It Started With Hello

Chapter 14- Untold Confession

Arabella-

"I'll see you tomorrow Jake." I tell him kissing him on the forehead as he sleeps. I tap on the passenger window, "Thanks River." I tell him when he rolls it down. "You'll take him to his room and make sure he's okay won't you?"

"No problem." River answers, "See you tomorrow Arabella."

"Bye River." I wave as he drives away in one of the smaller cars. I check the time and head back up.

"You don't really have a need to be jealous." Zander says.

"Have you seen the way he looks at her?" Lincoln says.

"They're best friends." Henrick says.

"She's beautiful. He was bound to fall in love with her. They have a history together. She knows him like the back of her hand. He knows her like that."

"But she doesn't love him." Luke says.

"She could," Lincoln says almost broken. I walk in and Nolan sits in a corner playing guitar figuring out cords.

"Hey Belle." He greets with a friendly smile.

"Hey." I greet him sitting next to him. "Hows the song coming."

"Lyrics are golden. The cords and the music could use some work though." He says.

"Maybe I could help?"

"Would you?" He asks his face lighting up, "The guys are great with lyrics, but the actual music, they're not so great with."

"I'd love to help." I tell him. "Let me go get a guitar." I stand up and head to the closet unlocking it with the key in the door and grabbing my favorite guitar.

"Wow. Nice guitar."

"This is my favorite guitar. Matty bought it for me when I first started staying with Uncle Simon." I tell him tuning it, "So what are the boys arguing about?"

"A girl." Nolan answers, "Lincoln's afraid the girl he likes doesn't like him. That she likes her best friend who seems to be in love with her according to his observations of the past 24 hours."

"Unless he's in love with my ten year old cousin Lacy, then it's me isn't it? You all haven't left the house since you guys arrived. Until now anyway."

"What do you think about Jake?"

"My best friend? The guy I grew up with? Who's there when Matty isn't. He's practically my brother." I tell him, "I've known him since I was four. He's had a few girlfriends. They've all hated me."

"Most girls don't like when a guys best friend is a girl. Guys are the same way about guys around their girl." Nolan points out.

"I consider Jake to be my brother. We're like siblings to each other."

"And the collage of pictures on your ceiling..."

"I get homesick. Here I'm miles of ways away from home. The collage is a way to have home away from home. Jake's always been around. It's hard being so far a part from him. Lucky and Jake are my two very best friends. Luck would kill me if I even considered dating him."

"She likes him then?"

"Head over heels."

"What about you? Any love interests?"

"Sure, there's a few guys I like. Not enough to date though."

"So for the song I was thinking something like this." He strums a few cords. It's a minor cord progression. It must be a soulful sad piece. "Then play this for the chorus." He strums a few more cords and looks to me for a "yay" or "nay" response.

"And you thought you needed help." I scoff. "You're a brilliant musician. That's a great piece."

"You think?" He asks. I nod. "Anything you wanna change?"

"What's the song about?" He shows me the lyrics, they kinda make me wanna cry. "That is so depressing." I tell him. "The poor girl. All excited about-"

"Bella's back!" Luke shouts. I look up and the four boys are watching our interactions.

"Lincoln, boys." I greet them.

"Working hard I see," Henrick says. I nod. "How's the song?"

"You've got a master musician who writes great music." I tell them. "Recording tomorrow. It's late. I'm tired. And I want to go to bed. We'll be back first thing tomorrow."

The boys agree and we all head out to wait for Dan to come pick us up. He texted that he was on his way. Lincoln was quiet the whole time.

"Lincoln, can I talk to you?" I ask him, he nods and the four other boys head on to the house Nolan gives me a knowing look. "Just for the record, Jake and I aren't interested in each other."

"Okay..." He says a confused look on his face.

"He's like a second brother to me for when Matty's in the states."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" He asks. I shake my head as we begin walking to the house from the garage. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"I've only had one boyfriend." I tell him. And he was a total bust. I add silently to myself

~~

Lincoln-

Just looking at her flushed cheeks is adorable. She just confessed that she didn't like Jake, a bonus for me. The minimal dating experience is a double bonus. "Any interests?"

"Am I interested in anyone?" She asks, I nod. "Kinda. But they're not serious though."

"Wanna go out some time?" I ask her. She smiles and opens the front door.

"Sure, that sounds nice." She answers softly. Loud barking interrupts us at the door. "Hi Farley!" She says smiling at her dog, "Miss me Buddy?"

He barks his agreement before turning his big shaggy black head to me. He stands on his hind legs and rests his fore-paws on my chest. I take a step back with on leg to compensate his weight.

"Well, there is the stamp of approval from one man in my life. One down three to go."

"Four?"

"Matthew. Uncle Simon. Noah. And Jake. You've gotten Farley's. That's one down."

"So if Farley would've not liked me then we wouldn't have a chance?"

"None at all." She says smiling, so I'm not sure if she's serious or not.

She heads to the stairs Farley follows after her happily trotting along with her. I quickly follow after her. "You were kidding, about the Farley thing right?"

"Not at all." She answers, "Dogs can judge personalities very well.My first and last boyfriend, I met a few years ago, Farley hated his guts. Growled at him and all around just didn't like him, even tried to bite him a few times, Farley has the ferociousness of a sleeping bunny." She explains, "About three months into dating I found out he had been seeing another girl for six months. I haven't dated since."

"Ouch." I wince at the story. "I'm sorry."

She just shrugs and points to my door, "I'll see you tomorrow. Night Lincoln."

"Night Bella." I tell her walking to my door, I see her and Farley walk into her bedroom, the door closing behind them. I had a chance. Don't screw it up Lincoln.