He kept looking at her today with those eyes. She’d seen them before, like when she wore a dress for her cousin’s wedding that the Scott’s had hosted last year, or when she scored the winning shot in the championship game for the girl’s Ravens team. Jake’s laugh brought a bright smile to her features. Seeing him happy this way, like none of the craziness surrounding them was affecting them at all felt amazing. It wasn’t real exactly, yet her ears would beg to differ. Lydia refused to be in anything other than this moment. He deserved a moment of peace, though still, his looks were unnecessary. Jake was making it very difficult for her to play them off, hence the shyness she’d exhibited moments before. Yet rolling her eyes, she propped herself up on her elbow now mirroring him. “Why would I need to fish for compliments? I’ve got all the compliments I need right here.” She answered cockily tapping the side of her head as she smirked. Lydia wished she wasn’t ruining this day with all the fleeting feelings and thoughts passing through her about Jake. All she really wanted was to have fun with her best friend, remind him that he still had people in his corner and that even if he was about to become a dad, that the life he’d known wasn’t ending. Jake’s eyes waltzed down her figure, a look she’d never seen from him. Again, her face flushed hot, hoping that he wouldn’t notice. When he spoke, Lydia had to laugh at the tone he used, never thinking she’d hear such words from him in her whole life. As she chuckled along, Lydia snuck a peak at her butt at that point, then meeting his eyes again. “Wow, I mean I am not surprised. A lot about me is fucking incredible so no reason why my ass shouldn’t be. But what exactly is so great about it? And I am not fishing for compliments. Honestly just curious about what guys look for in an ass.” She mused back with a shrug, her curiosity was truly genuine. Through her bubbling unrequited feelings for Jake, she’d found herself wanting to explore more having to do with the physicality and emotions of relationships. There it was, he’d called her cute again. Leaning up, still panting she glared at him, “Quit calling me cute.” She said, pushing his shoulder to show she wasn’t to be messed with. Even if the compliments had her swooning inside, she’d never wanted to be the cute one, but the respected one. It was why she cherished all the friendships she had made in the first place, even though as high school drew to a close her tune was slightly changing. Scoffing playfully, she pushed his arm off. “I will admit to nothing.” She said, crossing her arms sassily. “Hmm, I’m not sure I’m a very big fan of this whole tough love thing.” She joked with another shrug. The feeling of kissing him was incredible. He was her best friend now breaching that connection with his tongue. They were tasting one another, giving into more vulnerability than they possibly ever had with one another. the reality of it settling around her as she felt his tongue take such care and thought in the way that it seemed to meander through mouth. She wasn’t just kissing someone for the sake of kissing, it was Jake, her best friend. This was no simple matter seeing as they’d been best friends their whole life, though that was of course just the tip of that ice berg. Lydia hadn’t wanted him to pull away, leaning slightly towards him before falling away as she caught his gaze. Her hands fell from his back, relieved now that he’d in fact pulled away. There could be no more denying the fact that there was something between them. The fears that were minor before, now came back in a major way. This kiss was not just between them, but affected so many different people. A sad smile came across her face when he finally spoke. “Yeah, wow.” She agreed, there could be no denying how incredible that kiss was. Her eyes shut for a pregnant moment of pure calmness, yet utter invigoration when his calloused thumb grazed her lips. Opening them slowly, her thoughts picked right back up where they’d left off. “So what does this mean?” Lydia asked, saddened that she’d darkened this amazing moment with such words but she wasn’t sure if they were ready for the repercussions of letting this go any further. Or maybe it was only her.Â