for the rest of the day, danny steered pretty clear of me. 

cole sort of did, too, but it didnt seem as intentional as danny's behavior. after going to school to pass in an assignment, he quickly rushed back into the house to help me set up all the tables outside for the wedding, now in two hours. 

but, like i said, danny felt different. almost as avoidance.

as cole headed out to go to school, i stood next to jackie as she gave each walter brother thier chore. danny made minimal eye contact with me, and when he did, it was quick and almost emotionless. 

and when we almost bumped into each other as cole and i co-carried a table out the door, he looked down as his feet as we awkwardly shuffled by and apologized.

but the wedding was finally here, and i settled on the fact that the decision had practically been made for me. with danny now planning to be away for the summer, and cole being free as a bird, it seemed simple. i was grateful the universe had made this decision easy for me. thankful for fate.

danny and i had kissed as well, but like danny said, the initial intent behind it wasnt romantic, so it shouldnt be now. danny probably just felt that way for a little bit, a reasonable reaction and thought process after an emotional kiss, but pulled back to reality by the natural course of time, and now his mind is obviously off to other things. as mine should be.

we finally set the table down, and cole looked at me, putting his hands on his hips, heaving breaths in and out.

"you barely broke a sweat, harper gray." he huffed, and i chuckled at him slightly.

"i mean, come on," he groaned, "that table almost took me out-" he had stopped speaking because i had begun to walk towards him. alarmed, and probably not knowing what to expect, he straightened his body to stand up taller. 

i fit myself perfectly in his arms, and pressed my cheek against his collar bone. a hug. one of the most comforting hugs i had had in a while.

he put one arm around my back and waist, and another on my head.

and we stood there for a while.

"this feels nice, harper gray."

the wedding was gorgeous. hayley was gorgeous. everything came perfectly together.

"you look stunning." cole said as i chose my spot next to him, and his arm was already around my chair. i sat and fell comfortably in it.

that was the first time i had caught danny's eyes on me all day. but as soon as i noticed, they were off of me.

the couple was happily married, and the crowd moved to the reception space. drinks and small plates were being handed out during speeches, and cole's speech.

when, in the end, his eyes flashed at me when he said "but, when you meet your person, nothing else really matters."

and, for the first real time, i let myself enjoy the gesture. i smiled back up at him.

cole's speech finished up, and the first dance was stunning and incredible, and everyone joined the famous couple out on the dance floor.

and a body appeared in front of me.

"a dance?"

i stuck out my head, swallowing my drink and preparing a yes, but it was danny's hand that reached down to grab mine.

i had to stop myself from pulling my hand away, but i didnt stop myself from staying planted in my chair.

"danny?" i said, while panickily looking around the floor for cole. where had he gone after his speech?

he had seemed to disappear.

"dance with me harper." his eyes were kind, but his arm practically picked me up off my chair and out onto the dance floor. so strong, it would have been awkward and obvious if i were to pull back and reject him.

what was he doing? avoiding me all day and then dancing with me?

he spoke so confidently, so quickly, i panicked that i had spoken out loud.

"im sorry ive been distant harper." he huffed, as he put one hand on my waist and keep the other holding mine. i tried to take deep enough breaths to calm my spinning head, "i think i've been..." he seemed to squirm, "trying to protect myself."

"from me?" i choked out, trying to keep my voice calm as my eyes searched for cole wildly in my peripherals.

"from the pain its going to cost to go to new york." my shoulders shrunk at his words, and i looked at him much more endearingly, "i'm going to have to leave a lot. my brothers, this house, my hometown." i nodded along, "and now. you, i guess." he got all squirmy again, "i dont know. i think while pushing you away, i've also been trying to figure us out. what we are. or what i want us to be." his eyes were glued to mine, and i regrettably couldnt say any different about my own, "i think i was pushing away the idea of us by pushing you away completely. if i dont want anything with you, it wont hurt to leave you." 

he seemed to finish, and have no other words. but i was in the same place. and it was then i realized we had stopped dancing, we were now just standing still. staring at each other. i wondered, for a quick moment, when we had stopped moving.

"okay." was all i could muster.

"it turns out i do want something, harper." he gulped, "and its going to hurt to leave you regardless."

i tried to swallow, but i felt as if the food i had just eaten was at the back of my throat. i forced another "okay."

his hands fell roughly to his sides, as if his next words was what he had been trying to communicate all along, "harper, come to new york with me."

it had felt as if the ground had shook just then.

"what?" i choked out some more.

"harper, i-"

"no." i stopped him, "what did your little chat with cole the other day accomplish, danny? i mean what did we talk about?" i shook my head, really trying not to cause a scene, "you dont talk to me all day, after telling me your going to new york for the summer. you made it seem like a decision had made."

"we agreed it was up to you, harper. and we'd be fine either way." he breathed deeply, "because we're brothers, and we both love you, and each other." danny's hand grabbed mine, "and we both really mean it. we do." i shook my head, i dont really know what conclusion i wanted them to come to, but it wasnt this one. 

"harper," danny tried, "it makes sense! you can come study theater with me, and we can live together at jackie's uncle's place. no rent, no colorado, no brothers to worry about."

i looked up at him, and could see how much he genuinely meant it all, genuinely wanted it all.

my chest hurt with how much i couldnt match it.

and that was enough for me. enough for me to truly know. 

what i had expected happened to danny, early today, actually had happened to me. danny was a great guy, and the kiss had stirred something in me, but it was just a kiss. a kiss that made me feel, made me think, for a moment - but not for long.

cole had made me really dream, really want. really love.

my hand went to my stomach as i forced a shaky breath in, and i saw danny's face drop at my reaction. he went to say something, but his voice was all muffled and weak and weird and my head started to pound. suddenly, i heard heels clicking, and they were my own. walking away from danny. away from the wedding. away from the lights and the chatter and the food.

i bumped into cole, heading back from the house, and the whole world came back into view.

"harper, what's wrong?" his eyes appeared in front of mine, and his hands found their place on my shoulders, pushing my face closer to his. he squeezed lightly, and it was soothing.

my voice was too shaky to speak. mind too cluttered to think. cole must have realized, because i found myself in his chest for the second time today. for the second time ever.

and he squeezed me again, but this time it felt like all of me. 

you read that right - we're team cole.
the end - coming soon. xxx