𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 • 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭

𝟑𝟖: 𝐇𝐄𝐑

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~ Walker's POV ~
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(7 months ago...)

"Yeah. Thanks again for the muffins!"

I clicked the door shut, momentarily stunned. A pretty girl just delivered muffins to my house. And she's my neighbor. And she has no idea who I am.

Holy shit.

"You're absolutely whipped Walker." Leena bumped me, making me jump as she carried another box up to her room. Moving in was gonna take us awhile.

"What, am not!" I protested, but I was lying. I was done for.

From the second I knocked those muffins out of Sophia's hands, I was a goner and I knew it. I wish I had made a better introduction. Kinda screwed myself over from the start.

I waited until Leena was gone to finally shout back. "Wait!" Racing up the stairs just before she shut her bedroom door, I burst through it. "Did you see her though?"

Leena set the box on the ground, smirking and crossing her arms in a way that I knew meant 'told you so'.

"Yep, I did. I also saw you staring at her like she hung the moon, stars, and the whole damn solar system."

"Well...she brought food."

It was the lamest excuse ever. I know.

"Just talk to her." Leena said matter-of-factly, pulling stuffed animals from the box. "You somehow have half the world's population of teenage girls at your feet. I think you can handle one silly crush."

"She smelled like cinnamon."

"Her? Or the muffins?"

"Both."

I was just standing there, staring off into space. Leena put her hands on her hips, looking at me with genuine surprise. "Woah. Cupid hit you hard."

She threw a stuffed rabbit and got me square in the head, snapping me back to reality. I shielded my face. "Stop! Okay okay, it's fine. I can handle it."

I could not handle it.

•••

(Comic-con...)

   I worked up the courage to give Sophia the bracelet. It had been sitting in my pocket all morning, and I was waiting for just the right moment to give it to her.

The most embarrassing part was that Leena had to help me make it. My stupid sausage fingers kept fumbling the pink and white beads, plus the string.

But it was all worth it when she smiled at me.

I could just sit there and stare at her smiling as she slipped the bracelet on, which was luckily a perfect fit.

"Thanks Walker." She smiled at me.

I smiled back, hoping she didn't realize that the reason I didn't say 'you're welcome' was because I was breathless. How could I not be when she was standing right there?