The Searching Secret

Chapter 7

When we finally found a car garage, Jay went in to talk to the mechanic, while I sat on the bench outside. After a few minutes Jay came outside and sat down next to me with a sigh. "I'm gonna drive back with the tow truck."

I nodded.

"Shouldn't take too long. Should be much faster than walking," he added

I nodded again.

"The guy said there is a diner up the street a little. Bees Diner or something like that. I'll meet you there when we get back and let you know what's going on with the car."

Once again I nodded.

"You okay?" Jay asked, when he noticed how quiet I was being. However, how could I tell him it was because of him? How could I say that conservations we had kept replaying in my head.

I started to nod my head again when he caught my chin in his hand and turned my head to face him. He studied my eyes for a bit, then asked, "Is everything okay?"

Again I nodded.

He sighed and placed his forehead on mine. "Talk to me, Ri."

I knew I should say something. I should tell him that everything was okay. Maybe make something up about being tired, or bummed out about the time we were losing, but I couldn't. My eyes had dropped to his lips and I couldn't help but think about how they would feel on mine. I tried to think back to when he kissed me before, but how different would it be if I welcomed it? If I kissed him back?

I don't know how long we sat there like that, or if he noticed the intensity of that moment. I knew how he was feeling, but it seemed to be how he felt whenever he was close to me like this. I knew there were people watching us and I could feel the mechanic getting impatient. Yet none of this mattered. I couldn't pull myself away from him.

I watched a smile form on his face and I brought my eyes back up to his. "Remember how we first met?" he asked, as if he had forgotten there was anyone else around.

I nodded, but then felt bad about it so I added, "How could I forget."

He smiled again and this time I saw it reach his eyes. "A bigger kid pushed me down on the playground."

"And you started crying, if I remember correctly."

"Did I?" Jay joked. "I don't remember."

"You did."

"Well that detail doesn't really matter." Jay laughed softly. "Anyway you came up and knocked that kid right on his butt. And when he got back up, you acted like you were about to do it again."

"I was going to," I informed him.

Jay smiled. "When he ran off you walked back over to me, put your forehead on mine and both your hands on my cheeks." His forehead was still resting on mine, so as he said this, he brought his hands to my cheeks. "And you said 'Everything's going to be okay. I've got you." He smiled more distantly, like he was watching this play out in his head.

I pulled my head away from his, unable to take the strength of his feelings any longer. His hands fell to his lap and he cocked his head to the side slightly, as if asking why I pulled away. "If I recall, I got in some huge trouble for that." I smiled.

"And we've been friends ever since, so I'd say it was worth it," he laughed.

His laugh softened and a small smile flashed on his face. "What?" I asked.

"It's nothing," he replied, looking away from me.

"No, what is it?" I insisted.

"It's nothing, Riley," he answered, as he leaned his back against the bench.