My Best Friend?

Chapter 9

Emma's POV

"Oh, hey Ash."

"Hi," he smiled.

"Did you want to go out back?"

He nodded, and we went outside. We went to our favorite spot, which happened to be the lowest part of my hill and sat down.

"So what's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure we were okay.."

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"You seemed kind of upset earlier today when I brought up Alex.."

"Oh, right. No we're good."

"Can I ask why you got upset?"

I bit my lip. "Do you have to know?"

"I don't have to, but I'd like to. I get worried that I'll say the wrong thing and one day it'll be too much and you won't want to be my friend."

I laughed. "That'll never happen."

"How do you know?"

Because I think I'm in love with my best friend, and there's no way I'm going to let you walk out of my life if it's true. "I just do."

His eyes trailed my body, and I suddenly felt really self conscious in my leggings, and white tank top with an electric blue bandeau under it. "I still want to know."

I smiled and leaned back on the grass. "Why?"

"Please?"

"Okay fine," I gave in. "There are times I just want you, ya know? Like, there are things that I will go to Alex for, but the majority of the time I just want my best friend to comfort me."

He laid next to me on the grass, and I turned to face him. "I didn't know that. I figured you'd always want Alex over me."

"Hardly ever. It's always you."

"But why me?"

I shrugged the best I could. "I just.. I guess it's because I trust you a lot more, and because we've been friends for so long that I find more comfort in you. And you just get me."

"I'm sorry for being insensitive."

"Ash, that's the last thing you would ever be."

He sat up on his side and put his head in his hand. His eyes traveled every feature on my face and my heart hammered.

"I think Alex and I are going to be done soon," I blurted.

His eyes widened, and I'm sure mine would have done the same thing if I didn't want to seem cool and collected. "What?"

"We're.. He's really controlling."

"Well yeah, but you knew that."

"That doesn't mean I have to accept it. You'd never tell me what to wear or anything like that, would you?"

"Me? Em, you know-"

"I'm just speaking hypothetically." Kind of. Part of me really is thinking this.

"Of course I wouldn't."

"See? I just want to feel like I control myself, not like I'm a puppet."

"But you guys have been doing so good lately."

I shrugged. "I think we can both agree that Alex and I aren't a good match for each other."

"But-"

"Ash, I thought you didn't like Alex. I would've thought you'd be happy about this."

"I think this'll hurt you more than you think."