as he guided me up the small steps and into the main room which was opened out into a small bar area. There were a few customers but it might as well have been empty as they were spread over the expanse space.

"Gale!" I heard a woman's voice squeal with glee and a lady in her forties tottered towards us wearing an apron around her waist and flour dusted on her skin. I didn't know who she was but automatically her presence seemed welcoming. Her brown hair was in a messy bun and her face looked weathered but still elements of youth shone through. She grabbed Gale and pulled him into a tight hug and he laughed at her embrace. I stood awkwardly to the side not knowing whether she had acknowledged my presence therefore I admired the surroundings, looking at the canvas paintings on the walls and wondering what some of them represented. The walls were a light blue and white with straw flooring reflecting a beach shack feel.

The woman released Gale and he winced slightly fixing his now crumpled t-shirt.

"Peyton, this is my aunt Jolene" She turned to me, her face holding a wide smile and she stretched out her arms and embraced me. I wasn't sure how to react at first but automatically returned the hug, she was only slightly taller than me.

"Peyton, what a beautiful name" She complimented as she released me and I stood back slightly to now fix my wrinkled dress, she was a tight hugger.

"Thank-you" I began to blush slightly and Gale rested a hand on my shoulder to comfort me which helped since I was always awkward when meeting new people but having Gale's contact was soothing.

"Is this the girl you told me about Gale?" Jolene faced Gale and smiled into his eyes almost intimidating him to admit the truth but he stepped behind me, still gripping my shoulder almost as if to hide his face from my view.

"Aunt" He demanded but she only laughed it off and took Gale's hand to lead him further into the room, as he moved forward he faced me and grabbed my hand, pulling me with him until we both reached the back door of a hallway. Gale led me outside leaving his Aunt back inside the building to tend back to her kitchen.

The land was beautiful, only a mile from the coast the ground contained sand within the grass shards, several metres away was a large lake reflecting the afternoon sun. There were birds flying overhead and the land outstretched all the way to the beach where the sound of the gently crashing waves was just about audible now that we sat in complete silence. Gale turned to me and opened his mouth ready to speak when my phone buzzed in my pocket, Gale looked partially disappointed and looked back into the sunlight as  I dug into the denim to find the device. When I pulled it out I saw it was Aiden on the other end and as if by instinct I pressed 'Decline' and stuffed it back into my shorts to return my gaze back into Gale's eyes.