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I rolled ontoon my foreare What have you been up to since I’ve been away?"

"Worrying about you," he said

I expected hioofy smile, but his expression remained serious as his warm hazelnut-brown eyes stared down into mine

"You really don’t havehi down at the water lapping over his toned chest "But the thing is… I really like you, Rose"

"Well, that’s nice" I grinned "I really like you too, Griff"

He gave me a pained smile "No" His voice was hoarse as he shook his head "I mean, I really like you"

Realization dawned uponMy lips parted and I fell silent

He sat up straight, looking down atto tell you before you left, and I’ve regretted not doing so every single day that you’ve been gone And when I thought I almost lost you… I wanted to ask you out on a date I rew red He cursed hi deeply, he said, "Rose, will you go out withat hi open Part of me willed this to be one of Griffin’s pranks Some kind of joke But there wasn’t a hint of frivolity in Griffin’s eyes I clenched my jaw and tried to speak, but my throat felt parched and no words caht in the gut I felt winded

I’d never thought of Griffin like this before inthat he had been feeling this way for , I didn’t even know--so a lie

"Griffin," I sta when you call ht of the situation, but it was too late He’d just dropped a ton of bricks onbeneath the rubble

"Oh,a hand toout at the waves "Why didn’t you tell ht that ere close enough to not hide things froain and he stood up, looking down at me His Adam’s apple moved as he sed hard

"Because I was afraid," he said quietly "I was afraid that you didn’t feel the same way"

I didn’t kno to respond to that Noished I had never asked the question His answer had just made the situation ten tihout our friendship, it had never once occurred tomore than a friend