Return to Avonlea - Completed!

7. Admit It

I rowed toward home as fast as I could. The sun was setting fast, and the evening came with cold winds. Anne was shivering, even with my coat. 

She hadn't said much on the way back. I kept myself busy rowing, hoping to reach home before dark.

We arrived back where I had started out with little time to spare. The sun was already below the tall pines near the Barry farm.

I helped Anne out of the boat, and we hurried along the trail. Her dress was still soaked, which slowed her down a little. It was getting hard to see the path, so I offered her my arm. To my surprise, she accepted it.

Finally, we reached my backyard, and sprinted the rest of the way. I opened the door to let Anne in, then entered myself, shutting the thick wood door behind me.

I showed Anne to the living room fireplace, and grabbed her a blanket from the sofa.

"Here, wrap up in this. I'll find Mary." I didn't stop to realize that she didn't even know about Sebastian and Mary coming back with me.

"Mary!" I called from the hall.

Mary came from the kitchen. "I was wondering where you were." Then she noticed Anne standing in the living room.

"Who's the girl?" she whispered.

"That's Anne. She's a friend. Her boat sank on the lake, and I brought her back here to warm up and dry off." I returned.

I brought Mary back to Anne and introduced them properly. Anne stood there, awed by Mary's dark skin tone, and uncharacteristically at a loss for words. Fortunately, she quickly regained her ability to speak as she dried off.

Mary took Anne up to her bedroom to find a change of clothes as soon as her dress stopped dripping. I sat down on the sofa, and drifted off.

I woke up to the sound of horse hooves. Bash was driving the team into the barn. Stretching, I glanced up at the clock and noticed that he had arrived just in time for supper. Then I jumped up.

"Anne!" I exclaimed, running into the kitchen. "You're folks are going to be worried about you!"

She spun around in surprise, clasping a hand to her mouth. "Oh no! Diana probably thinks I drowned. I was spending the night with her."

Her hand had left even more flour on her face. But I didn't have time to tell her. She ran upstairs, almost hitting into Bash as he walked in. Mary brushed past him, following Anne.

"What is going on, Blythe?" he asked suspiciously.

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Anne had boat trouble out on the lake, so I brought her here to dry off."

Bash opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. Mary was coming back down the stairs.

"Can you two take Anne home?" she asked.

"Sure," I said quickly, seeing an escape. "I'll go hitch up the horses."

Bash followed me as I dashed out of the house, but I reached the barn before him.

"So that's Anne?" he  started. "The red-haired girl you sent that love letter to?"

"It was not a love letter." I mumbled.

He grinned and slapped my back. "Sure it wasn't."

I turned to fasten the buckles on the team's harness.

"That boy just can't admit it." I heard Bash chuckle to himself.

______

It was a short ride to Diana Barry's house, since her family's farm was next to mine. The trip back, however, seemed much longer.

"You're face was so pink when I walked through the door!" Bash teased. "You can't even act normal around her, you keep trippin' over yourself, and actin' like a moke!" he laughed again.

"Bash..."

He turned to me with a serious look on his face. "This secret 'crush' is not as secret as you think, Blythe. You like her," he continued. "So admit it, Blythe! Just admit it."

I stayed quiet, trying to keep my face from heating up.

"You know, boy, she likes you too."

"I doubt that," I groaned. "She did hit me with a slate, remember?"

He chuckled.

"I remember."

"And she wouldn't speak to me after that, for weeks."

"Mhmm"

"And we end up arguing almost every time we talk."

"Yep. Lover's quarrels. Go on."

But I was out of reasons, and he knew it. I did like her. I liked Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.

He sighed. "It's gonna take you awhile, isn't it?"

"Yep," I said quietly, nodding slightly.

He slapped my back lightly, "You'll have her, Blythe, but you've got to tell her."

"That's the hard part."

"It's worth it though."

I nodded, "I know."