The Secret of Us

Buckle In (Walker's POV)

I didn't want to notice how her skin glowed a golden brown in the sunlight. To imagine what it would be like to kiss her collar bone the way the sun did so shamelessly.

I didn't want to notice the way my heart skipped a beat when her big doe eyes locked with mine, but whenever I was able to wrestle them away, they just went to more dangerous territory - her lips. Her full lips that slightly parted whenever she focused. The way they were now as she prepped for our interview questions with her mom.

They were doing the last lightning round before the journalist lady started asking the same empty questions we've answered 1000 times before. The only thing that made it easier was getting to see her and --

"Walker," Aryan snapped me out of my haze with a quizzical look on his face. His eyes jumped between me and where I guess I had been staring, Leah.

"You good, man?" And that's why I didn't want to. It seemed like everyone had an opinion on who I was supposed to like, and its gotten harder and harder to tell what I wanted vs what they wanted. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants.

"Ready to be done already."

"Ah, fantasizing about how those airplane pretzels will taste later?" Aryan joked.

Leah turned to us, done with her quiz. Her hair was in an afro; her curls were perfect, as usual. She wore a long-sleeve green and blue pant jumper that gave her an 80s look. Her zipper was slightly undone, showing off that dangerous collar bone I mentioned before.

I jerked my gaze up. Her eyes pulled me to hers. And then, she smiled that smile. My face felt hot. I cut my eyes away, acting like I saw something behind her that made me smile. She couldn't know it was her. No one could. Not until I could understand why. I forced my smile to drop.

"Pretzels are nice, but I don't like them." I said firmly. Aryan just raised a brow at my tone. "Do you remember our cues? Gotta make these fun somehow right?" Aryan nodded with a mischievous smile.

"Alright kids! Can you all take your seats as we adjust blocking and lighting? The interview will start in 5." The AD called across the stage. We were ushered to our seats. Of course, I had to sit in the middle.

I avoided Leah's eyes, instead gazing out into the distance, but clocking her movements in my peripheral. She looked at me for a beat, then another. I glanced at her. She smiled again.

"Are you nervous too?" She scratched her nose lightly. "Ugh. This make up is so itchy."

"You look great," I blurted out before my mind could stop my mouth. My regret melted with the way her eyes softened at the compliment.

"Alright kids. Ready, in 3...2..." Leah zipped up her jacket and straightened it out like battle armor. Good. At least that minimizes my distractions.

The journalist sat in her chair. She had nice eyes. Maybe this interview wouldn't be so bad?

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Update: It was awful. The journalist was nice enough. She surprisingly asked great questions. It was me. Hi. I was the problem. I balled up my fist on the plane arm rest as I looked out of the window.

It started out fine. I answered the questions really well. I knew because my mom and dad smiled the entire time. Aryan didn't forget one cue. It was hilarious. Cough here. Knee tap there. We even made the interviewer laugh even though I felt bad for distracting Leah from an answer.

Then I shook my foot, the last cue. Aryan saw it, but somehow, so did Leah. And she joined up in raising our leg so that we were all in sync. It's not that I didn't want her to join or that I meant to leave her out.

It's just that it's easier for me to have control over my emotions and reactions when we had a healthy distance. Her joining in on the fun, once again reminding me how perceptive she is and how fun she was did. not. help. Worse, I couldn't stop my smile or my glance her way fast enough. And when she burst into a chuckle, I could feel my chest tighten.

I quickly looked away, but it was too late. My mind was reminded: Leah was sitting right next to me. I mean, right next to me. As if to torture me, my mind suddenly got seized by all that was her.

The interviewer asked good questions, but now, I only wanted to hear Leah's answers. Aryan had great answers, like always, but I suddenly noticed Leah wasn't doing much talking. I wanted to hear her talk. Did she feel left out? Did me and Aryan throw her off?

"What were you going to say?" I asked her softly, like if I spoke too loud it would scare her back into silence. She nervously whipped her face toward me. I wrestled my eyes from hers then dropped them to her slightly parted lips. Did I already say thank God for her covering her collarbone? I take that back. Because now, I had nothing to stare at but her hands.

She leaned forward, and for some reason, I became her mirror, leaning forward too. I watched her hands rub down her thighs as she nervously thought of an answer. I clocked her fitted jacket. Flat stomach. And the way her hips and thighs curved out from her small waist. I jerked my gaze to my hands, but I couldn't stop them from going right back to her. To her eyes. Her lips... how soft they looked. I licked mine. The cool air snapped me back a bit. I got my heart rate back under control. The good that did me, all after-the-fact.

Obviously, I caught none of this in the moment. Nope. That would be too easy. I was just so in the moment, actually having fun in the first interview I've had in a long time. And that was the problem. I let my guard down.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. I wonder if the camera caught that? Of course it did. And I won't even pretend like the fans won't dissect my every breath those eagle-eyed mother... okay. It's not their fault they're perceptive, Walker. It's yours. Get it together--

A backpack plopped in the seat next to me.

"Please tell me I didn't embarrass myself as much as I feel like I..." I looked up to see Leah's big brown eyes looking down at me with a raised brow.

"You're always embarrassing yourself, Walker. Which time are you talking about specifically?"

My mouth worked as I scanned the plane for Aryan. "You're next to me? Where's Aryan?"

She looked kind of hurt at that question, which made me instantly regret it. "I just mean..."

She tried to play it off with a soft chuckle. "All good." 

She sat down. She smelled sweet but earthy. I turned my head to try and get the scent out of it to no avail. It filled up our space. I took a deep inhale then released it slowly.

This is going to be a long flight. I clicked my seatbelt into place.