“You ate a lot more of that than I would have if you’d made it,” Ward said.
“You made it for me. It… it meant a lot.”
No one else had ever done anything like that for me. Before or since.
“You mean a lot,” Ward murmured. “To me. Always have. Ever since you told Steve Banning to leave me the hell alone in second grade.”
“I did not come out on top in that fight,” I said, remembering the pain of the black eye he’d given me for my trouble.
I would’ve gone through it again in a heartbeat, though. I would’ve gone through worse for Ward.
“No, but you tried. It... I’ve never had another friend like you.”
I wanted to kiss him again.
“Can I tell you something?” I asked instead.
“Always.”
Yeah, I knew that. I knew I could always tell Ward anything.
I wished I’d told him more. That I’d been braver with him.
But I could start now.
“You’re the only person I’ve ever woken up next to,” I confessed, thumbing the collar of his plaid shirt and not quite meeting his gaze.
The corners of Ward’s eyes crinkled. “I’m honored.”
“You don’t think that’s pathetic?”
Ward shook his head. “Of course not. I know why. I don’t think it’s fair, but I don’t think it’s some kind of personal deficiency or anything. I mean it, I’m honored.”
He did mean it.
My phone went off, still hanging loose in his hand, and we both glanced at it.
“Leave it,” I said.
We could have one minute. One minute where it was just the two of us, together, no interruptions.
“Can I tellyousomething?” Ward asked.
“Always,” I said. He could always tell me anything, too. I hoped he knew that.
My phone buzzed again, but I didn’t even look at it this time.
“You’re my first ever boyfriend.”
I laughed, but the look in Ward’s eyes didn’t change. His hand was still on my hip, thumb stroking under the hem of my t-shirt, just above the waistband of my jeans.
Damn.
Damn.
“Sorry it’s not real,” I said, voice catching on the words.
Some distant part of my brain registered my phone making a sound again, but I didn’t care at all.
