Page 126 of It Couldn't Be You
“Logistically, we’ll figure it out together. No one gets left behind. I would much prefer to be around you as much as possible, so that can be considered as we plantogether.” He grabbed my wrists and pulled me a couple of steps closer.
“The feeling is obviously mutual,” I said. “I am so sick of missing you.”
“And with the family—” He started, but this time I held up my hand when he tried to interrupt me.
“That’s just growing up, isn’t it? Family dynamics and friendship dynamics evolve and change. I’m going to be with you because I want to be, and whatever happens, happens.”
“Whatever happens, happens?” he repeated, skeptical but hopeful.
“The whole lot of ‘em will get over it. And you know what? If we crash and burn, they’ll get over that, too, won’t they?” I took another step closer.
He entangled his fingers in mine. “So you want to give this thing a shot?”
He’d asked me this a couple of times before, and I always regretted my answer. I never had the guts to answer him honestly. This time I wanted to get my response right. I wanted to say exactly what I wanted.
“I want us to start kissing on a regular basis,” I said, bringing my face closer to his, harkening back to something he had said back in Cambria. And because, dear God, I really did want to kiss him as often as I could.
He grabbed my arms and pulled me in, his eyes dropping to my mouth. “Then let’s start.”
And we kissed. I don’t know for how long.
Forty-Eight
“What?” Katie said, standing on the front porch, mouth agape at the two of us kissing in the driveway.
I pulled away from Gabriel, my hand to my mouth. I should’ve expected her to walk out at any moment. “We were just…” I started.
“Kissing?” Katie’s squeaked.
“Yes,” I said. Gabriel was half laughing, half grinning at the situation.
“When did this happen? The kissing? Is this new?” She walked down to us.
“Newish?” Gabriel offered. Her ran a finger through his hair. “Well, it first happened a few years ago. Then it happened a lot on the trip.”
Katie’s eyes were huge. My eyes were huge, too. I put my hand to Gabe’s mouth to quiet him.
“Okay, let me explain,” I said. Gabe kissed my hand. Katie gasped. “You’re not helping,” I whispered to him.
“Why are you hiding stuff from me? What is happening?” Katie’s voice kept getting higher. “Why are you here?” she asked Gabe. “You’re supposed to be flying in tomorrow morning for the rehearsal dinner.”
“I hopped on an earlier flight,” Gabe said far too casually in my opinion. “I wanted to come see Emma.”
“You wanted to comekissEmma. Are you guys… I shouldn’t even have to be asking this question. How am I, the sister and best friend of you both, having to ask this question?” She put her fingers to her temples.
“We are not dating,” I said. “Or actually, now we... are? We’re… There’s you know…feelings. Of course, we didn’t just kiss for no reason. We’re in the talks.”
“In the talks?” Both Katie and Gabriel repeated.
“We’re like right in the middle of talking about everything. Literally,” I gestured between us.
“It’s true,” Gabe added.
“Well then, sorry for interrupting your secret relationship chat!” Katie stormed off toward the house. I chased after her.
“Katie, wait.” I raced into the house. Katie stood in the empty kitchen with tears down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Katie. I wasn’t hiding…” But I realized that wasn’t true as I said it.
