Picking Up the PiecesChapter Eighteen - Part Two
Janelle
I breathe in as I take in the sight of blue water, and seeing plants slope downward below me. I’ve never been up here, this high, but there’s a first time for everything. I look to my left side as Leo stands next to me and takes my hand, and leads my closer to the middle of the small clearing.
“Janelle, I don’t want to drag this on,” he says suddenly, and I nod, though I have no idea what he means. “I’m assuming you know that I like you…” I smile, but just nod again as he looks down and slightly blushes. It makes sense now. “All I’m going to say is that if you want to-“
“Would I go on a date with you?” I jump to the conclusion, smiling, knowing that I just made this easy one him. He smiles so perfectly and sweetly back, nodding and turning a bit red again.
“Would you?” He asks softly.
I change my expression to having to think about an answer here. “I don’t know…” I say slowly. “What about the time that you almost dropped me in a lake, or let me fall out of a tree, or-“
“You loved it,” Leo interrupts, and I can hear the common teasing in his voice.
I sigh. “Well I did. And I would love to go on that date,” I finally tell Leo for sure, and he breathes a sigh of relief, and laughs. He takes both of my hands and pulls me closer.
“Correct answer,” he says with a small laugh, in almost a whisper. Then I feel his lips on mine once again, just like a sealed promise. It gives me hope; hope that Leo can be the light when my world is so dark, and I feel like we can make us work.
I hear some rustling in plants as I pull away. “They’ll probably be waiting,” I say quietly, and Leo nods in agreement. I take one last look at the view for now before Leo takes my hand and moves the same branch out of our way. I feel myself blush as out three friends smile when the see us come back hand in hand.
Mandy and Aly both raise their eyebrows in a questioning expression. I nod, knowing their question. For the rest of the walk down, Leo holds my hand in his as I watch Alex and Aly talk quietly at the front of the group. They’ve been pretty close lately, and Alex has seemed happy.
As soon as we see our camp, we know what we want to do, swim! So, Aly, Mandy, and I take turns changing in the tent, and I am last.
I know how I want to get in the lake after I've changed; the rope! I dart over the sand to the gigantic tree, holding its trunk as I make my way to the branch. I grab the rope as soon as I can reach it, and place my hands in the correct spot this time.
I’m laughing as I run forward off of the branch, and let go of the thick rope when I am over the water. The lake is cool and refreshing and I make a splash as I hit the water.
I hear Leo’s voice as a come up, take a breath, and rub my eyes. “That’s more like it,” he says, taking my hand again.
“Better than you!” I say, poking his shoulder.
“Is that a challenge?” he asks, and I smile and nod, watching as he steps out of the lake and makes his way to the rope, and I dive out of the way as he jumps in without warning. “Now beat that,” he teases as he comes to the surface.
“Oh please!” Aly yells from the branch, she got up there pretty fast. “I can do better than that!” Leo shoves me out of the way as he jumps to the side, too, right when Aly charges forward without warning. She lands in about the same spot Leo did.
Alex just swims over to Aly’s side, and everyone is laughing. That’s basically how the day went, until we decided it was time for another camp fire.
After helping Leo gather wood, and the fire has started and is burning, we all sit on our little log seats around in a circle, with our usual s’mores supplies. “Alex!” Aly obnoxiously says. “Ok guys, I don’t care who thinks what, but Alex…I really like you!” That was easy, how I wish I had the courage to say things like Aly. The three of us aren’t shocked, but Alex may be a bit surprised.
He looks straight at Aly, who is sitting next to him, after he quickly glances at me, seeming unsure, but I smile and nod him on. “Aly, you’re just great,” he laughs. “And in the past week, I know it’s fast, but I really have gotten to like you, too.”
“Yeah!” Aly says, so happy and excited, I can tell. She leans over on Alex’s shoulder, as he puts an arm around her and kisses her cheek. That was fast, and I feel a bit awkward. Why didn’t Alex tell me? I’m honestly surprised he moved on so quickly. The rest of the night seems to fly by; Mandy gets tired first, and soon Alex kisses Aly goodnight before they go in their separate tents. Leo and I are alone by the fire.
“Did you…ever feel anything for Alex?” he asks curiously, after a pause. I think about it. At one point…yes. But, around the time he liked me, I was beginning to fall for Leo. And I didn’t think I could commit to anything for Alex, if I felt that way.
“Maybe, once upon a time,” I admit, though it was not too long ago. “But now, you know my heart is yours.” I say this with true sincerity.
Leo puts an arm around me, and kisses my head. “I know,” he says. “And I also know I’m the luckiest guy in the universe.”
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