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I sto My heart was pounding, and I didn’t want to talk when I was this riled up No good could come of it As I breathed in and out, I took in the beautiful hten my heart a bit Did I need to make this more aard that it already was? No I had the control here, last night notwithstanding I could ht never happened, or I could certainly try

I breathed again, feeling a bit of the tension leavethat happened, I enjoyed Simon’s company and had to co the path, but eventually eased back into a moderately pissy stroll

I left the trees behind and didn’t stop until I reached the end of the dock The sun peeked out after last night’s storht on the water

I heard him approach and stop just behind me I took oneto push me in, are you? That would be a bad h, and I s to, but not able to help it

"Caroline, can I explain about last night? I need to you know that--"

"Just don’t, okay? Can’t we just chalk it up to the wine?" I asked, whirling about to face hi to beat hiest look on his face He looked like he’d gotten dressed in a hurry: white ther boots that weren’t even laced up, the strings now dah the woods Still, he was stunning, the earlyplanes of his face and that scruff that was so delicious

"I wish I could, Caroline, but--" he started again

I shook an, but stopped when he pressed his fingers againstet tossed in that very lake," he warned with the twinkle in his eye I’d become so used to

I nodded, and he renore the flaht to the surface by just that little touch

"So, last night we ca in to open, he wagged his finger atthe key into the water He smiled sadly and continued

"Obviously I’ But you were drunk, I was drunk, and as great as it would have been, it would have--ah, it would have changed things, you know? And I just can’t, Caroline I can’t allow h his hair in a gesture I’d co me to make this okay, to tell him ere okay

Did I want to lose a friend over this? No way

"Hey, like I said, it’s cool--too eht," I explained, trying to sell it to him

He opened his reat sigh "We still friends? I don’t want this to get weird for us I really like you, Caroline," he asked, looking as though his world was about to come to an end

"Of course friends What else would we be?" I sed hard and forced a san to walk back up the trail Okay, that wasn’t too bad Maybe this could work He stopped to pick up a handful of sand froie

"Bottles?"

"Bottles" He nodded, and we started up the path

"So it looks like our little plan worked," I began, searching for conversation

"With those guys? Oh yeah, I think it worked well They seem to have found what they needed"

"That’s all anyone’s trying to do, right?" I laughed as we crossed the patio to the kitchen Four heads disappeared froan to assume positions of nonchalance around the table I chuckled

"Always good hat you need and what you want are the sa the door open forof sadness hit ain, but I didn’t have to force the smile once I sa happy my friends were

"You want some breakfast? There are still so over to the counter

"Uether," I said, noticing a flash of disappointment cross his face before he sreat Well, that’s what happens when two friends kiss Things are never the sairls and headed forback to the city, within two hours ere all packed and deciding as going to ride hom I didn’t want to ride alone with Si Ryan along with us Noere all outside arranging bags As Sie Rover, I shivered a little, realizing too late that I’d packed , which was now buried As he turned back toward me, he noticed