55
Buzz
"Where are you running to?"
I can barely hear Court yelling behind me over the rain pelting down. I always wanted him and Zane to get along…just not at my expense. They couldn't have bonded over anything else? Sports? Books?Love Island USA?
"Leave me alone," I yell over my shoulder, not slowing down.
"You can't outrun me," he cries out. "You're faster, but I've got better endurance. Remember playing tag as kids? I'd always get you in the end."
He's right. He did always end up catching me. But I'm too mad to concede, so I pick up the pace instead.
It would help if I knew where I was running to, but I don't. I just know I needed to get out of there and away from them.
What the hell were they doing, talking about me like they were characters straight out ofPride and Prejudiceor something?
Make that man my own.
Court said that. He actually said that. To Zane, of all people.
I have so many questions, and the longer I run, and the more my brain starts unpacking possible answers, the heavier my legs grow. Before I know it, I'm slowing down and Court's footsteps are getting closer and louder.
"Damn it." I groan and double over, out of breath, hands braced on my knees. Even after all these years, he still has better endurance than I do.
Court reaches me, panting hard. "I'd forgotten how fast you can run," he says before grabbing my hand. "Come on."
I snatch it away from him. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"It's raining." He extends his arms out wide. "We need to talk."
"Then talk out here."
He points to our old tree house. "Or we could go in there."
I fold my arms across my chest and shake my head like a petulant child. "I'm not moving."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm angry at you."
"I can explain."
I stare at him through the rain and tap my foot. "Go on, then. Explain. I can't wait to hear what you have to have to say that would justify you making fun of me behind my back. I'm not some prize, you know."
He comes closer and shakes his head to get rid of some of the water. It doesn't make a lick of difference. "That's where you're wrong, Buzz. You're the best prize there is."
I squint. "What are you saying?"
He bows his head slightly, locking eyes with me. "I'm in love with you."
I raise my hand to shield my face from the rain. I—I must have misheard him. "What?"
Grabbing my hand, he tugs me closer until our bodies meet. His fingers brush against my wet cheeks. "I said I'm in love with you."
A pressure valve opens in my chest, releasing heat that warms me up from the inside. "You are?"
He nods, droplets of rain streaming down his face. "I am. I've been in love with you for a very long time."
