Lainey

The second Owen starts singing the entire bar starts watching. His voice sounds so smooth and soft.

Many couples start swaying to the song as he approaches the familiar course of This Town by Nail Horn.

I have never seen him as serious as he is at this moment singing this song. It is as if he wrote the song himself.

As Owen nears the second course his eyes met mine. The way his eyes stare into mine causes goosebumps to run down my arms and heat to pool in my gut.

As he sings I listen to the words.

"Because if the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you. Drive highways and byways to be there with you. Over and over the only truth. Everything comes back to you."

It is as if everyone else fades away as he sings, it's as if we are the only people in this bar.

It's like he is singing this song to me.

"You still make me nervous when you walk in the room. Them butterflies they come alive when. I'm next to you. Over and over the only truth. Everything comes back to you."

Is he just toying with me?

I shake that thought away. There is no way Owen is acting, these feelings between us are real. He feels it just as much as I do.

Maybe for once, my feelings are not onesided, maybe for once I won't end up heartbroken.

Owen finishes the song and the crowd erupts in cheers. His face flushes and the crowd continues to cheer.

When his eyes met mine again I shrug. Owen simply shakes his head with a smile dancing on his lips as he starts playing another song.

~~~~

Owen plays song after song and the crowd loves each one. The longer Owen plays the more confident he seems to be.

As he plays I sway to the bet with my eyes closed, listening to each word. I could listen to him sing all day.

Sadly he finishes up his set and the crowd goes back to drinking and talking. The second I reach Owen he pulls me into a tight hug. "Thank you, Lainey," He whispers against my head.

I laugh as I wrap my arms around him. "I knew you could do it."

Owen unwraps his arms and holds out a wad of cash. "What is that?" I ask.

He smiles, "All the tips I made."

I practically jump up and down as I ask, "How much did you make?"

Owen matches the smile that has taken over my face, "Eighty bucks."

"That's awesome!" I squeal.

He puts the money in his guitar case. "Half of it is yours."

"No, it's not," I snap.

He buckles his case shut and smiles, "You are the one that signed me up."

"And you earned it."

Owen sighs as he swings his case over his shoulder, "If you say so."

We both walk/weave through the people as we leave. "Where too now?" I ask when reach the car.

Owen throws his guitar case in his backseat. "I have a surprise."

My brows raise, "What is the surprise."

He gives me a tired look, "Now if I told you would it still be a surprise?"

I laugh as I buckle my seat belt. "Whatever."

After a few minutes of trying to trick Owen into telling me where we were going, I finally gave up. Luckily it didn't take much longer to arrive.

"Are you going to murder me?" I ask as we get out of his car.

He smirks, "That would be hard to do considering your situation."

Despite the snort of laughter I let out I flipped him off

Owen brought me to a park.

I follow him down a path through some trees. After some grumbling from me, we finally arrived in a small field.

I stop and gaze around the field. It's absolutely beautiful, trees surround the clearing, and in the middle is a small cherry blossom tree.

As the clouds move the moon lights up the entire clearing, casting Owen in white light.

He places his hands in his pockets and gives me a sheepish smile. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," I say softly.

Owen takes my hand and pulls me towards the cherry blossom tree. "Sadie and I  found this spot a few years ago."

We stop under the tree and Owen sighs, " What I'm trying to say is, I have never shown anyone this place before."

His confession leaves me speechless, I don't know what to say.

"Thank you for sharing it with me," I say quietly.

Owen smiles and sits down, pulling me with him. "This is the best spot to star gaze."

I giggle as I lay down beside him.

A small gasp slips past my lips as I behold the sky, he's right this is the best place to star gaze.

You can see tons of stars all twinkling in their pattern. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Owen asks softly.

I turn my head gently to the side. "Yes, and no."

Owen chuckles, "What is that supposed to mean?"

I let out a huff. How do I tell him I'm nervous about what will happen to us when I go back to normal?

Will we go back to hating each other or will we still be friends?

