I blush. Rebecca was always the one who did the talking when it came to our love lives. Rebecca saw everything that was going on in mine, and it was mostly nothing. It feels weird totalk about personal details of my relationship with Andrew, even if that’s what girls always seem to do.
“We didn’t have sex.” Dani’s eyebrows raise a bit. “I’m assuming that’s what you were implying,” I pin her with a questioning look, and she nods to confirm. “We came close, but I just wasn’t ready yet. Andrew is incredible and I really want to share that with him, but I don’t take something like that lightly. I think there’s a part of me that hesitates because I know we only have a couple more weeks together before our relationship will primarily exist over Facetime and texts.”
Dani nods along with me. There’s no judgment in her face, and I feel comforted. For a brief moment, I feel just like I’m talking with Rebecca. She was always a big talker, but at the end of the day, I know she had the same values as me, which was why we got along so well.
“You shouldn’t take it lightly. I’m proud of you for not rushing into things, and I hope Andrew was understanding about it.”
I immediately jump to his defense. “Oh, Andrew was beyond understanding. He didn’t pressure me at all. He told me we would take things one step at a time.” I can’t help the smile spreading across my face.
“You aresoin love! I enjoy seeing you like this,” Dani says, bursting with support.
“Thank you. I am, and it’s terrifying. I don’t see Andrew ever hurting me, but the deeper we get into things, the scarier it gets because I realize more and more of me is invested. I already know how much it hurts to lose the people you love,” I trail off. “I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to lose someone who is still here. It’s one thing to not be able to see and talk to Grandpa and Rebecca now, but to love Andrew like this and then have to watch him live his life without getting to be a part of it anymore would be so hard.”
Dani gives me a half-hearted smile. “That’s how love worksunfortunately, but you can’t have it without taking the risk, and it’s so worth the risk.”
Again, I find myself wonderinghow the heck does she know these things?I’ve never known Dani to be in a relationship. As far as I know, she hasn’t even had her first kiss. She’s always been immersed in her studies and her photography. But then again, she did buy that alcohol with her apparent fake ID for Rebecca two summers ago, so there’s probably a whole side to her that I don’t know.
“Is there something I should know? Since when were you the expert on love advice?”
She chuckles lightheartedly, brushing the question aside quickly. “All I’m saying is you took a risk to get Andrew in the first place, and love will continue to be a series of risks. You’ve already learned time is fleeting. Don’t keep waiting to talk with him.”
“You’re right. I’m taking another risk tonight just meeting up with Brendan and Andrew. Andrew still won’t tell me what we are doing.”
Dani’s eyes fill with hope. “Well, I hope they show you a really good time and get you to loosen up. Summer is almost over. Then it’s back to the grind.”
I whip my head around to glare at her. “I have loosened up! Andrew and I went skinny dipping this summer, and I’m about to do a mud run for crying out loud! You know what that kind of thing does to a neat freak? I’m starting to have nightmares about it already!”
The edges of her mouth quirk. “This is what I’m talking about. If you were truly loose, you wouldn’t be freaking out about getting dirty on a mud run that’s several days away.”
I purse my lips, unsure how to argue back.
“Hey, do me a favor and sit on the stump. I’m trying to do more photos with humans. Inanimate objects aregreat and easy for me to capture, but I think it’d be a good challenge to start trying to do photos with people.”
I arch an eyebrow. “How is it more difficult to take pictures of people than a tree a stump? You literally bring something dead back to life again when you take photos of a tree stump. Humans are already alive.”
She tilts her head. “You’re right, but with humans, there’s movement and emotions, and I have to figure out how to perfectly capture all of that to tell a story. I only get one second before the movement or the emotion is gone.”
She lifts her camera and snaps a photo of me quickly. I frown. “I wasn’t even ready! You’re horrible at taking pictures of people!” I tease.
“See, I told you. I need to work on it.” She winks. Then she holds the camera out for me to see. “I was capturing the understanding on your face. It’s kind of beautiful. Talk to me more about Andrew. Those photos could be great, a girl in love.” There’s a dreamy look in her eye.
I do as she says, and we sit there for at least half an hour while she snaps photos, and I talk about how much I’m in love with Andrew.Can you believe it? I’m in love!
“Emma! It’s been way too long. Andrew literally won’t shut up about you, but he hasn’t exactly wanted to share you, either,” Brendan teases.
I blush, and I watch as Andrew does too. “Oh, shut up!” He turns to me. “He’ssuchan exaggerator.”
“No, I’m not!” Brendan insists. “Dude, you already have the girl. It’s not even embarrassing to talk about her all the time. If anything, it’ll just make her like you even more.”
I laugh. I forgot how fun Brendan is.
I glance at the building in front of us. It’s literally calledYeehaw’s. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a sillier name. “So, what is this? Why are we here?” I interrogate the boys, anxiety practically coming out of my pores.
Andrew turns to Brendan. “Do you want to do the honors?”
“Is this another one of your high school insider secrets or something?”
Brendan laughs. “No! Andrew hasn’t been here before, either, but I go to college half an hour away from here, and all my friends make the drive out here just to come to this place on the weekends.”
