After the surprise proposal at dinner, we had dessert before everyone went to bed. I was now in my bedroom staring at my newest piece of jewelry. In some ways, it felt like I did the right thing. I did love Logan. But this just seemed really, really fast. I had no idea that he was going to propose. Is that what he had been out with his dad doing today? Getting a ring? Was this because he wanted sex? He and I never once talked about marriage. We didn’t even live together.

I remembered the expression on Wyatt’s face when he heard his brother ask me to marry him. He looked shocked and betrayed. Then he left. Where did Wyatt go? He disappeared and hadn’t been seen after the proposal. His mother said he wasn’t feeling well. I went by his room after dinner to check on him and got no response. 

I had to have been seeing things at dinner, because it seemed to hurt Wyatt that Logan proposed. But why would it bother him? Why did he have that expression on his face? None of this made any sense. None of it. I looked at the ring again. When I tried to picture it, I could see myself being married to Logan. But I still couldn’t shake this feeling of uneasiness. 

I was just about to change into my pajamas when there was a knock on the door. I was too exhausted to even guess who it could be. I just assumed it was Logan. I walked over and opened the door. “Wyatt? Hey. What happened at dinner? You disappeared--”

“Can we talk?” He shifted uneasily on his feet. “Maybe go for a walk?” 

I frowned at the odd note in his voice. “Sure. Let me get my shoes.” 

I quickly slipped on my flats before he and I started walking down the long hallway. Neither of us said anything while we made our way towards the back door and out of the house. I followed behind Wyatt as he passed the very large pool and headed towards a trail that led into the woods. 

“Where are we going?” I asked him when we continued deeper into the woods. He knew I hated the woods. 

He finally stopped but didn’t turn around to face me. “Lia, I need to ask you something; and I need you to be honest with me.” 

My heart started racing in my chest. “Of course I’ll be honest with you.” 

“You told me you loved me once. Was that true?” 

Oh, God. What the fuck was this? Why was he bringing up a very painful memory for me? I tried to bury that memory and never think about it. Because when I did think about it, it hurt me just like it did the first time. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Yes,” I answered honestly. “I meant it. But why are you--”

“Do you still love me?” 

That stopped me cold. “Why are you asking me this, Wyatt? Turn around and look at me!” He turned towards me and I asked again, “Why are you asking me this?” 

“I need to know the answer, Lia.” 

“I need to know why you’re asking me this.” I took a few steps in his direction. “I’m sorry, Wyatt, but you gave up the right to ask me a question like that.” 

“Excuse me?" He asked incredulously. "I have every right to ask you that, Lia. Answer the damn question.” 

I stayed silent. What the hell was going on? Today has been so weird and unexpected. I ran my hands over my face briefly. I couldn’t lie to him, but I couldn’t answer his question, either. I was screwed either way, because by not answering it, Wyatt figured it out anyway. He knew the truth. I loved him and there was no denying it. 

He closed the distance between us and reached for my left hand. He studied the ring before looking into my eyes. “If you still love me, then why the fuck did you say yes to Logan?” 

I narrowed my eyes and snatched my hand from him. I didn’t miss the accusation in his voice. The anger. “How dare you!” I knew the tears were coming, but I couldn’t stop them. I was pissed off, scared, and confused. Not a very good combination. “You don’t know what I’m feeling or thinking.” 

“Yes, I do,” he said in a stern voice. “I know you, Lia. Better than everyone; including my brother.” 

I looked away for a moment and took a step back. This was bad. I needed to get out of here. I started walking back towards the house. The sound of crushing leaves and branches snapping clued me in on the fact that he followed after me. 

He reached for my hand and pulled me to a stop. “Don’t run from me, Lia. We need to talk about this.” 

“Why?” I all but screamed at him as I faced him. “I told you how I felt about you four years ago. I told you that I loved you. You said that I didn’t know what I was talking about; that nothing would ever happen between us. You made it clear that you didn’t have feelings for me. You decided to move across the country, Wyatt. You left me.”

“I never said that I didn’t have feelings for you!” he shot back at me. “I never said that!” 

I waved my hands around in front of me. “Wyatt, what the fuck was I supposed to think? You made it clear to me that there was nothing between us.”  

He let out a frustrated breath that was mixed with a groan. This time he was the one who buried his face in his hands. He was the one hiding now. After a few seconds, he finally dropped his hands and looked at me. “God, Lia. How could you not know?”

I held out my arms in front of me. “Know what, Wyatt? What the hell are you trying to tell me? Because as far as I remember it, you didn’t see a future for us; at least not in the way I did. You left to go to California, then you gave Logan and I your blessing to be in a relationship. So, what am I missing here?” 

 He didn’t answer me. He didn’t look away, either. Well, look who was at a loss for words now.

“Answer me, Wyatt.” 

“Do you love me, Lia?” he asked again quietly. “Do you?” 

I shook my head and backed away from him. “Wyatt, stop. I’m not having this conversation anymore.” 

He wasn’t letting up. “Lia, do you love me?” 

“Yes!” I answered on a choked sob. I felt the tears start to spill from my eyes. “Yes, I love you. I never stopped loving you, Wyatt. Does it make you happy to know that? Do you get some kind of satisfaction from knowing that?”

He remained silent and it was starting to piss me off.

“Answer me!” I yelled.

But he didn’t answer me. Instead, he reached out and cupped my face in his hands as he wiped away my tears. 

My eyes slid shut. “Wyatt, please. Please don’t touch me.” 

“Why not?” 

I opened my eyes and looked deep into his. I was so thrown and lost-- I needed answers. I needed someone to explain this for me. I needed Wyatt to explain this for me. After what happened at graduation, I never thought this topic would come up again. I thought back to the few almost-kisses we had over the past few days. Is that what this was about? 

Did the almost-kisses make him curious or something? He never showed any sort of attraction to me after graduation. Did the proposal make him jealous? If it did, why? My mind was racing a mile a minute. My anxiety was at an all time high and I felt like I was being pulled in two different directions. I wanted to run away. I wanted to run away from Wyatt as fast and as far as I could. But at the same time, there was nowhere else I would rather be right now than in his arms. 

“Why not, Lia?” he asked again.

“I get confused when you touch me.”

“Confused how?” 

“Wyatt,” I begged, “what are you doing?” 

“I don’t know,” he answered while still stroking my face. “I just--”

Instead of completing his sentence, he crushed his lips against mine. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything except feel the effect of Wyatt’s kiss. Somehow my body seemed to take on a mind of its own. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his body closer to mine. 

He deepened the kiss-- sliding his tongue against mine. I couldn’t stop the little moan of pleasure that escaped me. He seemed to like it, too. He slowly lowered his hands to my waist and pulled my body flush against his now. He ran his hands over my arms, waist, back...everywhere. I also  didn’t miss the hard feel of him pressing against my pelvis. I needed to stop this. I needed to stop it now. As much as I knew that, and as much as I told myself that, I couldn’t. I was lost. It was the only way I could explain it. I was lost to the feel of him. It was Wyatt. I had been waiting for this for what felt like forever. But I was still so confused. What did this mean? Why was he doing this? 

He pulled away from me briefly and stroked my lips with his thumb. “How could I have been so fucking stupid?” he asked in a low voice. 

“Wyatt--”

He kissed me again. This time slower than the first. I had never felt anything like this before. With anyone. And that’s what scared the hell out of me.