"I am not nervous about whether or not I go back to normal. I'm worried about what will happen to us when if I go back to normal." I admit.

I can feel Owens's eyes boring into the side of my head, but I can't bring myself to look at him after my deep confession.

Owens's hand grabs mine, "Lainey, nothing is going to happen to us." I finally bring myself to look at him and his eye price mine. "You have become my best friend. Someone I don't think I could ever live without."

His thumb brushes over the top of my hand. "I don't think I have ever hated you. I think I let myself believe I did because the thought of me feeling like I needed you was scary."

He felt like he needed me.

"I think I let myself believe I hated you because it helped me cover up other feelings," I say without thinking.

A small smile lifts to his face, "What do up mean by "cover up other feelings"?"

Well, shit.

I didn't mean to say that.

"Well, you know how I said how the wish was about a guy I used to have a crush with the same name as you?" I stutter.

One would think I just gave him enough information to put the pieces together but he doesn't.

"What do you mean?" Owen asks.

I sit up and stare at his confused face. "Owen I had a major fucking crush on you forever."

Owen simply stares at me as he processes what I just revealed.

"So you are telling me this obsessive wish you made was about me?"

"Yes," I shout.

Owen suddenly starts laughing, "You have to be lying."

I glare at him as he continues laughing. "Yes, it is true."

When he finally calms down he asks, "When did you get over your crush?"

I rub the back of my neck, "When I bumped into you you called me a blind dummy."

Owens's whole body freezes as if I'm bringing up old guilt. "I remember that."

I simply shrug. "You know the reason I was so mad was that you ruined a new shirt my mom had bought me." Owen glaces away. "It was one of the first pieces of clothing I owned that wasn't used or a hand-me-down."

I practically sag in embarrassment. I have hated him all this time for nothing.

"I always felt bad about it but I was too prideful to say sorry," Owen admits. "I am sorry I was a jerk that day."

I give him a soft smile, "It's okay, I was a jerk too."

Owen laughs and stares at the sky. "So I guess we spent most of our high school hating each other over a misunderstanding."

I laugh, "I guess so."

After a few moments of silence, Owen suddenly sits up. "Wait, you said "you used hatred to cover up feelings" in the present tense."

I feel my face drain all its color.

Owens's eyes practically burn a hole in the side of my head as he waits for my response. "I didn't mean to say it like that," I say with a shaky voice.

Owen moves closer to me and places his hand under my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "I think you're lying."

Those deep blue eyes pull me in, making it impossible to look away, "I think I still have feelings for you," I whisper.

"You think," Owen asks softly.

I swallow the lump stuck in my throat, "I don't think they ever went away."

Owen smiles as he stares into my eyes. "I think I have feelings for you too."

"You think?" I ask, throwing his questions back at him.

Owen pulls me closer to him, so close our noses are almost touching. "I know I have feelings for you, Laniney." His eyes flick down towards my lips. "I want you way more than I have ever wanted another girl."

That has me practically melting because I know he means it, I know with every fiber of my being, every ounce of my overthinking brain that he means it.

For the first time in my life, I have no question whether or not he is lying.

For once in my life I don't wait for someone else to make the first move. I grab the front of Owens's shirt and push my lips against his.

Owen immediately wraps both of his hands around my waist and lets out a long sigh. That one sigh has me pulling him closer.

So close I am practically in Owens's lap. As Owens's lips move with mine he gently rubs small circles on my back with his thumbs.

Eventually, we break apart and we both stare at each other; neither of us knowing what to say.

Owen finally chuckles, "I should have done that a long damn time ago."

I roll my eyes and he places a quick kiss on my cheek. Then another on my neck.

Lastly, he pulls me down with him as he lays down, placing me beside him with his arm wrapped around me.

As we lay there Owen turns and places a small kiss at the base of my neck and whispers, "God, I love that damn mole."

Before sleep fully claims me I watch a shooting star fly through the sky. Just like the one on my birthday.

Owen tightens his arms around me, "Don't ever leave me, Lane."

I snuggle into his hold, "Don't ever leave me, Huntley."

Thoughts?