Page 79 of Rewind It Back

“Night, Hallie.” He tucks my hair behind my ears before hesitantly letting me go. “Sleep well.”

I take slow steps away from him, telling myself that stopping us was the right thing to do.

I look back over my shoulder to find he hasn’t moved at all.

I’m through my front door, but something doesn’t feel right leaving things like that, so I take a step back outside.

“Hey, Rio?”

Hands in his pockets, he perks up. “Yeah?”

“I missed you too.”

Chapter 15

Rio

Age 17

“Since when are guys allowed at my little sister’s birthday parties?” Luke asks, eyes locked on his living room as we stand in the entry to the kitchen.

“She’s sixteen. Of course she’s going to have guys here.We’rehere.”

“We don’t count. I’m her brother and you may as well be.”

That makes me visibly grimace. I’ll tell you one thing. Me and Hallie couldn’t be further fromthat, even though neither of our families know for certain what’s going on. Of course, my mom knows about my feelings for her, but she doesn’t know the rest.

They have no idea how often we meet on the roof, where she lays on my chest and I play with her hair while we simply talk. Or how I sleep in her room most nights—on the floor, but still. They have no idea that me saying I like her doesn’t exactly encompass how I actually feel about the girl.

“I don’t know why you’re being weird about it,” I say to Luke. “Our friend groups are completely intertwined at this point. Most of these people are your friends too.”

He shakes his head. “That’s my baby sister.”

“Dude, you were sixteen like a year and a half ago.”

“You don’t get it, but you’re lucky you don’t have to deal with figuring out if your friends are actually your friends or if they’re hanging around because they want to get with your sister.” That statement hangs in the air before there’s a loud crash somewhere down the hall. “What the hell?” he groans. “Everyone is sober. Why are they breaking stuff?”

He bolts in that direction, leaving me standing there and feeling like shit.

I want to tell him.

I’vetriedto tell him. I’ve started the conversation so many times this past year, but then I chicken out when he makes some remark about me being his best friend and knowing I’d never betray him by dating Hallie. I think our parents would be cool with it, but Luke... I don’t see a day Luke would ever be cool with knowing I have feelings for his sister.

Hallie hasn’t seemed too pressed about it, but she’s made a few comments here and there about wishing she could hold my hand while at school or rest her head on my shoulder during lunch. Things we only do in the privacy of my truck when I’m driving her home after my games, or when we’re alone on the roof.

But honestly, it’s not like we’ve gone much further than that. Part of me is wanting to wait, to attempt to put my feelings on hold. Luke will be off at college in just over a year and maybe he’d care a whole lot less by then. But that means I’ll be gone too, and there hasn’t been a day that’s passed that I haven’t at least thought about kissing her.

I move slowly, I guess. And though I’m a year older than her, I’m equally as inexperienced. Sometimes I wonder if she’s going to get over it. Over me. It’s not like she can tell people that she’s my girlfriend. Hell, I don’t even know if sheismy girlfriend. Is she going to get tired of waiting for me to make a move and decide she’d rather be out in the open with someone else?

Fuck, I’ve been so in my head lately, but her sixteenth birthday party isn’t the place for me to be figuring it all out.

She looks so cute tonight, in her knit sweater and short skirt. Ten nails all painted in different colors. Long hair, sparkly hazel eyes, and a smile that lights me up whenever I see it.

Hallie is hugging her friend and saying thank you for a gift when she catches me staring at her from across the room.

She discreetly shoots me a little wink and though I know that’s all I’ll get of her today, I happily take it.

Though we always meet on the roof for her birthday, this year is going to be different. She’s going to be so busy being the center of attention at her sweet sixteen all night that we’re going to have to meet another time.

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