Page 14 of The One With The Secret Crushes

I didn't want to push her too hard, but I refused to let this continue open-ended. "I don't know if this is comforting or sad, but nothing has really changed. Everyone still hangs at my place; the boys are in and out all the time and so is Piggy."

She wrinkled her nose at my big brother's nickname. "I can't believe you still call him that."

"Like this town lets anyone shake their nicknames." At least mine was my name, just cute-ified. "Come over. We'll watch a movie or listen to music. We'll pick up where we left off and go from there. No obligations."

She worried her lip some more.

"I live on Creekside. Second house on the left."

"That's where Joanne lives." Her head popped up. "You're the blue house?"

I nodded. "And Joanne is the red house up the street." And Travis was the green house at the bottom and Piggy occupied the white house next door. Which was why everyone was always in and out of my house. To be fair, I was also in theirs, but mine was the hangout spot. At least during the week.

"That does sound like old times."

I wanted her in my house. I wanted her in my bed, but I was willing to take the house to start. "You used to like the controlled chaos." It drew her out of her shell in a safe space.

"You're sure?"

Her reluctance would be cute if it wasn't so damned frustrating. "I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't. I reached for her face again but stopped and picked up a strand of her hair, letting it coil around my finger. "I would really like to spend more time with you, Mackenzie. Please?"

I held my breath as her eyes drank me in, searching for clues or secrets. Or maybe she just needed to see that I was the same guy in a slightly older package.

She gave me a soft smile that made my heart soar. "What time?"

Five

Mackenzie

You deserve to have meals made for you.

I scoopedup the basket from my back seat and steadied my breath. I was nervous and I didn't know why. Everything I learned today was chaotic but good. Scott and I were still friends. I hadn't been forgotten or swept under the rug with old high school memories.

But the rest? It was hard to reconcile. In my mind, my crush was unreciprocated, but now I knew that wasn't true. Not at all. It was more than a crush. It was full blown interest.

I slammed the car door and looked up at the house. Scott stood on the porch looking lethally sexy with his hands on his hips. "You didn't need to bring anything. You know that."

I clutched my basket tighter. It was filled with armor in the form of food. My barrier between my nerves and whatever this was becoming. "I wanted to bake you cookies."

His eyebrows shot up. "You want tobakefor me?"

When he said it like that it sounded old fashioned. "I need something to do and you love cookies?" I shrugged.

He nodded once and met me at the foot of the steps to take it from me. "I'm glad you came. As promised, Piggy is playing video games in my living room."

So we weren't alone. A breath of relief escaped me. As much as I liked Scott, I needed an on-ramp. Some time to make my version of our past lineup with all this new information.

His other hand came to cup my elbow. The light contact sent a shiver over my skin and my belly swooping. "Welcome to my home."

I wanted to sway into his side, tuck myself there like it was where I belonged. He pushed open the door and I stepped into a short foyer that led to a soaring living room with wooden floors and large windows. A fireplace with gray stone dominated the far wall and a modern kitchen sprawled across the rest of the space.

Jasper—I refused to call him Piggy—sat in one of two low slung chairs in front of a large television playing something with enormous swords and ugly green creatures.

"Hey Jasper."

"Hey Mack! Long time no see." He didn't look away from his game and I didn't expect him to.

Scott set my basket on his large gleaming kitchen counter. It was a well laid out design which I should have expected from someone who made food his lifeblood. But still, I was a little surprised by all the smooth lines, the modern feel, and the gray. Scott had always been a flannels and jeans kind of guy and his wardrobe hadn't changed much, but apparently some other things had. In a way, I almost expected Scott's house to mirror the Shaw Homestead of our childhood, which was an older cabin-style home with wood everything and bright colors and ancient furniture.

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