We have the next day off from school to rest but for me it's an opportunity to think my decision through. When Sebastian arrives home from school, I'm sitting on the stairs waiting for him.

"Hey! Do you have soccer practice today?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm going to change into the soccer kit, have a quick bite to eat and then head out." He replies.

"Okay." I say as he walks past me up the stairs to his bedroom.

When Sebastian calls out to me that he's leaving I hurry out of the living room after him.

"I'm coming with you." I say as I catch up with him outside the house.

Thankfully Seb is too caught up in thoughts of his mock soccer game today that he doesn't ask me questions about why I'm going to school with him. When we get to school I let Seb go ahead of me while I stay back in the car.

A part of me wants to ask the driver to take me back home but my heart is thumping with the idea of what I plan on doing. I cannot lie to myself anymore. Before I can change my mind, I push the car door open and step out. The academic block stands between the parking and the field where the boys are playing soccer.

I stuff my hands into the pockets of my denim jacket and start walking around the building towards the field. As the field comes into view, shouts from the players reach my ears. When I finally walk up to one end of the field, I can tell who is who. There is one new boy on the team who must be Adam's replacement.

Sebastian and Ben are on the field too. I sit down on a bleacher as my eyes follow Ben around the field. There are emotions in my chest that I had subconsciously felt from time to time but never in such full force. Nearly thirty minutes pass before the coach blows his whistle and beckons the players to him. I'm watching Sebastian trek towards the opposite end of the field from me since that's where the coach is standing.

But during this I don't realize that Ben isn't with them anymore.

"What are you doing here?" Ben's voice makes me jump.

He's standing a few feet away from.

"You scared me." I say. I'm not ready so I ask, "Doesn't the coach need you?"

"I'm the captain of the team. I don't need to answer every single time the coach blows his whistle." He falls silent for a second before adding, "Besides, I thought you might want to talk since you ran away the last time I tried to strike up a conversation."

I sigh as I turn to face him. "I'm sorry about that. It's just..."

He doesn't say anything as he silently waits for me finish my sentence.

"It's just I'm scared of what the end may be if we actually talk about it." I finally sigh in admission.

"Scared?" Ben frowns, raising his gaze to look at me.

I give a small nod, "I've known you my whole life and I just can't imagine it without you."

"Hazel, you're making no sense." Ben shakes his head at me.

I rub my palms on my jeans to give myself something to do as I speak.

"What if I admit something and you don't feel the same way and I just end up ruining everything that we have. Our friendship. And I can't live without it. I don't even know how to do that."

"Why are you assuming that I don't feel the same way?" He asks.

This makes me look up surprised, "What?"

"Hazel, I've known my feelings towards you for nearly two years now and  I always knew that if you ever made any advancements, I will be more than happy to go along with them."

Hearing him say the words out loud make me shake my head in disbelief but Ben takes my hand in his as he says, "Hazel, please if there's even a part of you that feels the same. That makes you want to be something more than just my friend. Please you have to tell me."

I gasp as tears leak out and I feel them roll down my cheeks, "I do Ben. I do want to be more than just your friend."

A smile emerges onto Ben's face and I laugh despite the tears as he leans forward and kisses me. Unlike our kiss in Aspen, this one I'm sure about. This one I was expecting. I press a hand to kiss cheek as I kiss him back.

We're forced to pull away when whoops and cheers erupt on the field. I break away from Ben to find the soccer team watching us and clapping.

"Shit." I groan as I remember that Seb's on the field too.

"How about you head back and I'll drive Seb home so that we can talk in more privacy?" Ben offers and I'm grateful to escape everyone's eyes as I get off the bleacher and hurry back to the parking where the car and driver are waiting.

Sebastian and Ben arrive at the house before mom and dad get back from their offices. When I meet them in the foyer, I see that they've already showered and changed out of their uniforms so Sebastian won't be leaving us to do that.

I open my mouth to explain to Seb but he stops me before I can do that.

"Wait." Seb says holding up a hand, "All you need to know that is that I'm happy for both of you. I tolerated the Adam guy but I've always thought of Ben as family so to have him as that, sort of, makes me really happy."

"Thanks, Seb." I smile as he gives me a hug and then walks into the house.

"He actually talked my ear off in the car about how excited he is about us dating." Ben says, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Dating? Wait. We didn't get that far in our talk." I suddenly feel shy talking about this.

"If that's what you feel then, Hazel Aaron would you like to be my official girlfriend?" Ben kisses my cheek and my heart goes haywire.

I meet his eyes and nod, "Yes."

Ben bends forward and kisses me.

"Okay." Mom's voice makes me jerk away from him.

I look at the front door to find it open with mom in the doorway and dad right behind her. I open and then close my mouth unable to think of anything to say. But mom saves the trouble as she envelopes me in a hug and whispers in my ear, "Are you happy?"

I nod my head against her shoulder. She kisses my head and then pulls away from me to face Ben, "Well! Ben, you've always been around so it won't be much different, now will it?"

Before Ben can reply mom has pulled me into a hug too and smile at him from over her shoulder as I feel dad wrap an arm around my shoulders.

"I'm trusting you, Ben. Please don't make me regret it." Dad says.

"No at all, sir." Ben says and then shakes dad's held out hand.

Mom and dad leave us alone as they walk into the house. Once they're out of ear shot, Ben and I look at each and burst into silent laughter. Just the way we always have.