With a one-shouldered shrug, I push off from the kitchen counter and close the distance between us. I feel like we’re two magnets fighting the distance that separates us any time we’re apart. And now that I know she’s okay with our normal and easy, I’m not about to keep fighting it.
“Yeah,” I answer, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer to me. “I stopped trying to hide it when he caught me moping after our little fight in the break room a while ago.”
“Moping?” she asks, her face glowing with amusement.
“Don’t make fun. That was rough for me.”
“I’m not making fun. I just think your terms of crush and moping are the cutest, most juvenile things I’ve ever heard.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Nope. And it was rough for me too,” she admits. “I just find it kind of adorable that Grady noticed. Is that why he kept inviting me to the Star Wars movie nights every Friday?”
My eyes widen in surprise. “He did?”
She nods. “Mm-hmm. Always made a point to say which movie you were going to watch and that I was welcome to come, despite our earlier conversation where I told him I was in time-out for something that happened between you and me and had yet to apologize.”
“We were both in time-out and needed to apologize,” I remind her. “I’m sorry, by the way.”
“Me too.”
“So, he really kept inviting you to movie night?” I prod.
“Sure did. He even tried to bribe me with chocolate.”
“Sneaky little punk. Although, if he would’ve let me in on his secret plot, I would’ve mentioned the white gummy bears.”
Throwing her head back, she laughs even harder. “And I would’ve caved in an instant. Apparently, he was trying to play matchmaker.”
“Apparently,” I mutter before sobering slightly. “So, are you okay with that? Grady knowing?”
She stays quiet and mulls it over for a few seconds, then toys with the cotton fabric on my sleeve, rolling it between her fingers as she decides. “I’m not sure we’d be able to keep it from Grady even if we tried. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to air it out to everyone else, either. That’s what I was trying to tell you through text last night. I like you, Owen. You know that. But I’m terrified of telling people that we might be trying this again.”
“Why?”
“I’m not saying this to hurt you or make you feel guilty, okay? But you weren’t here after we broke up, Owen. The looks I got from everyone in town after you left. The way they would whisper and pat me on the back, saying, ‘Poor girl. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.’ My mom would call me daily, checking up on me. My dad gave me a pep talk and told me to suck it up.” Her nostrils flare. “Everything fell apart, and I had to pick up the pieces. By myself. While everyone was watching me. Pitying me. It was just…rough.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Say––”
&n
bsp; She presses her hand to my chest. “I’m not going to ask you to promise me that, Owen. That’s not fair to you, and I’m sorry I even brought it up during the Fun Run all those weeks ago. I know that we can’t control everything. We can only do the best that we can, and I can’t let the fear of the unknown rule my life like that. Like I said, I’m not bringing this up to make you feel guilty for the way things went down back then. I’m just…not quite ready to tell the world.”
“Okay,” I exhale and kiss her forehead. “We’ll wait until you’re ready.”
Digging her teeth into her lower lip, she looks up at me through her thick upper lashes. “And you’re alright with that?”
“I want you to be happy, Say. Because you make me happy. And even though I’m dying to tell everyone that you’re giving me another chance, if I can’t shout it from the rooftops for a little while, that’s okay too.”
“You’re sure?” she asks.
“Yeah. But I gotta ask, would this have anything to do with Principal Wells’ rule?”
Her jaw drops. “You know about that?”
“He mentioned it at the Boo Bash.” I drop my voice down a few octaves and pull out my best Wells impression. “Glad to see you keeping your distance, my boy. Wouldn’t want to ruin her chances at VP next year, would you?”
She gasps. “He didn’t.”