would never hurt Laura, but his feelings for Erin had crept up on him suddenly and without warning. He was unsure of how to handle it. Should they just be friends like everything was normal? Devon was completely unprepared for the grace and overwhelming beauty that he had seen in Erin today. Devon sprawled across his bed, placed his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. He could not pretend, at least convincingly, he thought, that things would ever be normal between them again.
Chapter Three
~Devon~
Leaves . Devon had to rake the leaves. They even did that together. That was the deal. Devon would help her rake the leaves in her yard, and she would help him rake the leaves in his yard. Then, they would probably have lunch and talk about whatever.
“Getting started without me, huh?” Erin was wearing a red and black plaid fall jacket, her blonde hair in a ponytail, with a dark sweatband over her head.
Devon snapped the sweat band on her head. “So you’re really going to work today?”
Erin side kicked him in the behind, and jotted off to play in the leaves as if she had done nothing. “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” Erin was scooping leaves from the ground, spinning around, tossing them into the air; the colorful leaves mixed with the colors of her jacket.
Devon secretly loved the way she dressed up for every occasion, like it was a big deal. Today she looked like fall, the leaves falling around her as she spun and danced around, her smile too much for him to take.
“You’re such a girl,” Devon said, leaning on the rake.
”Where’s the rake , smartypants?” Erin was bouncing from foot to foot with her hands clasped behind her back.
“Here, take this one. I’ll get another one in the garage.”
Devon grabbed another rake, his hands slightly moist from seeing Erin again after this summer. The summer everything changed. The summer he wished he could skip and go back to feeling normal. Laura had moved away before school started. He missed her but now he had to face his feelings for Erin. Now he has to deal with his sweaty palms, flustered mind, and his pretending. Pretending he did not want to move his long fingers over the dimples on her face, over her soft rosy cheeks, savoring her soft skin, smelling her sweet scent, tasting her flush skin, kissing her moist teasing lips, her soft curls brushing over him.
“Here, don’t hurt yourself. ” Devon handed her the rake, looking into her blue eyes momentarily and swallowing.
“Boo hoo. What’s wrong with you? ” Erin asked as she glanced his way while lightly leaning on the rake.
How does she do that!
“What do you mean?” Devon averted his gaze and dragged the rake across the yard.
“You look sad. Did someone steal your porn?” Erin wanted to see him smile, or at least return the jab, but he just looked down and kept raking leaves.
“Ge t to work, and stop being a brat,” Devon said while looking at the ground.
Erin began slapping at the leaves with the rake. “Anything you want to talk about? You know you can tell me anything,” she said, raking a small pile of colorful leaves, her scent fresher than the autumn morning.
“Yeah, I know.” The words stabbed him in the heart like a knife. Devon’ s heart felt heavy, wondering whether he could ever tell her how he felt, that his feelings for her had changed, like a calm river that had suddenly been overtaken by a raging waterfall, swept up in a current he was helpless to resist. Devon raked the leaves and bagged them up, heading to Erin’s house to return the favor. He got to spend the entire afternoon with the only person who mattered to him right now. So why was he feeling so flustered?
~ Erin~
I was in bed, staring at the ceiling. I did not know why I had the image in my head over and over again, but there it was. Devon was a little scrawny kid, not even five feet tall and weighing less than a sack of potatoes. We were playing in a sandbox at my house, when he just leaned
Chapter Three
~Devon~
Leaves . Devon had to rake the leaves. They even did that together. That was the deal. Devon would help her rake the leaves in her yard, and she would help him rake the leaves in his yard. Then, they would probably have lunch and talk about whatever.
“Getting started without me, huh?” Erin was wearing a red and black plaid fall jacket, her blonde hair in a ponytail, with a dark sweatband over her head.
Devon snapped the sweat band on her head. “So you’re really going to work today?”
Erin side kicked him in the behind, and jotted off to play in the leaves as if she had done nothing. “Oh, it’s so beautiful!” Erin was scooping leaves from the ground, spinning around, tossing them into the air; the colorful leaves mixed with the colors of her jacket.
Devon secretly loved the way she dressed up for every occasion, like it was a big deal. Today she looked like fall, the leaves falling around her as she spun and danced around, her smile too much for him to take.
“You’re such a girl,” Devon said, leaning on the rake.
”Where’s the rake , smartypants?” Erin was bouncing from foot to foot with her hands clasped behind her back.
“Here, take this one. I’ll get another one in the garage.”
Devon grabbed another rake, his hands slightly moist from seeing Erin again after this summer. The summer everything changed. The summer he wished he could skip and go back to feeling normal. Laura had moved away before school started. He missed her but now he had to face his feelings for Erin. Now he has to deal with his sweaty palms, flustered mind, and his pretending. Pretending he did not want to move his long fingers over the dimples on her face, over her soft rosy cheeks, savoring her soft skin, smelling her sweet scent, tasting her flush skin, kissing her moist teasing lips, her soft curls brushing over him.
“Here, don’t hurt yourself. ” Devon handed her the rake, looking into her blue eyes momentarily and swallowing.
“Boo hoo. What’s wrong with you? ” Erin asked as she glanced his way while lightly leaning on the rake.
How does she do that!
“What do you mean?” Devon averted his gaze and dragged the rake across the yard.
“You look sad. Did someone steal your porn?” Erin wanted to see him smile, or at least return the jab, but he just looked down and kept raking leaves.
“Ge t to work, and stop being a brat,” Devon said while looking at the ground.
Erin began slapping at the leaves with the rake. “Anything you want to talk about? You know you can tell me anything,” she said, raking a small pile of colorful leaves, her scent fresher than the autumn morning.
“Yeah, I know.” The words stabbed him in the heart like a knife. Devon’ s heart felt heavy, wondering whether he could ever tell her how he felt, that his feelings for her had changed, like a calm river that had suddenly been overtaken by a raging waterfall, swept up in a current he was helpless to resist. Devon raked the leaves and bagged them up, heading to Erin’s house to return the favor. He got to spend the entire afternoon with the only person who mattered to him right now. So why was he feeling so flustered?
~ Erin~
I was in bed, staring at the ceiling. I did not know why I had the image in my head over and over again, but there it was. Devon was a little scrawny kid, not even five feet tall and weighing less than a sack of potatoes. We were playing in a sandbox at my house, when he just leaned
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