“No, you can’t,” I said, panicking. “Youcan’t leave yet.”
“Yeah, I can, and I should. You and loverboy need to work this out, and I’ve given it a lot of thought. Youshould be rebuilding that thing together.”
I swallowed. “The fort?”
“Yeah,” she said and nodded. “He’ll sayyes.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” she said, smiling. “Call himtonight. Tell him that Todd and I have to go back home, and thatyou want to finish what you’ve started. Tell him that you want tobe his friend first. And whatever you do, don’t have sex withhim.”
I laughed. “He’s still got agirlfriend.”
“Build that fort with him. Show him whathe’s missing.”
“Our friendship, you mean?”
“Yeah, you started out as friends. It allstarted there, right? You both building that darned fort?”
I nodded. “Yeah, it did.”
“Full circle, right?”
“You really think it’ll work.”
Alexis sighed. “If it doesn’t, I’ll be onthe first plane back here to get you and bring you home with me.But I got this feeling, Keri. He wouldn’t have been with you if itwasn’t something he truly wanted.”
I didn’t think he would either.
Chapter Eight
*Daughters…*
I called Paytonlike Alexis told me to. But I waited until she was in bed, andcouldn’t hear the conversation. It was embarrassing, me beggingthis guy, the guy that I fell completely in love with, to come helpme rebuild something that we both destroyed.
Pathetic.
The phone rang, and it was after eleven PM.I sucked.
He answered…groggily. “Yeah?”
“It’s me.”
Silence…
“Payton?”
Payton cleared his throat. “Yeah,sorry, I’m here.”
“I’m sorry, maybe I should just…”
“No! It’s fine…I’m here. What’s up?”
“Well, it’s just that, well, Alexis and Toddare going back home,” I blurted out and then, “and I need you tohelp me.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I was thinking that maybe we couldtalk?” I tried to be calm, but nothing was working. “Can you doit?”
“When?”
I took a deep breath and then blew it out.“I was thinking maybe tomorrow night? Or we could talk now?”
“Do you want me to come over?”
“I do.”
“Um, where?”
I tried to gather up my courage, and Isomewhat had it. “The, uh, you know?”
Payton chuckled softly. “I’ll be there intwenty minutes.”
Payton
I took a deep breath as I put my cellphonedown. Keri had called me, and wanted to meet.
I closed my eyes and thought of all thereasons why I shouldn’t leave the house right now. And none of themstuck. The truth was, I couldn’t wait to get there. I couldn’t waitto see her.
I got in my truck after a quick shower andheaded to our special spot, parking in the field about five-hundredyards from my parents’ house. I cut the lights fast, not wanting towake my mom and dad for fear that they’d know exactly what I’d beenup to.
When I finally made it to where we’d finallybeen together, the visions of Keri’s body clung to my mind like alifeline. I could see her skin, her eyes, and feel her mouthagainst my own. I put my hand in front of my face and swiped down.I needed to get a grip.
“Pay, is that you?” I heard Keri ask as Icame out from behind one of the trees.
“Yeah, it’s me.” I walked into her view andwe stood there awkwardly, like two idiot teenagers that just gotcaught making out in their parents’ house.
“Hey,” she said, and put her hands together,and was fidgeting like crazy.
“Hey.”
She took a deep breath and then came to meand put her arms out, and once again we were up against each other.She breathed in, and I could feel her heart against my own. God,I’ve missed her. “I missed you,” I said, and I felt hertremble.
“I’ve missed you, too.” She pulled back andlooked into my eyes. “How have you been?”
I laughed gruffly. “Not good.”
“Yeah?”
“No, I feel like shit. I…what I did…”
“Don’t, Payton. Honestly, what happened isover.”
I swallowed. “Is it? I mean, can you evenstand to look at me?”
“I love looking at you,” she admitted,crying. “You’re my best friend, Payton.”
I could feel my eyes tear up. I shook myhead and blew out a deep breath. “I feel the same.”
“Then what’s going on?” she asked. “What’swrong with us?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I feel ashamed ofwhat happened, but I don’t regret being with you.”
Keri sighed. “Oh, God, me, neither!”
I leaned in and kissed her on the lips and Iput my arms around her once more. “I broke up with Patti. Icouldn’t be with her, not anymore. You were, are, everythingto me. I just didn’t know what to say.”
Keri leaned back in my arms and sniffled. “Ithink we need to be friends first,” she said, eliciting a groanfrom me. I knew it was immature, but it took us forever to get tothis point, and for us to go from lovers to friends, just suckedbig time.
“You’re serious?”
Keri took a deep breath. “It was Alexis’sidea. She said we should be friends first, go back to what we werebefore all of this got complicated, and if we’re right for eachother we’ll find that again.”
I nodded, wanting to kill Alexis, but thegirl did have a point. “How long?”
Keri rolled her eyes. “However long ittakes,” she answered, and I laughed.
“Can we still kiss?” I asked, as I leaned inand kissed her first on the nose, and then each cheek. Keri wasjust as bad as I was; she leaned in for more.
“Yeah, we can do that,” she said, and Ismiled.
“Good. So, what’s the plan?”
“We rebuild the fort, and then talk aboutthe rest of it when it’s done.”
“The rest?”
Keri smiled and looked serious. “Life.”
I nodded and felt my throat clog. “I’d likethat very much.”
Keri smiled with unshed tears. “Good.”
Keri
Alexis and Todd didn’t end up leaving; itwas one of Alexis’s ploys to finally get me to stick up for myselfand to grow some as she’d said. It worked. We all still worked atthe Fun Fair, and at night, I built the tree fort, with Paytononly. Alexis and Todd were too busy slurping in different parts ofTexas. I didn’t mind though, I actually liked having them around,and Payton and I got to have that much-needed time toourselves.
We didn’t do it again, and that sucked, butI think Alexis did have a point for what she suggested, and Ireally do
