Slowing the bike down, I carefully turn it around to drive back to our street. 

When I reach the corner, Kira is no longer running; she's walking towards her house. Everything about her is off, causing anxiety to pool in the pit of my stomach, slowly boiling like acid. Her head is hanging, and she's dragging her feet.

I slow to a stop when I reach her and park the bike a couple of feet down the road from her. She's not even looking up, as if she's deaf and blind to the world around her, and almost walks into me. I'm startled to see tears flowing down her cheeks unchecked.

What happened?! Is it our parents?! Where's Deli?! I thought my sister went over to Kira's. Did they fight? Too many questions are tumbling over each other in my mind while I hurriedly get off the bike and pull the helmet from my head.

"You heard me!" Kira gasps when she finally sees me and watches me put the helmet on the seat before I take the two steps I need to reach her.

"No, I saw you in the rearview mirror. What-." I swallow against the lump in my throat, no longer able to hide how worried I am. I know I need to stay calm and help her through whatever it is that is making her cry like this, but my organs are all quivering. I'm no stoic; that would be Burlap.

"Kicks? What's wrong? Did something happen?" I finally manage to ask, resting my hands on her shoulders. "Why are you crying?"

"Please don't leave, Ethy," she says with trembling lips, causing my anxiety to spike and then she beats it right down again by confusing the daylight out of me. Apparently, confusion is a very effective anti-anxiety treatment.

"Please don't go to Hummelton now. I'm sorry about how I reacted in the park. I lost the right words and... I was running away to look for them, that's all. I didn't send that GIF... the phone sent it with its dying breath. I'll help you find your shoe, and then you can make up with your dad. Please don't leave."

"Huh?" That is really the only reaction I can think of in answer to the gibberish she's talking. Once again, I'm calculating the distance to the nearest clinic. It cannot be a sign of anything good if she's this incoherent.

"Please, you belong in Egret's Rest... with us... with me," she begs, grabbing a handful of my black t-shirt and looking up at me with anxious eyes. I urgently need to give her some confusion treatment too.

"Huh?" Yeah, I'm still too baffled to say more than that.

I pat her back while she huffs, puffs, and hiccups, trying to get her breathing under control. I feel helpless in the face of these puzzling tears breaking my heart and freaking me out.

"Look, Kicks, I'm sorry I scared you with how I acted," I say, swallowing hard. Perhaps if I apologize properly, she'll calm down and stop talking crazy. "I've been trying so hard not to do things I shouldn't do, and then I go and get carried away like that. You know I'll never force you to do anything you don't want to do or are not ready for, right?"

"Huh?" Awesome! I did it! I used my expert-level confusion therapy on her, and it stopped her tears as effectively as it stopped my panic attack. Except, what I said made perfect sense. Didn't it?

"I know you wouldn't..." she mutters, her eyes sliding to the base of my throat, and whatever she sees there is making her eyes sparkle with relief.

The only interesting thing about my throat is the Adam's apple, which showed up a few years ago. I cannot imagine it sparking joy and relief in anybody... except me because my voice started to lose its little-boy squeak about the same time and became deep and manly, just how I wanted it to.

I used to drive the girls nuts by trying to say everything to them in the lowest possible register (I still do that sometimes). They weren't as fascinated by it as I was, and they still aren't. Kira sometimes gets a secret smile on her face when she hears it. I don't think she hates it as much as she claims to.

She is talking again, her voice breaking on a sob, snapping me back from the long and twisted memory lane my mind was running along.

"So friggin' much!" she says. "It's fine if you want to end our deal, but please don't leave. Don't walk out of my life. I want you to be in it in whatever role you want. Please don't make me act like I'm starring in a Japanese drama!"

"I don't understand anything you're saying, Kicks," I sigh, saddened by the emotion in her voice. I grab the bottom edge of my T-shirt and wipe the tears from her face. I cannot stand the sight of her tears. They are killing me, making it hard for me to think straight. "Why the hell would I go to Hummelton now... or at all? Well, except to visit my grandparents."

I honestly don't know where this conversation is going or why she's talking so much garbage. The only words that even remotely made sense are the ones about me ending our deal, and even that is completely warped. Maybe not. I want to end our deal, but only because I want to start a new one based on love. What on Earth does it have to do with Japanese dramas?

"Did you lose one of your new shoes?" she asks, looking really stressed about the possibility. If Kira knows about the shoe, she must've spoken to Delia. What exactly did my sister say to the girl to cause her to be this confused and distressed about my shoe, of all things?

"I got stuck on the boulder, and it swam away, but it was one of my old ones..." I honestly don't want to talk about my unplanned swim now. What does my shoe have to do with anything? A minute ago, Kira was extremely agitated about finding it. It's just a shoe, and a pretty old one at that.

"So, you didn't just have a fight with your dad about losing one of your new shoes and decided that you're going to do what he's been asking and go to Hummelton Uni next year?"

