TANGLED PLANS

41

I don't know what Parker was talking about.

I didn't know what he meant by the fact that we were just friends if we kissed occasionally. What did that mean? Better yet, did I want that? I mean, a friend was a friend. To be in a relationship would be to be able to grow those feelings for said person. But what if I grow larger feelings for Parker through the friendship process?

There were two things wrong.

I have already developed larger feelings for Parker. From the start, when I met him at the beach, to now, my feelings for him have grown. When I first met him, I was in a weird place and not ready to think about another guy. But we kept hanging out, and he was super nice to me, which led me to grow comfortable with him. I like him now more than before. More than just a friend.

Two, he says friends who do other stuff. What other stuff? What would he benefit from this arrangement if I didn't want to have sex with him? Wouldn't that be a weird thing to be, then? That wouldn't work.

I thought Parker liked me a lot. I thought that was the reason why he was so kind and touchy with me. I didn't know that he didn't even consider us dating. But we went on a few dates. I didn't know much about anything in this department, did I?

I walked the length of the house again. With my thoughts spiraling in my head, I start in the corner of the living room and end in the kitchen. Pacing around helps me collect my thoughts, or it's just a reason for me to be able to think like crazy.

I'm walking to the living room and about to turn back when I hear my name, which causes me to jump with a hand on my heart. "Daisy, you've been pacing around the house for around five minutes," came a voice I hadn't heard in a while from the living room. I peek my head into the room and to the corner to find the couch.

My brother's best friend was sitting on the couch with a laptop out in front of him. I wondered what he was doing here. His eyes meet mine when he says, "Brayden was supposed to help me out with a few things."

I nod and say, "I think he is in his room taking a nap." My brother had been knocked on since an hour ago, and now that it was already night and almost time for bed anyway, I didn't know if I should wake up. In the end, I left him alone.

Max leans back in his spot and puts his arms on his lap as he studies my face for a moment. "You're pale, Daisy."

"Um," I shift in my spot because I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't know what he truly meant by it either. Was he talking about me losing my summer tan or something more metaphorical?

Max gives my face a once-over and says, "Something happened. What happned?" I hated that he still sounded worried about me. I hated that even though I told him not to speak to me, he did. Max must see the expression on my face when he says, "I was going to ignore you. Really, but with you pacing around here. I couldn't help but get worried."

I glance down at my feet and zero my eyes in on the cute cherry print. I thought the socks were really cute and that maybe looking at them would help me collect my thoughts. So far, it hasn't worked.

"Something did happen," Max confirms for himself. I glance up at him, and he scoots over on the couch. "Take a seat. You can talk to me about it if you want."

He was back.

Not the Max that was with me a couple months before school ended. This was the same Max who had treated me with kindness before that period. One who wouldn't hesitate to treat his best friend's little sister well.

I look at him and then at the spot beside him. As I study him, I think about whether he could be helpful to me. I think about whether this could be a subject I can talk about with him.