Ricky has always been there for me even when we were little.
I just didn't realize until now how much that meant to me to have him around.
Ricky grins and wipes away a fake tear from his eye.
I hit his arm and stand up.
"I'm tired. I’ll see you in the morning" I tell Ricky as I start to walk away.
"So you’re not gonna tell me?" he asks again.
"Maybe tomorrow" I reply.
"Good night Rick."
"Good night Hop."
I leave his room and head to my own.
Before settling down for the night.
The next morning…
I woke up naturally, much to my surprise.
I sat up with my eyes still closed.
I stretched my arms, while taking in a deep breath and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
Without fully opening my eyes, I pulled myself out of my bed and readied myself for the rest of the day.
Once I was fully washed and dressed, I headed downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.
I was still half asleep when I reached the kitchen.
Sitting at the island, I closed my eyes and laid my head down.
I have never been much of a morning person, but I also didn't like spending all day in bed. It felt like I had wasted the day if I did that.
"Good morning bright spark." I hear Ricky sat.
"Morning Hope, good sleep?" Kira also says before placing something in front of me.
With my head still down I reply. "Morning and thank you." but it comes out more like an incoherent mumble.
I hear Kira, Ricky and what I guess to be Robbie laugh.
I didn't say anything. I just raised my head and opened my eyes to see a bowl of what looked like birdseed in front of me.
I pull the bowl closer to take a better look, picking up a spoonful of it and then pouring it back into the bowl.
I curl up my top lip in disgust.
Still not looking away from the bowl I ask, "What the hell is this?"
I hear a laugh.
"It's healthy" Kira answers.
Looking up from my bowl I start to say, "Do I look like a bir" but I stop when I noticed not only is Robbie here, but Kira, Ricky and to my surprise the twins are sitting across from me, looking very amused.
I gave them a 'what the hell' look before asking, "How long have you two been here?"
"Since you first came in." Matt says with his voice full of amusement.
"So you don't want that?" Nate asks leaning over and grabbing my bowl, taking a mouthful before I have a chance to answer.
"Hey!" I yell taking my bowl back leaving him with the spoon in his mouth.
Kira and Matt watch on amused, while Ricky stands up and passes me a clean spoon.
I accept it, giving him a sweet smile
"Thanks." I then took a spoon full of the seed into my mouth.
"Wow this is actually really good." I say with my mouth still half full.
"I know right." Nate says moving to sit next to me.
Kira laughed, "I knew you would like it"
Then she looked to Ricky. "Right I'm going food shopping now. But I'll be back in a couple of hours. So watch your sister." My mouth drops open.
"Kira! I'm almost 18, not 8. Ricky doesn't need to watch me." I tell her annoyed.
Then I get an idea. "Anyway Robbie told us that you weren't to leave the house by yourself, just in case" I say trying to hide my smirk.
"Speaking of Robbie, Where is he?" I ask.
"At work." Ricky answers for Kira and I nod in reply.
She grumbles something to herself "Fine, so you coming with me then?" She asks.
I shake my head "Nooooo way. I busy um.." I say trying to think of an excuse.
She gives me a suspicious look.
"Doing?" Ricky asks smirking.
I look back at him with a glare and then look to Nate who was still sat beside me and gave him a pleading look.
He crinkles his eyebrows and looks to Matt who is just watching with a knowing smirk.
Nate lets out a deep sigh. "I am helping her study, before she starts school, because she's behind on a few subjects due to all the constant moving about." Nate blatantly lies to Kira.
But she seems to buy it.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Kira asks sounding hurt, making me feel kind of bad about lying.
But I had to do it.
Ever since she got pregnant her mothering instinct has gone into overdrive that explains why I am now never allowed to be left by myself, plus lots of other things.
"I'm sorry Kira, I didn't want to stress you." I lie.
Matt watches still with the same look on his face, while Ricky gives me an unsure look.
Before she can say anything else I quickly say, "But that's no reason why you can't still go shopping." I look at Ricky and give him a sneaky smile and then look back to Kira
"Ricky will go with you. He was just saying last night how he missed spending time with you since he went to college"
"Really?" Kira says in an almost breathless way.
