Best Friend's Brother: Chapter One

Nightmares and Confessions

Nathaniel had brought us to this wide open field with trees surrounding it and a small lake in the back. He brought me back to a bench facing the lake and sat down. I sat down next to him laying my head on his shoulder because I was tired. Mind you, it's like three, probably four A.M by now. His arm instinctively wrapped around my shoulders as he rested his head on top of mine. I was almost asleep when Nathaniel asked me if I wanted to play twenty-one questions. I shrugged and let him go first.

"Who was your first ever crush?" I took a deep breath and sat up.

"Never had one," I said as I turned to him on the bench. He looked at me as if I had just grown a third eye.

"No way. There's no way you've never had a crush." I shrugged as I laughed.

"I've never had a crush. What about you, who was your first crush?"

"A girl in my seventh-grade class, Megan. She was awesome."

"What happened?" I asked curiously, suddenly interested.

"Ah, ah, not so fast. That's not how this game works, it's my turn," Nathaniel said and bopped my nose with his finger, "What is your biggest fear?"

"Being alone. Like forever. It just scares me. Also, clowns," Nathaniel and I burst into laughter at my response. Once our laughter died down, I asked him my question, "Have you ever been in love?"

He thought about this one for a little bit before nodding yes. I opened my mouth to ask another question but closed it when Nathaniel gave me that look from before again.

"You ever been in love? If you have I'll know you were lying about the crush question," I smiled and shook my head.

"Yeah, I'm currently in love." Nathaniel opened his mouth to ask who but I gave him the same look he gives me. He crossed his arms and pouted a little bit.

"Who was your first love?" He seemed a little taken back by this question but refused to answer it, "Oh come on! That's not fair! I told you that I'm in love with someone right now!"

He laughed a little bit before answering, "If I tell you, I know you won't believe me."

"Why would I not believe you when you tell me who your first love was? Was it Megan?" I guessed and shook his arm.

"No, and I won't tell you because I know you'll tell her because you know her really well, better than anyone else I dare say."

"No way," he raised his eyebrows at me, "You're in love with my sister!" Nathaniel burst into laughter throwing his head back. His laughter was the sweetest melody I could ever hear. Yeah, that's the cheesiest line you'll read, but seriously, I freaking love his laugh.

Once he calmed down, he shook his head and said: "No, I'm not in love with Kari. She's great, but I don't like her as more than a friend." Nathaniel turned to face me with a broad smile on his face.

"What about you? Who was your first love?" He asked with a small smile still playing on his lips.

I looked away from him and looked out across the lake. The moonlight hit the water just right so you would think that we were some real-life movie scene. I watched the water glimmer from the light and listened to the waves crash against the shore softly. I was drawn to the water because of the glimmer just like when I was a little girl. I stopped the edge of the grass to slip my shoes off. I walked into the cold water far enough that it came up to my ankles.

Nathaniel came up next to me and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. He nudged my arm with his elbow and asked if I was ok noticing the sudden change in atmosphere.

"I'm just wondering if I'm ever going to see you again after you graduate and head off to college. I'm also scared that I'll never talk to the person I fell in love with again after he goes to college and meets all those gorgeous college girls. He's super excited to go, but I'm scared he's not going to come back the same person he is when he leaves. I want to tell him that I love him so bad, but I'm afraid that he isn't going to feel the same or even worse, I'm scared he'll just laugh at me for being so stupid for falling for him. I'm freaking terrified, Nathaniel," I said with tears starting to brim my eyes as I turned to look at the boy I was talking about.

Nathaniel pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around my small figure. I wrapped my arms around his stomach and rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I think the guy you're in love with would be completely idiotic if he didn't realize how incredible you are. You're someone everyone has to talk to because you choose to listen and try to help, you're sweeter than any candy I've ever tasted, and your personality is so rare, it's like trying to find the lost city of Atlantis. No one can find it until they meet you. Every other girl I've met has tried to either get in my bed or tried to hook me up with their friend, and you're not like that. You are so rare to find, and I was so blessed to have met you almost a decade ago. Anyone who meets you in the future should feel just as blessed as I feel now and your future husband should feel like the luckiest man alive because he gets to spend the rest of his life with the most incredible person I have ever met and get to call one of my best friends." As Nathaniel finished his mini-speech, I had tears in my eyes and a pool on his shirt.

"Am I really that hard to find?" I asked quietly and waited to hear Nathaniel's reply.

"I look for you in so many other people and some have similarities but I can never find someone exactly like you, and I've been in a lot of different places across the country."

I squeezed Nathaniel and didn't let go. I didn't want this moment between us to end. Nathaniel kissed the top of my head, something he did often when we hugged, and let me go enough so that he could see my face to wipe away my tears. I looked up at him smiling and let him go after a couple more seconds.

I started to walk out of the water before I was picked up and walked out of the water by Nathaniel.

I laughed and said: "Nathaniel, that really wasn't necessary you know that right?"

"Eh, I don't care," he said and shrugged as he grabbed his shoes and started walking to his car. I picked mine up and jumped on Nathaniel's back when I got close enough to him. He wrapped his arms around my legs, and I rested my head on his shoulder with my face in his neck as he walked back to his car.