The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance(60)

“It’s...complicated,” I said with a sigh. That part was true, too. It was complicated. Clearly, trying to be anything other than friends was too much for Micah or me. “We finished editing our project, so I probably won’t see him as much anymore,” I added.

“Yeah right,” Josh mumbled. “It’s not like you guys have been working on just your project this whole time.”

“Hush,” I said, tossing a kernel at him, too. “Leave it alone, you guys. We’re just friends.”

“I bet they’ll be a couple by Christmas,” J said with a grin.

“Nah, by New Years,” Ben replied and lifted his fist to J’s. “Loser has to buy pizzas.”

“You guys are seriously betting food over my relationship status?”

Ben smiled. “My stomach doesn’t discriminate! Might as well get something worthwhile out of this!”

“Ugh!” I stood up. “I think I’m gonna go to my room.”

“No, don’t go!” Ben lifted a hand to stop me. “You’re always so sassy.”

“I’m not sassy.” I pursed my lips. Ben laughed, bobbing his head.

“Yeah, you are. You know, it’s all right to like him. No one is gonna care.”

“I’ll care,” Josh piped up. “I don’t want my sister dating a dud.”

“He’s not a dud!” I glared at Josh.

“Is this the end result for you, then, Charlie?” Josh asked, pushing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. “Are you choosing Micah Jacobs?”

“Have you told him how you feel?” Ben added, looking between Josh and me, amused. “That might be the next step. How is he ever gonna know without you telling him?”

“Logically,” Josh nodded, “if you like him, you should tell him how you feel.”

My stomach twisted and I swallowed back a hint of what I thought might be puke from nerves.

“I can’t,” I confessed. “Besides, Micah and I are just friends. I only want to be friends. And he told me that he wasn’t looking for a relationship.”

“I’m sure he said that with good reason,” David interjected softly. I raised my brow curiously as David continued. “I’m sure Micah thinks you’d never go out with someone like him. So he told you that he wasn’t interested to avoid getting hurt.”

“But I’m the one who told him I just wanted to be friends…?”

“Exactly. He’s making himself unavailable on purpose.”

In David’s eyes, I found empathy staring back at me. He understood what it was like to think someone would reject him. He was crazy about Rachel, but his fears kept him from doing what he wanted to do the most.

“Maybe you could write him a letter?” David suggested. “Tell him how you feel that way.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s the type to appreciate a love letter,” Josh snorted.

“I doubt any of you would appreciate a love letter,” I rebutted. “I can’t even recall the last time I saw you guys read anything short of a cereal box.”

“Jackie O,” murmured Ben to J.

“This isn’t about me!” Josh said roughly. They were such little boys. Ben and J snickered as they stole a handful of popcorn from Josh’s bowl.

“You guys really think I should write Micah a note about how I feel?” I questioned them. Ben and J exchanged glances. Josh stuffed a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth, which I supposed was an answer in and of itself. David was the only one who nodded.

“If you wanted to be just friends before,” he began, using finger quotations on the “just” part, “then tell him how your feelings have changed now. You might be surprised to find he feels the same way.”

Was it really that easy?

“You don’t have anything to worry about,” J said with a smile. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious the guy is nuts about you.”

“How?” I asked curiously. How was that so apparent to them, but not to me?

“Well, he comes over all the time. And I see you guys in the hallways. I’ve overheard girls gossip and ask each other if you and Micah are an item,” J explained.

“Those are probably just from the rumors Samantha started,” I scoffed.

“No, really,” Ben insisted. “Really, Charlie. It’s obvious to everyone around you. It’s written on both of your faces when you see each other. Whatever, write the guy. Heck, just tell the guy.”

“I’ll think about it.” I looked down. What exactly could I write? What would I say?

“Thanks, guys.” I got up to return to my bedroom. There were a lot of things I could say to Micah, but I didn’t know where to begin. I closed the door, blocking out the voices of the guys talking about Jackie O. I took a seat on the edge of my bed and grabbed my phone, which was connected to the charger. I had a few messages from Micah waiting for me.





MICAH: ur pretty quiet today.



MICAH: Whatcha up to?



MICAH: I’m not sure I like this whole silence thing.



MICAH: Maybe I should come over.



MICAH: Hhhhhmmm the things Charlie could be doing.