Listen to Your Heart

Chapter 18

Sparks are flying. It feels warm and comfortable and like home. It feels like everything is falling into place and nothing else matters except for this kiss and us. We pull away and I can feel my face turning red. I don't know what to say so I just look at him and smile.

And strangely enough, it's not a fake smile.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped a boundary, I just thought-"

I cut him off and say, "It's okay Joey."

He lets out a sigh of relief, runs his fingers through his hair and says, "So um how was it?"

I laugh and say, "good."

He smiles at me and I hear someone shouting at us from the dock. "Lauren! Joey! There's an impromptu staff meeting!" Julia shouts.

"Okay, we'll be there soon!" I shout back and then we start peddling back to shore. We tie the boat up and Joey picks up his towel and puts it around my shoulders. "Thanks," I say.

"No problem," he says while shaking water out of his hair.

"So what are we doing for our date?" I ask.

He seems shocked and says, "That's a surprise."

"Isn't that just a fancy way of saying you have no idea?"

He laughs and says, "you know me too well, but I sort of have an idea of what we're going to do."

"Okay, well when should we go out?"

"You seem pretty anxious to get this date over with Lopez."

"Nah, I'm just excited," I say.

"How about the day after tomorrow?"

"Sure," I say when we reach a fork in the road. One way leads to girl's camp and the other to boy's camp. "I'll see you at the staff meeting."

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Joey says while walking away.

I quickly reach my bunk when I realize that I'm still wearing Joey's towel around my shoulders. I smile and wrap it tighter around me, knowing that it's touched him.

"Hey, how was your boat ride?" Julia asks with a bright smile.

"Good, I guess," I answer. I don't want to tell her about the kiss. I want to keep it to myself for now.

I quickly change and then Julia and I walk down to the playhouse for the staff meeting. We walk inside and sit down in the middle section with Meredith and Denise. Before I can talk to either of them the camp owners, Sarah and Matt, start to talk.

"Welcome staff to a great summer at Camp Blue Brook!" Sarah says over enthusiastically. Matt starts to go into some speech about the camp and its creation but I can't even pay attention because Joey walks in.

And all I can do is stare at him.

My eyes follow him as he walks across the room and sits down in the back near Darren and Dylan. Joey notices me and winks. I blush and Meredith pulls me back into the present when she says, "what are you looking at?"

I panic and say, "Walker. He looks so cute right now."

She buys my answer and goes back to listening to Matt and Sarah. I think they're talking about our responsibilities as a counselor now.

I try to pay attention but my mind keeps wandering to Joey. I can't stop thinking about him.

I don't like him though.

I can't like him.

I would never like him.

Right?