Chapter 19 Rose
Walking into the high school gym throws me every time—the nostalgia, the memories. Even the smell doesn’t seem to change year after year. The shine on the court has lessened a bit, and the stage curtains are dustier and have some noticeable patches, but the feeling is exactly the same. As my eyes land on Wes Stevenson, though, I’m reminded that some things do change.
I didn’t know a man could look so good in jeans and an old flannel, but he pulls it off perfectly. Damn. Our eyes lock and I suddenly can’t remember what I’m doing, awkwardly fumbling around for the nearest project to help with.
Friends, Rose, you wanted to be friends.
I glance up and see Wes walking towards me and have to remind myself to breathe. Flashes of our time in the woods play in my mind and my cheeks flush. My entire body starts to heat up. I feel him next to me before he even says anything. He stops a few feet away, but his entire body leans towards me as he says, “Hi, Rose.” Ah, that voice.
“Hi, Wes. Did you come to help set up?” I turn to face him more directly, feeling his warm breath on my cheek as I move.
“Um, yeah.” He clears his throat. “Was everything okay after Erick and I left? Elle seemed a little flustered.” He scrunches up the sleeves of his button-up, giving me a good look at how muscular his forearms are. I forcibly pull my eyes back up to his.
“Oh yeah, all fine. We talked it through.” I try giving him my best fake smile, but I know he sees right through it.
“Good, I’m glad everything was alright. Will you tell me about whatever this is?” He gestures to all the bustling activity in the gym. “I don’t think this was here when I was a kid, I don’t remember anything quite like it.” Man, he smells good too.
“A couple years after you moved, the elementary school had a flood and needed money for new classroom supplies, so we had a spring festival to help them out. But it’s just continued, year after year, and all the proceeds go to the school. I don’t remember when, but someone started calling it the ‘Spring Sprouts Fest’ and it just stuck.”
“It was probably Mabel,” he whispers, leaning down to me with his hand slightly covering his mouth, like he’s sharing a secret. The tickle of his stubble on my cheek sends a shiver up my spine and I can’t help but look into those gorgeous eyes that time didn’t change.
Laughing and taking a step back, Kate suddenly appears. “Oh there you are, I was looking for you.” Pointing a finger at me and tugging my arm, she turns to Wes, “Sorry, I need her help with a ring toss emergency.” Before I can say anything, she’s pulling me away.
“Why did you do that? You didn’t even say hi.”
“Who was that? Also, why are you wearing a dress?”
“You have to know that was Wes. What did Elle even tell you? ” I intentionally ignore her dress comment. Can’t a lady dress up if she wants to?
“Oh my god, was it? I didn’t mean to do that! He is cute. And Elle said that you and Wes messed around when you were kayaking ”
“I’d hardly call it messing around.” But I actually did earlier . . . “It was only a couple of kisses, and we’ve agreed we’re just friends.”
“Okay okay, I just wanted to check in and make sure he wasn’t, you know, getting too close when you didn’t want him to.”
“That’s not how it is at all .” My eyebrows lift at the insinuation. “Wes has been nothing but respectful and I would tell you if it were any different.”
“Okay then, I’m good if you’re good.” Kate gives me a side hug, and while I know she’s only being protective, I’m feeling slightly peeved at everyone’s protectiveness lately.
“I am,” I say a little shorter than I mean to.
“Great, then you can tell me all the details of what happened in the woods. All the details. I have to hear the story.” Her eyes are shining as she smiles at me and hands me some small paper boxes to fold.
“It’s a good one . . .”
“Yessss, let’s work while you talk, we don’t want Ms. Johnson to get upset that we’re not working and give us detention.” I follow her eyes to Ms. Johnson, our chemistry teacher when we were in highschool, glaring at us from across the room as she folds table tents.
We move on to setting up bags of prizes, so I lean in, whispering the details of Wes and my sordid affair in the woods. I know my friends are all just looking out for me, but it’s nice to be able to share this with Kate—some proper friend-talk time.
“So, was it better than before?” Kate whispers as Bryn runs around the gym with her friends, talking with everyone she comes across.
“The kissing was much better.” I giggle.
“It’s amazing what a few years can do, huh?” I glance over and see her eyes are following Bryn, while mine land on Wes.
Yes. It’s amazing what even a few days can do.