one last summer (n.h)

[5] - secret's out

8:12 a.m.
nialler: lake?
savs: can't my girls are doing tie-dye

9:48 a.m.
nialler: capture the flag?
savs: a bunch of my girls are swimming

11:24 a.m.
nialler: archery?
savs: i'm on a walk with a bunch of nine year old girls right now

"Can we talk?" Niall asked at lunch. He was standing over me.

"Yeah, sure," I replied putting my spoon down.

"Outside," he added. He wanted to talk in private. What could be this important?

"Yeah," I replied following him to the door.

Niall didn't stop walking until he got to the stage. He jumped up on it taking my hand to pull me with him. He parted the curtain and pulled me behind it. For the first time Niall and I were completely and utterly alone. We weren't just spending time together it was just us. My heart started racing. I didn't know what was coming over me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What did I do to you?" He replied.

"Nothing. What are you talking about?"

"You're avoiding me! It's so obvious. What did I do? Please tell me, Savannah." I sighed.

"I didn't mean to avoid you. I was just trying to give you some space," I lied, "you know, I didn't want you to feel like you had to be attached to me all the time. You're your own person."

"I don't hang out with you because I feel like I have too. I hang out with you because you're fun to be around. If I'm being completely candid, I don't like being away from you." I smiled softly as a blush crept onto my face. No.

"Thank you, Niall," I replied, "I guess I interpreted it wrong. I just assumed you had so many other friends like Lexi and Liam that you weren't giving attention. I wanted to give you the opportunity to hang out with them."

"Oh, I get what this is about," he replied.

"What?" I asked.

"You're trying to play matchmaker," he chuckled.

"What? No!" I exclaimed, "you and Payno could never work." I smiled up at him.

"Okay," he replied, "I guess I had the wrong idea." He laughed holding his hands up in defeat.

"I'll stop ignoring you. I just think you should branch out a little. Lexi is a really nice girl," I told him shoving his shoulder a little bit.

"Fine, I'll hang out with Lexi," he replied, "you know you are the least slick wingman to ever grace this earth."

"Hey, I get the job done," I replied.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, man," he chuckled.
     

00000

Niall did hold up his end of the bargain. I stopped ignoring his every text, and I started hearing stories about him from Lexi.

"We literally went on a date!" She exclaimed. I smiled softly as she droned on about her hangout with Niall last night at breakfast.

"He's so sweet and he seems to genuinely care about me. You know like it's not just a hookup or anything," she told Brielle and I.

"Have you guys done anything?" Brielle asked.

"Not really. We barely kissed. I think he's just nervous. He seems to be whenever we hangout."

"Awe that's so cute. He's nervous around you," Brielle smiled.

I suddenly felt dejected. I didn't like Niall. I didn't even want to like Niall. But for some reason I was jealous of Lexi. It was like Niall was some secret that I had been keeping this whole time. He was mine and mine alone, but now he was someone else's.