My eyes pierce Nathan Campbell’s unfairly handsome face.
The timing.
The stupid timing has always been off with us.
It made sense when I was twelve and he was eighteen. There’s no way that would have been acceptable in any form.
It made sense when he first came to Lucky Falls and I was trying to protect my heart and the secret involving Betty and my old job.
Now, I’m taking matters into my own hands.
No more interruptions.
No more misunderstandings.
No more half-truths.
“Riles,” Nat says, “I?—”
Jaw set, I grab his hand and march him into my living room. Nat stumbles behind me, more from the shock than from anything.
He’s so much bigger than me that I shouldn’t be able to lift even one of his legs, much less throw him around.
But that’s exactly what I do.
Steering him by the arm, I turn him so his back is to the couch and shove him into the cushions, being mindful to situate him away from the thick OEM books scattered on the other side of the couch.
Nat falls into the chair, eyes wide and a shocked expression creasing his face.
“Before you say anything, I have something to tell you.” I back away from the couch, square my shoulders and stick out my chin. “I’ve had a crush on you since before I knew what a crush was.”
Nat blinks slowly.
Is he horrified? Is he amused? I have no idea.
That’s not the point right now.
I tap a finger into my hand, making my point harshly. “Back then, all I knew was that I liked your green eyes, and I liked it when you played with me. I didn’t like sharing you with Chris. I wanted you all to myself.”
Memories of fighting with my brother to have Nat join me on the slide or push me on the swings flash through my head.
“I got older and I heard my friends at school talking about their crushes and how nervous they got around them. And I realized that I was increasingly nervous around you. Especially when you smiled.”
Nat’s lips curve into a smile.
I swat at him. “Don’t smile right now, Campbell. It’s distracting.”
He pulls his lips into his mouth, but his eyes can’t hide his amusement.
“The first time I tried wearing makeup, it was to impress you. I don’t know if you remember, but I walked out with purple eye shadow and smeared red lips and you and Chris laughed me out of the room.”
“I remember that. I thought you were trying to be funny.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t. And it kept happening. The first time I tried high heels, it was thinking of what you said about some girl on the cheerleading team who flirted with you at practice.”
Nat’s eyebrows jump. “Is that the day you fell down the stairs?”
“Yes, it was.”
