Page 9 of Our Hearts Knew Better

They both eyed me, then Adam took a side step toward the dip. “If you’d keep following me…”

“Do you want to dodge a train?” Levi asked me, and my breathing skipped.

My mouth opened, then got stuck on the worddodge.

“You didn’t have—” Adam cut himself off into a mumble aboutruining the surprise.

Adam dodged trains? Levi didn’t? DidIwant to?

The skip in my breathing stayed as I considered that idea, my instincts leaning meawayfrom the image of me standing on train tracks, blinded by the lights as a train sped toward me.

I was restless, not reckless. But, as I held my stare on Adam, seeing his adventuresome spirit twinkling back at me, my feet shifted me closer to the hill as my mind wondered what was past those trees.

But I still remained planted on the pavement.

I’d seen that look in Levi too. But this was another way they weren’t entirely the same. They both thrilled themselves, but they did so in different ways. And it was manifesting with me.

Adam was ready to plunge in and Levi was making sure I didn’t nosedive.

My heart was open to anything. To everything. But as they waited for my move, the fluttering beats couldn’t decide which type they wanted more.

My bladder ended up deciding for me, all the thudding and buzzing and squeezing of my insides pushing the soda I had on the boat right down. I had to pee, and if I didn’t go soon, my thighs would be doing a different kind of clench than the sexual one I’d read about.

And I neededsomesleep if I didn’t wantthispart of my night ratted out to my dad in the morning.

And maybe…the part of me that kept my feet near Levi decided too.

“I don’t think so,” I finally answered honestly, as close to the truth as I could get for this moment.

Through Adam’s sigh came the distant whistle of a train. “And we had perfect timing too,” he lamented toward the trees, and I muttered out how I had to be heading back, my own lamenting that put a slumpy feeling in my chest.

“Yeah, I need to go back too,” Levi added, taking the steps backward toward the direction we came, his eyes already on mine when I met them, soft and shining, and I followed after that glow.

Adam caught up to us with unintelligible grumbles that still managed to sound lighthearted. He talked some more, and Levi and I listened, walking side by side, but my brain was distracted again, my focus pulled back to Levi every time he brushed against me. It felt intentional, with the position of his hands in his pockets, his elbow giving a subtle sway into my arm whenever we stepped into each other.

I didn’t knowwhatwas happening, butsomethingwas happening.

This night was beautifully bizarre.

Levi’s elbow swayed into my arm one more time as we slowed at a break in the path that led to his street, the three of us stopping and exchanging looks.

“I’ll stay with her,” Adam said to Levi’s hesitation. He wasn’t offering like I needed protection, just company. And I let the easygoing nature to the words settle over my nerves about going back home, putting a cover over them for just a bit longer.

Even if maybe he was only offering because both our streets were still on the way.

Even if maybe I wanted my company on that walk to be blond.

Levi didn’t stop him. He didn’t argue. He didn’t say something like,hey, we started this night together. He didn’t push it at all.

Why would he?I asked myself to brush away the thoughts, even as my arm still felthisbrushes.He has to get back too.

“I’ll see ya,” he said to me, low, before going off toward his home. It sounded like a promise, and I hoped it was. I wasn’t done getting to know him.

And I liked to think he wasn’t done getting to know me.

Bullet Points

“I really was joking about calling you a distraction,” Adam told me as we walked along, his pace now even with mine, the laugh he released like a blown out breath. The apology was in his voice, and I waved him off, looking more like I was swatting a bug in the air, as I tried to find a response, but still didn’t have one for that.

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