Page 55 of The Apple Tree

“No. You?”

“No.” He stretched his neck right and then left to keep an eye on Josh through the hut walls. When he tried to adjust his body, it only made him rub against me more. “Seriously. What did youdo in this hut? You know, as a full-grown adult over four feet tall?”

I laughed. “This is where I bring guys to make out with them.” It was an obvious lie. And while turning our heads to look at each other was too close for comfort, I couldn’t help it when I felt him looking at me.

“You must be attracted to tiny men.”

I rolled my eyes.

Kyle’s gaze dropped from my eyes to my lips, so I rubbed them together, and it was suddenly too hot to wear a sweatshirt.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

I narrowed my eyes. “For what?”

He leaned in.

“I got it!” Josh yelled, and Kyle sat up straight.

Josh carried a handful of leaves to the hut and served us “venison” for dinner, which lasted thirty seconds before Kyle squeezed his big body through the door.

He leaned in to kiss me.Right?That almost happened.RIGHT?

I exhaled after holding my breath longer than I had ever held it before. When I crawled out and brushed off my backside, Josh grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the water.

“Not too close, buddy,” Kyle said behind us.

When I glanced back at him, he smiled—not an “I almost kissed you smile.” It was a normal smile.

But it happened. Didn’t it?

Suddenly, my song choice seemed irrelevant.

We headed toward the house after throwing a dozen rocks into the creek. Josh alternated between walking and running, keeping ten feet ahead of us the whole way.

I said nothing.

Kyle said nothing.

Nothing was hiding the biggest something ever.

He almost kissed me!

“You need a bath,” Kyle said when we reached the house.

“I want to play with my cars,” Josh protested, climbing the deck stairs.

“Twenty minutes. But then you’re getting a bath.”

“Fine,” Josh grumbled.

“Want something to drink?” Kyle asked me after he reached the top of the stairs.

I stood at the bottom, still in shock.

“Not the kind of drink you’d probably like,” he smirked, “more like 7 Up or Kool-Aid.”

I blinked. “Uh,” I slowly nodded. “Okay.”

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