Back in the Saddle

It's Not Always Best to Know the Truth

Nick's POV:

We walk along the road that leads to the ranch and the fields beyond, headed in the direction of town. In the distance, we can see the little shopping center where the restaurant I want to go to is. It's a little hole in the wall shop I stumbled upon one time; I go there almost as frequently as I go to Granny's, the cafe Delores owns where Karl and I met up that one time.

Karl has been talking the whole walk, about practically everything that comes to mind. He keeps saying to tell him if he's being annoyed, but I never want him to stop. Hearing him get so passionate about a topic, even the simplest of things, makes me so happy. I wish he would keep talking forever, along with smiling and laughing and skipping along the path as he walks. Every moment I spend with him makes me fall farther and farther, and the harder it grows to keep it from him.

Seeing him blush when I flirt, watching the way he reacts when I call him nicknames, everything just makes me want a romantic relationship with him more. He is the best person I've ever met, and I'm so happy he came into my life. The only problem is, I don't know how to tell him that.

Maybe I should ask someone...

===

All last night I layed in bed, unable to sleep because my head was full of thoughts of Karl. Our dinner was amazing: he enjoyed it just as much as I thought he would and we had some really great conversations, just like normal. Everything went perfectly. But that's the problem, because the good times make it all the more difficult to withhold my increasing crush on him.

I came up with a plan, a way to find out how I should approach him about it. I texted George and asked if he was working and he said not until later, which means that I can go over there and talk to him. I told Clay that I would be late to work because of an appointment so he doesn't have to get me, and I'll go to George's once Karl is gone.

I told my moms about it so that they knew why I would be late, and they're both on board. They haven't seen me with a crush in a long time and they like Karl a lot, so they're really happy I've found someone like him.

Once I'm confident that Clay's picked Karl up, I hop in my car and begin the short drive to George's. Throughout the whole drive, I try to think of what to say, what to tell him, but by the time I pull up in front of the large house, I've come up with nothing. I don't really have another choice, though, so I get out and go up to the door, knocking impatiently until Toby opens it.

"Hey, Nick. Karl told us you had an appointment, what are you doing here?" he asks with a puzzled look.

I curse internally and quickly come up with an excuse. "Oh, I'm on my way there, but I just needed to come by and see George for a bit. Is he here? Can I go up to his room?"

"Sure, he just got breakfast so you shouldn't be interrupting anything by going in there."

"Thanks, kid."

I walk up the stairs and to the bedroom door I've visited a few times before. Now, instead of a sign that says only George's name, Karl is written on it as well in large bubble letters and decorated in flowers. I smile to myself, knowing full well that Karl wrote this himself.

I knock on the door lightly, waiting for the soft reply before I enter. George is laying on his bed, a plate on his lap as he watches TV boredly. He glances up at me as I enter and I see his eyes light up, glad to have something else to do, and gestures for me to sit down on Karl's bed. While George's side of the room is plain and simple, Karl's has a lot of bright colors and posters. His comforter is fluffy and he's got a ton of pillows, though that doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

"So, Karl told us that you have an appointment, which I knew wasn't true. I didn't tell him anything, but it made me all the more curious about what you want to talk about. What could it possibly be about for you to want to keep the fact that you are coming over a secret?"