Then she kissed him. It was a soft, warm kiss, full of meaning and penned-up emotions that had been tucked away for three and a half years. And now, after all that time, she’d finally done it. It lasted only a few seconds, but to her, it seemed as if time had frozen the two of them in their own private eternity.
She pulled back reluctantly, not wanting to scare him off. She didn’t, however, look away. His eyes burned into her own as he lightly placed his hands on her bare shoulders. He leaned in and returned her daring act with all the patience and kindness she had ever hoped for.
And suddenly, it was over, like someone had woken her from an all-too-real dream.
“I can’t do this Anna,” he said, pushing her away and drifting a little farther into the deeper part of his inground pool, “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” the word had come out of her mouth before she even thought, betraying all she felt inside.
“Because you’re one of my best friends and I can’t lose you like this,” he told her, his voice cracking in the way that always made Anna and her friends laugh.
“I’m your-” her voice faltered, “best friend?” she managed. Not being one to be ruled by her reasonable side, she continued, “I don’t know what you felt right now, but that was definitely not a ‘best friend’ feeling to me.” By the time she’d finished, she was almost in tears. She hated to cry.
In the back of her mind, she knew she wasn't being reasonable, but she couldn't help it. He was telling her the truth, and she would've been dissapointed at anything less, but still, it was uncomprehendable to her. Best friends. Was that all she was? A best friend? One of the guys? Someone who would always be there for him to talk to, and that's all?
He looked at her, straight into her watery eyes, "Do you think we could really make this work?"
She nodded, a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.
"I mean it," he said sternly, his expression bearing no resemblance to hers. She had never seen him so serious in the entire time she had known him, "I want you to really think about it, because I just can't lose you over something like this."
She wanted to tell him to hurry up and think already! After what she just did, she wanted a reaction. It'd taken her more than three and a half years to work up the courage to kiss him. It was almost as if she'd had this mission, but now that it had been completed, all she could think about was his reaction. And that kiss! Oh, it was *almost* as good as she'd imagined, like every nerve in her body had just turned into liquid light. It was one of the most beautiful experiences she'd ever had. She and her best friend had discussed soulmates once. They decided that if they existed, and if you found them and you kissed them, or even just brushed against them, that that's what it would feel like. She hoped to god that they were right. This situation would be messy, she knew, but it would be worth it if he were her soulmate. More than worth it.
