“If only trees were as pretty as flowers,” I remark.
He moves to stand in front of me. “They could be, if someone made them that way. Just the way we took ordinary flowers and turned them into this, the same could be done with a tree. If it was given the right type of attention and care, it could glow like these flowers, but be much stronger.” I stay silent as he brings his thumb to my cheek. “You deserve that type of attention. You deserve to be with someone who makes you glow, not who burns out your light.”
Then Zed leans in to kiss me.
I take a step back and smack into a row of flowers; thankfully none fall as I steady myself. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“You can’t what?” He raises his voice slightly. “Let me be the one to show you how happy you could be?”
“No . . . I can’t kiss you, not right now. I can’t go back and forth between the two of you. I was in your bed last night, then I kissed Hardin this morning, and now . . .”
“You kissed him?” He gapes, and I’m grateful for the room being dark except for the glow from the flowers.
“Well, he kissed me, but I let him before I pulled away,” I explain. “I’m confused, and until I know what I’m going to do, I can’t go around kissing everyone. It’s not right.”
He doesn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry if I’m leading you on or making you think—”
“It’s fine,” Zed says.
“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have brought you into the middle of this until I could think straight.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m the one who keeps coming around. I don’t mind being led on, as long as you’ll have me around. I know we could be good together, and I have all the time in the world to wait for you to see it, too,” he says and walks over to turn the light on.
How can he always be so understanding?
“I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me, you know?” I tell him and sling my bag over my shoulder.
“I would never hate you,” he says, and I smile.
“Thank you for showing me this—it’s incredible.”
“Thanks for coming. Let me at least walk you to class, though?” he offers with a smile.
BY THE TIME I get to the locker room to change and grab my mat, I arrive at yoga class only five minutes early. A tall brunette has taken my spot in the front, and I’m forced to sit in the back row closest to the door. I had planned on telling Zed that I’d never be able to feel the same way about him that I do about Hardin, that I was sorry for kissing him, and that we could only be friends, but he just kept saying all the right things. When he told me about Hardin being at Jace’s last night, it totally caught me off guard.
I always think I know what to do until Zed starts talking. The smoothness of his voice and the kindness behind his eyes always flusters me and messes with my thoughts.
I need to call Hardin when I get back to Landon’s and tell him about my lunch with Zed, and ask him why he was at Jace’s . . . I wonder what Hardin’s doing now? Did he go to classes at all today?
Yoga class was exactly what I needed to clear my head. When the class is dismissed, I feel much better. I roll up my mat and head out of the room, then suddenly hear “Tessa!” as I reach the locker room.
When I turn around, Hardin jogs up to meet me and runs his hands over his hair. “I, um . . . I wanted to talk to you about something . . .”
He sounds off, like he’s . . . nervous?
“Right now? I don’t think this is the place . . .” I don’t want to hash out all of our problems in the middle of the athletic building.
“No . . . it’s not that.” His voice is high-pitched. He’s nervous; this can’t be good. He’s never nervous.
“I was wondering . . . I don’t know . . . Never mind.” He flushes and turns around to walk away. I sigh and turn to go inside to change.
“Would you go out with me!” he yells . . . practically screams, really.
I can’t hide my surprise as I turn around. “What?”
“Like a date . . . you know, like, I could take you on a date? Only if you want to, of course, but it could be fun, maybe? I’m not sure, really, but I would . . .” He trails off, and I decide to end his humiliation as his cheeks flush a deep crimson.
“Sure,” I answer, and he looks down at me.
“Really?” His lips turn to a smile. A nervous smile.
“Yeah.” I don’t know how this will go, but he’s never asked me on a date before. The closest thing to a date was when he took me to the stream and then to eat afterward. But that was all a lie and it wasn’t an actual date. It was Hardin’s way of getting into my pants.
“Okay . . . When do you want to? I mean, we could go right now? Or tomorrow or later in the week?”
I don’t remember ever seeing him this nervous before; it’s adorable, and I try not to laugh. “Tomorrow?” I suggest.
“Yeah, tomorrow’s good.” He smiles and captures his bottom lip between his teeth. The air between us is awkward, but in a good way.
“Okay . . .”
I find myself feeling flustered, like I used to get the first few times I was around him.
“Okay,” he repeats.
He turns on his heel and walks away quickly, nearly tripping over a rolled-up wrestling mat. As I walk into the locker room, I burst into laughter.
Chapter one hundred
HARDIN
Landon startles, then huffs, “What are you doing here?” as I burst into my father’s office.