I nod and before Ricky has a chance to say anything else she smiles and says, "I would love that. Come on Ricky." She stands up. "I'll just be one minute." She added exiting the kitchen.
I let out a laugh, as does the twins.
"You are so dead." He growls walking over to me.
"But didn't you see how happy she was to hear you missed her" I say in a childlike way.
He stops mid step.
"Do you wanna break her poor little heart by telling her you don't really wanna go and you don't really miss her?" I say with a pout giving him my best puppy dog eyes.
He stops and thinks about it before replying "Fine!" Just as Kira walks back in, now wearing her shoes and carrying her handbag.
"Ready?" Kira asks.
Ricky reluctantly nods, Kira smiles and starts to walk out calling back. "See you later Hope. Call me or something if you need anything!"
Kira is out the door before I have chance to answer.
Matt laughs. "That was so funny. You have him wrapped around your finger." He says before Ricky leaves.
Ricky turns back in the door "I heard that!" He growls "Also I don't know what you are laughing about, you’re coming too." he smirks.
"No. Why?" Matt calls back.
"Because I said so. Plus we might be able to find something interesting."
Matt gives a 'What?' look.
"Just come on." He orders.
"Fine, but you’re buying me some beers"
Ricky nods in reply.
"And what about Nate?" Matt asks with a grin.
Ricky sighs. "Sadly he has to stay here and watch Hope." Matt laughs at this before giving Nate a knowing look.
I feel the urge to complain, but don't, because I knew things could be worse.
"Fine." Matt says as the two reluctantly finally leave much to Kira's pleasure.
Matt sends his brother a wink on the way out, but I didn’t think anything of the strange pair.
I heard Kira say "about time" as the two finally left closing the door behind them.
Leaving Nate and me alone in the house together.
I turn back to him to find him eat the last of my breakfast.
I whack him on his arm. "Hey, that's mine"
He bites his bottom lip and gives me an innocent smile, before holding out the last spoon of cereal out on his spoon for me.
Without a second thought I take the spoon into my mouth and pulled back, finishing the food.
Looking to Nate who was looking back at me with a strange look in his eyes, I started to blush at my actions.
I did it without thinking.
'Why does he have to be so sweet? This really wasn't helping me forget about him.' I thought to myself.
"Thanks for before." I say, breaking the silence that had taken over.
"It's OK. I hate seeing a beautiful woman in need." He says honestly.
; I felt my heart beat ten to the dozen.
I quickly grab the bowl and head to the sink to wash it and also hide my blushing face.
'Did he really just call me 'Beautiful'?' I ask myself internally.
I have soon finished washing the one bowl, meaning I had to face him again.
Still at the sink though, I felt myself get painfully shy.
"I am sorry if I embarrassed you." I heard him now whisper in a gruff voice into my ear, whist breathing on my neck, causing a shiver down my spine.
'What the hell? I didn't even hear him get up'
Hoping he didn't notice my body’s reaction to his whisper I ask "Um no." trying to sound strong but coming out more like a little girl.
I only now turn and notice how close he is.
He is standing so close that our bodies are almost touching.
My heart starts to beat faster as though it will pop out of my chest.
I locked gazes with his beautiful ocean blue eyes and him starring back into mine.
I bite my lip, thinking about kissing his luscious lips.
His gaze falls to my lips, as if thinking the same.
I really want to close the distance between us, but I can't help but think about what I heard yesterday.
Surely he would only be using me as a distraction from his true love.
I want to with every cell in my body to kiss him, but I don't.
I somehow manage to step to the side, putting a few feet between us.
Nate's face fell when I did this.
"Let’s watch a movie." I say before he can say anything.
I need a distraction from all this.
I leave walking in the living room, which contained a wall mounted with a 60-inch flat screen.
Nate walks close behind.
"What do you wanna watch?" I ask him.
He shrugs. "You choose."
"OK." I smirk.
I pull out a DVD from the stand and place it in the player.
As the movie starts I can't help but laugh as I watch Nate's reaction.
"Seriously?" He asks looking at me.
I shrug "You said anything." I grin.
"But really? Come on You know I hate this movie"
It's true. Me and Heather would watch it on repeat when we were younger much to her brothers’ horror.
