My Casey

“First, you’ve got nothing to be confused about,” he said. “I wanted to kiss you. I did. I’ve thought a lot about kissing you.”

“I haven’t been back in town long, Rusty.”

She watched him take a deep breath. “Let me put it to you another way. I’ve been wanting that kiss for a long time. Let’s go back to maybe high school.”

“High school? You weren’t into me in high school.”

“Yeah, I was.”

“No, you weren’t.”

He chuckled. “You want to argue about if I was into you or not, or accept that I’ve been wanting to kiss you ever since the first time I saw you fall on your ass and I was there to help you up.”

Casey paused.

“That was kindergarten,” she said. “I fell on the playground, and you were the only one to help me back up.”

“I know, and since then I’ve been wanting to kiss you.”

“I left town.”

“Didn’t stop me from wanting you.”

“You never came to get me.”

“You didn’t know I had feelings for you. Again, I can’t change what happened.” He took another step toward her. “The only person who doesn’t know how I feel is you. You being back in town, I like.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. Not even saying you want me. I didn’t expect to tell you any of this. You want the truth, and that is all I’ve got to say.”

“It’s a lot to take in.”

“I can handle a lot. Can you?” he asked. “This doesn’t change anything.”

“It should change a lot of somethings. You’re admitting to wanting me, and it’s kind of … a long-time thing.”

He reached out, pushing a curl out of the way. “So?”

“Ugh, this is too much.”

“You know you have feelings for me as well,” he said.

“I do?”

“I know you responded to my kiss. I know you enjoyed it and wanted it.”

“But it doesn’t change anything,” she said. “I may not stay in town. I’ve got no reason to stay in town.” She hated saying those words.

This was all making her a little scared, a little fearful.

He sighed. “Look, I’m not trying to make your life difficult here. You know I want you. The kiss, it meant something, and you can scream how it didn’t, but the truth is, we both know it did and nothing is going to change that.” He shrugged. “I’m not going to ask you to change or to be anything different. You’re scared, I get it. You don’t think I am?”

“What do you have to be scared of?”

“You’re rejecting me right now, Casey. Don’t you see that?”

“I’m not rejecting you.”

“You’re rejecting what we have right now because it scares you.”

She let out a sigh.

“It’s fine. I can handle you being scared. I can take this slow.” He leaned in close and brushed his lips across hers.

“I don’t know what I’m doing right now,” she said.

“What do you want to do?”

“I … I want to stay with you.”

“Then stay. Pull up a chair while I finish the day’s work.”

“You don’t want me to leave?” She hadn’t exactly been nice to him. He’d been open with her, and she’d shut him down.

She was the worst bitch in the world.

“No, I don’t want you to leave,” he said.

“Why are you working this late?” she asked, sliding down into the only available chair she could see.

“With all the nosy bastards today, I have to play catch-up. I don’t like running behind schedule, and when I make promises to people, I keep them.” He looked toward her. “Just like I’m going to make a promise to you, Casey.”

“You don’t have to make me any promises.”

“I’m not giving up on this. I felt how responsive you were to the kiss. Deep down, I know you want this.”

“You can’t make promises like that.”

“I just did.” He smirked. “I won’t give up. You may be used to people giving up on you, but I’m not going to be one of them.”

She was really glad she didn’t walk away.

****

One week later

“One smoking hot kiss and nothing else?” Buster asked.

“We’re not talking about this.”

“What did you do wrong?”

“Nothing!” He stood up, glaring at his friend. He was fixing up a couple of the fair canopies. Tourists had been arriving for the past few days for the annual food festival the town liked to participate in.

This was one of the main reasons he’d not seen Casey all week. She hadn’t been by to write, or set up in his office. He wasn’t going to be upset by her absence. Her mother had stopped by to drop off more leftovers but also to let him know she was busy, and wasn’t brushing him off.

He got it, he did.

She was scared, and he saw it.

But he also knew she was running once again from her writing. He was going to have to tie her to a chair or something in order for her to do as she was told.