Page 82 of The Things That Hold Us

“You're the calm to my storm, Charlie.” he says flatly. Like he doesn’t want to say it, but he has to.

“I am?”

His eyes meet mine, and this time, all I see is love.

I’ve seen that look, I know that look, and it feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest.

He can’t love me–not this soon. Can he?

He doesn't say anything else on the drive home, and neither do I.

When he drops me at Cassie’s he barely says a word before driving off.

“Whoa. What’s wrong with him?” Cassie asks me.

I look at her with tears in my eyes.

“I think he’s in love with me.”

Chapter Sixteen

Is it love

“Come again? You think he’s in love with you?”

I bite at my nails, pacing back and forth in Cassie's apartment.

“Oh my god, babe, if you don't sit down and tell me what happened on your little trip I'm going to pull my hair out.” she snaps at me, and I stop walking.

“We kissed, Cass…and not like a normal soft peck on the lips. This was a full on passionate kiss like you see in movies, and it woke up places in my body that haven’t been awake in averylong time.”

Her eyes go wide, and her mouth hangs open.

“How was it?” she asks, leaning in.

I plop down on the couch next to her, and cover my face with my hands.

“It was absolutely incredible. Cass, I’ve never in my life been kissed like that. Not even with Sam.”

I sit up and face her.

“What do I do? I need you to tell me what to do.”

“What do you mean, tell you want to do? You like him right?”

I pause, not sure how to answer that. I’ve been shoving any feelings I have for him deep deep down and trying to smother them.

“I dont know.” I finally say. And it's true. I don't know how I feel about him, not really.

But that look in his eyes. I could just feel it.

I tell Cassie everything; from the ice cream, to the nightmares, to him telling me I’m the calm to his storm.

By the time I finish, her mouth is hanging wide open. She doesn't say anything for a long minute and then she finally says, “Is the only thing stopping you Sam?”

I swallow the lump in my throat, then look down at my feet.

“It just doesn't feel fair to him.” My voice is so low I’m not even sure she heard me.

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