"What?" I laugh, laying the palms of my hand on her forehead and cheek. She doesn't feel particularly warm. While reading manga in the living room on Friday night, I told her and Delia that my dad and I had a breakthrough and that he was happy for me to go to Silverview. I assured them that all was well now. They both hugged me, raining kisses on my cheeks and started chattering about how much fun we would have at the uni. Why would she think something as insignificant as an old shoe would shatter my newfound peace with my dad? Our relationship is not that fragile.

"My dad is with my mom and your dad in Palm Grove. And no, after our chat the other day, he is completely on board with me going to Silverview..."

Delia must've been Delia again, freaking Kira out to make her snap out of whatever run-away funk she was in. It seems to have worked, but I don't like seeing her in this state, even if it is because she doesn't want me to leave town - now, in the middle of Founders' Weekend of all times. The year isn't even over yet. None of this makes sense.

Maybe she has sunstroke.

"What's going on, Kicks?"

She studies my bike, parked behind me, tilting her head in that cute way Scamp does when he's trying to figure out which angle he should use to attack the shirt I'm trying to pull on.

"Is that your tent and sleeping bag?" she finally asks. She should know because she often helps pack and unpack it when we all go camping together.

"Yeah," I shrug, wondering when we'll get to the point where she tells me why she's acting like a lunatic. "I decided to go join the guys. You're right; I don't know how many chances I still have left to camp out with them... and it seemed like you needed some space... so..."

"Your sister is evil," she informs me, and she might now be trying to steal Burlap's title of Mr. States-the-obvious. Well, she would be Miss States-the-obvious... or Mrs. States-the-obvious when she marries me. I'm not sure why exactly she's saying that now, but I can guess, and she's right; Deli is the most kindhearted, evil person in the world.

I think back, trying to focus on all the words I heard her say when she was emotional. I'm searching for phrases to help me understand this conversation. Some of the words are taking form, aligning themselves into sentences, while others are nagging at the back of my mind. I know she said she doesn't want me to walk out of her life. I understand that much, and I don't want that either.

"I don't want to break up, Kicks," I tell her, looking into her eyes, wanting her to see how serious I am about that. "I figured if I'm not here, you c... Wait!" More words are coming together in my frazzled mind. Words I heard through her sobs while I was thinking about my Adam's apple and how she blushes when I say her name in a really low voice.

I love you, Ethan! So friggin' much!

She said it! I'm sure she said it! "Did you say you love me?"

"Yes," she confirms, blinking up at me. Just like that, the melancholic clouds that were hanging around oppressing me break, parting to let the light through. Joy fills my heart in sterling silver, spreading through my body until it spills from my every pore. I'm smiling so hard, my face hurts.

"I told you last night too," she says, looking a little sulky now.

This is awesome, but we're prone to misunderstandings. I need her to be very clear and not leave anything to be misinterpreted.

"Last night, I heard you tell Yvette that I'm the only one you want," I tell her, and her eyes widen with shock. "But I thought you and Deli were just trying to show her how stupid this whole break-up thing of theirs is because she and Archer are nuts about each other... and when you said that at the car, I wasn't sure... Do you mean you love me as your friend, your neighbour, Deli's brother?" I wince. "Your brother?"

Shoot, if she now says she loves me as her brother, I'll melt into a puddle of gunk right here on the road. Everybody can then just drive over me and make me part of the tarmac. That would be the end. I will be done. No more Ethan Alistair Fletcher. I will probably make a pretty decent road glue supplement.

"No," she says, shaking her head, saving me from the fate of being part of the hard tar mixture beneath our feet. She suddenly steps forward, lays her forehead against my chest and wraps her arms around me. She holds onto me as tightly as the little monkeys we often see in the trees everywhere, clinging to their mothers while they jump from branch to branch.

I would love to hunt for flees in her hair and carry her on my back if that is what she wants, but I'll do that later. Right now, my heart is beating so fast; it would've made her head vibrate if she were a little bit taller and her cheek was resting right on it rather than below it.

"But I'll settle for that if it is all you want from me."

Is she insane?

I put my arms around her, pulling her even closer. I know the spreadsheet says something about this kind of thing happening in the middle of the street, where Mrs. Riley is now missing her flowers and washing down the sidewalk with her hosepipe. She can see us, and so can Jonah and Josh. They are cheering us on, saying things I'm pretty sure they don't even understand. I will have to have another talk with Lance about what he teaches his brother.

At the moment, I don't care about any of that. In fact, for all I care, we can use our spreadsheets as sails tomorrow for the Dream Launching ceremony. Kira Croft does not love me only as a brother!

That is awesome!

This is the best day ever! I'm holding the girl of my dreams in my arms, and she told me she loves me. Really loves me.

"Kicks," I mutter into her hair. "I've loved you for 12 years. From the first time you told me you hated me, I knew you were the only girl for me. The only one I really want as my girlfriend."

"What?" she whispers, tilting her head back to look up at me. "What about the girl who broke your heart and drove you into Amber's arms."

