“Good luck.”
“Thanks, I’ll probably need it.”
We hung up. As I stared at the closed blinds next to my bed, my phone buzzed in my hands. A picture came onto my screen. It was another picture of Skyler and me, a little older, that Willow must’ve taken from the scrapbook. It was from right before he left. We were sitting on the couch in my living room. He was looking at the camera and I was looking at him. My eyes were happy and something about looking at the picture now made my chest ache.
The picture was followed by a message from Willow:I know I’d forgive anyone who looked at me like that.
I smiled. She was right. We had too much history to let this misunderstanding come between us.You’re the best.
True. Also, study that pic. You can no longer deny that your thirteen-year-old self wanted to kiss his face off.
My heart seemed to take up residence in my ears as it thumped three times as loud as normal. I zoomed in on the picture, my dreamy eyes, my smile. No, she was wrong. I may have loved Skyler with all my best friend heart back then, but I hadn’t wanted to kiss him.
No, I didn’t,I texted back.
My heart kept thumping in my ears as I slid my finger across the screen until Skyler’s magnified face came into view. His light brown eyes crinkled at the corners, his expression happy. No, I hadn’t wanted to kiss him back then.
But maybe I do now.
I knew it!! Go get your mannnn!
I dropped my phone on the mattress and covered my eyes with my hands. Why did I have to make this complicated?
One thing at a time. First, I needed to clear things up, get our friendship back on track; then I’d sort out those other things. I was not going to ruin my childhood friendship over messyfeelings.