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rushed
into his arms, inhaling his scent, always spice and freshness, like clothes
drying in the ocean breeze. The strength of his body absorbed the weight of
mine as his arms wrapped around me.
    "Where've
you been?" I kept my nose crushed into his chest as he held me tight, that
dull fuzz he always produced zinging through my brain.
    "Sorry,
I'm sorry." His face turned into my hair.
    "I
was so worried." Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes, but I laughed
in between words. Crazy laughing.
    "I'm
sorry," he said again, as he cupped the back of my neck. "My dad...we
had to leave...my mamaw...."
    "Is
she okay?" I'd never met his dad, much less his grandmother, but if he
hurt, so did I.
    "She
is now." His face tensed for a second. "I…ah…forgot my charger."
He massaged the back of my head, the fuzz gearing into overdrive. "All your
calls clogged up my voicemail."
    "Well!
Don't do that again, okay?" The neediness in my voice made me cringe.
    Holding
up two fingers, he said, "Scouts' honor." He put some space between
us and zipped his coat. "Let's go inside, out of the mud."
    He never
wanted to come in before, and I never asked him to. "But my dad–"
    "Then
let's go somewhere. I missed you."
    "I
missed you, too." Well, the weak, needy, annoying part of me missed him. "How
'bout a walk in the woods instead?"
    He
scrunched his nose, never a fan of the outdoors, but nodded. "As long as I
get to be with you, I don't care where we go."
    "Just
let me grab a sweatshirt."
    He
groaned.
    Laughing,
I trudged up the cement blocks. "Two minutes."
    When I
came back outside, I gave him a shy smile, bunching my hair in a messy bun.
Zander grinned and took my hand, heading toward the woods.
    We
walked for about five minutes before my nerves wouldn't let me keep quiet. "You
going to work? Jake's pissed, but if you explain, I'm sure he'll..."
    I glanced
up to find him staring, his usual smirk nowhere in sight. His dark eyes,
intense and serious, never left mine. Whatever the change, I felt more
self-aware because of it.
    He
stopped in the middle of the path and grabbed my other hand. "Yeah, I'm goin'.
Jake'll understand…especially if you plead on my behalf."
    "Consider
your behalf pleaded." I fidgeted with his fingers.
    He
tugged me down the path as I all but forgot how strong I felt without him.
    Once we reached
the edge of the stream, he did something I'd never thought he'd do. He bent
down, touching his lips to mine. At first, his mouth was gentle, tentative,
asking for my permission. Giving it to him, I let go of his hands and dug my
fingers through his hair, pulling him close.
    I
felt…nothing. Just that damn fuzz clogging my better judgment.
    Maybe
this was what everyone felt? Always thought my first kiss would have more effect
on the heart–have me tingling somewhere else, at least.
    I mean,
really. He was cute, with smooth brown skin that never needed acne cream or a
razor, and he always smiled. But…nothing.
    Nothing?
    I broke
away. "Ah, wow. That was…"
    "Amazin'.
Perfect."
    Not
exactly…
    He touched
his forehead to mine. "You think maybe we could at least try, you know, to
be more than friends?"
    I
dragged myself away and sat on the bank. "I-I don't know. Maybe?"
    He sat
beside me, flinging some rocks into the water. "I know I'm not Him ,
but I'm real, and I'm right here. All you gotta do is say yes."
    I'd
waited my whole life to meet the guy with gray eyes. Stupid, yes, but when his
face appeared in my dreams… yeah, maybe it was time to tuck the fairy tale
away. "Yeah, okay, let's do it."
    "Huh."
    I gave
his shoulder a bump. "What do you mean, 'huh'?"
    A lazy
smile lit up his face. "When I pictured this moment, I always expected
somethin' like rainbows and fireworks. Not, ' yeah, okay .'"
    I gave
him a kiss on the cheek. Still nothing, damn it. "Oh, yes, Alexander
Klein! I'd love to go steady with you." I did my best southern accent and
fluttered my lashes. "Better?"
    "Much."
He kicked at the dirt, staring at his shoes.