I helped her into the car and waited until they left the property.
On my way back to the house, I saw through one of the windows Cathy walking alone and without direction through the garden.
I approached her without the slightest care, but she didn't notice my arrival. She was absent to the point of ignoring everything around her.
"What are you doing here alone? It's cold," I said.
"What are you doing here? I thought you would be with your girlfriend," she said, gritting her teeth.
She avoided my gaze and started walking in the opposite direction of me.
"Are you jealous?"
"Jealous? Why would I be?" she said, walking faster.
I followed her and grabbed her hand. "Wait."
"Leave me alone, okay?" she replied with a firm voice and her eyes storming imminently.
"I can explain, please."
"Explain what? You don't have to explain anything to me. You and I are nothing but friends," she said with a cracking tone.
"Do you really feel that way?"
"Get away from me," she growled.
I pulled and caught her in my arms, she pushed me away and tried to break free, but the harder she tried, the tighter I held her.
"You're jealous, it's leaking out of every pore of your body, and I like it," I whispered.
She continued to struggle until she surrenderedin my arms.
"Yes, I admit it," she said, raising her voice. "I was jealous. Are you happy?"
"Now I am," I said, bringing my body closer.
Tonight’s moon is obscured by a cloud, and the stars are scarce in the sky. I lay down on the grass and held her to my chest, not caring if my clothes were ruined.
"That dress looks beautiful on you. Since I chose it, I kept picturing how beautiful you would look with it on."
She plopped down on top of me, snuggled into my chest, and we watched the cloudy sky.
"Why did you bring her?" she asked me.
"Because I knew you would stop fooling yourself and accept that you are in love with me," I answered her without further ado.
"Is she in love with you?"
"I don't think so. Her father is pressuring her to go out with me, and honestly, she means nothing to me. I only agreed to go out with her to please my mother."
She sighed and started massaging my bicep.
"Don't do that again," she exclaimed.
"Only if you admit you're head over heels in love with me," I challenged her.
Her pulse quickened. She leaned against my chest, letting her hair brush against my face, and looked up at me with her stormy gray eyes. "I like you, and I can't explain how I feel about you," she confessed. "All these years, I tried to forget you, but I always dreamed about you, or you came to my mind whenever you could."