"Don't be like that Nathan. Dirty Dancing is a classic. Plus you never know it might give you some tips on how to pick up that girl you like" I didn't mean to say the last part, but I guess my jealously just took over.
"What girl?" He asks puzzled.
I didn't answer.
He asks again, "What girl?"
I reluctantly answer, "I heard you speaking yesterday." I explain.
"You did?" He asks with wide eyes before continuing, "How much?"
I gave him a confused look "Why does it matter how much?"
He sighs "I'm sorry, but it's important. how much?" He asks again only confusing me more.
"I heard Matt say 'You were crazy', while Heather said something like 'You must really like her' before you said something about trying to get over it". I explain.
He gives me an understanding look "Is that why you walked away in the kitchen?" He asks "Because you thought I was just using you to get other this other person?" He adds.
I give him a nod, trying to hide my sadness.
We spent the next half an hour in silence as we watched the movie. Or at least I tried.
But every time I tried I could feel Nate's eyes burning into me.
Finally, having enough I snap. "What?"
He looks shocked at first, but quickly hides it "You really didn't hear anything else?" He asks.
I give him a confused look "No...Why?"
He ignores my last question and asks one of his own instead "How did hearing it make you feel?"
I was surprised at the question "Why do you want to know?" I say in a harsh tone.
He sighs. "Just humor me. Were you jealous?"
I looked everywhere but him "N .. noo" I mumble the lie.
But Nathan could tell I was lying.
"You were weren't you?" He asks almost surprise.
Still avoiding his gaze, I shook my head.
He places his hand under my chin and moves my face until I am looking at him.
"Hope." He whispers while looking me in my eyes.
"I would never hurt you like that."
I am just feeling more confused by the second.
As if seeing my confusion he asks.
"Hope. Do you like me?"
"Um I guess." I answer, unsure of his point.
He sighs. "I mean like-like me?" He explains.
"Why?" I furrow my eyebrows.
As he leans in closer, my heart goes crazy again.
Whispering into my ear, "Because…" He pauses and takes a few deep breaths as if psyching himself up.
"Because Hope I like-like you." He pulls back slightly to see my reaction.
My mouth forms an ‘o’ and my eyebrows remain furrowed "What about the girl?" I ask.
His shoulders drop, moving his hands to his face and he lets out a short laugh.
"You still don't get it?!" He says as if speaking to himself, and rolls his eyes.
"Hope." He says placing his hand on my cheek.
"I was talking about you" He says almost shyly.
I couldn't believe my ears.
He has to be playing some kind of prank on me.
He seems disappointed by my reaction.
"Is this a joke or something?" I almost yell with tears in my eyes, as I stand up.
He seems shocked and shakes his head.
"Did Ricky told you I was crying, so you thought you would play a prank on me?" I yell with the tears now falling down my cheeks.
Nate quickly stands up. "No, no, no Hope. Ricky never said anything." He said, looking sad.
"I really do like-like you. It's no joke or prank or whatever you want to call it." He said putting his hands on my face and wiping my tears away with his thumbs.
He spoke with so much honestly, I felt like crying all over again.
Before he had a chance to say anything else, I stood on my tiptoes as he was much taller than my 5ft. 5 inches frame and stole a single kiss.
A single sweet kiss.
"I like-like you too." I reply making him smile.
With that he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine again.
But this time it wasn't just a single kiss.
The kiss was sweet and soft, full of so much love and passion.
I felt so happy in that moment, although my heart was still going crazy, as well the butterflies in my stomach.
I wrapped my arms around him, while he placed one hand on the back of my neck and the other running through my hair.
Before long we had to break away to breathe.
Now with his arms around my waist, he was holding me close.
We leaned our foreheads against each other and smiled.
"I really do like you Hope." Nate whispers as if scared I might not believe him.
I kiss his cheek and smile "I know. I like you too." This makes him grin widely.
Only then we notice a person standing watching us....
CHAPTER NINE
Clearing things up
Hope
Standing just in the entrance was not just Heather, but also Dean.
I took a quick step back from Nate.
Heather mouth hung open, while Dean looked like he was ready to kill.
I turn to Nate, who opens his mouth to speak, but Dean cuts him off first.