Really? I pull away far enough to see her face properly. I need to stop her from thinking there is someone else I'm longing for. Just how big do the letters I'm spelling it out with need to be before she gets it? Normally, Kira is really sharp.

"That was..." I can't do it. I cannot tell her it was her. I know how upset she was when I was suffering from that depression. I can't tell her it was about her. She will feel too guilty. Not telling her won't be good either; it will just drag the confusion out. Smiling dismissively, I shake my head. "Just a misunderstanding," I assure her casually, downplaying it big time. "I thought you were sleeping with Liam..."

"What?! Ew!"

"I know... I was an idiot," I laugh, pulling her closer again, weaving my fingers into the damp strands of her recently washed hair. Nope, no flees in there.

"Does this mean you'll stay my girlfriend... for real this time, please?" I ask, breathlessly waiting for her final answer. I wish I had the ring with me, but it doesn't matter right now. If she says yes, she won't go back on her word. I'll give her the ring tomorrow when we launch our boats.

It will be the perfect end to Founders' Weekend!

"Yes," Kira says, pulling away from me to frown up at me. No! A yes should be followed by a kiss, not a suspicious look that could end in me being told she hates me. Come on! "You weren't just dating me to get the car and to be tutored?"

"Oh, wow, Kicks," I laugh, pinching the tip of her nose between two of my knuckles and giving it a gentle tug. "For a bright girl, you are really thick."

"Shut up!" she growls, stepping away from me and shooting her fist out to punch me in the stomach, just the way Hunter taught her. Except, he told her to use that perfectly formed fist on enemies, not on me. She has a pretty good punch; I almost felt that. "I don't know what to make of this, Ethy. You lied to me?"

"Just a little bit," I admit, feeling slightly panicked again now. Things were going so well. "Grandpa is always saying things like that to me, so... but he was already getting the car ready to put it through the tests and transfer it to me. When I told him I'm dating you, he said he'll do it faster because he doesn't want you on the back of my bike. I'll have it soon."

Kira's eyes are still narrowed, but her lips are pouting in that adorable way I love while she thinks it over, deciding whether to punch me again or kiss me instead. I'm voting for kiss, and I really hope it's one of the options she's thinking about.

"Delia knows everything, doesn't she?" she grumbles, and I could throw my sister under the bus to deflect some of Kira's anger. I could even make all of this Deli's fault by telling Kira she's the mastermind behind it. It would be plausible, and Delia would back me.

"I'll neither confirm nor deny that," I mumble instead, taking one of her hands in mine. I carefully lift it to my lips, gently kissing each finger, watching, fascinated, as Kira's expression softens and a smile starts to touch her lips.

"I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you, Kicks," I tell her sincerely, deciding to confess all my insecurities and fears to her. I want our relationship to be based on complete honesty and trust. I don't want anything to come and bite me on the butt when I least expect it to... like in the soaps.

"This is our last year of high school; we don't know what will happen in life and where it will take us. I got scared of losing you, and I panicked."

She is quietly listening to what I'm telling her, and I cannot quite make out if she understands or not. She's not hitting me again, and her lips are still pouting cutely as if she's sucking on my words, tasting them for meaning.

"Think about how many times I've asked you to be my girlfriend in the last few years and what your reaction was each time, and then tell me this was not the best way to get you to give me a chance."

She bites her lip, peeking up at me, the light blush on her cheeks telling me that she remembers throwing stuff at me or attacking me with with whatever she had in her hands each time. She is so cute right now; I want to pack her on my bike and take her somewhere we are not the centre of attention so I can seal our new deal with a hot kiss.

"I'll neither confirm nor deny that," Kira says cheekily. She puffs out her breath and shakes her head with a nervous little laugh that ignites a million small fires in my heart and along my nerves, sending goosebumps to the surface of my skin. I hurry to press my lips together to stop them from following their own desires and ending up on Kira's before we're done talking.

"I'm sorry; I know I shouldn't have done it," I tell her, feeling guilty for deceiving her like that. I'll never lie to her again. Why is she frowning at me? I really need her to forgive me now. "Shit, Kicks, why is it so hard for you to see? I love you so friggin' much! Please don't be mad."

"This is mad," she giggles. "You really are a fruitcake, Nahte! A nutty one!"

I nearly fall over with surprise when she grabs the front of my shirt, pulling me down to her height while she rises on her toes. Feeling her lips, cool and fresh against mine, is like sweet rain on scorched earth. My heart is singing, drowning out everything, even the weird things Josh is shouting at us from the Winslows' yard.

There's only me and Kira and the first kiss of our new deal, where I'm officially her boyfriend, and she is my girlfriend. Wrapping my arms around her, pulling her closer, I savour every sensation, every taste, every breath mingling with mine.

"There goes the PDA rules," I chuckle breathlessly when we come up for air. I think the spreadsheet might still be in play because Kira blushes bright red and hides her face in the folds of my T-shirt.

"Get on; I'll take you home," I offer, and letting her go, I turn to take the helmet from my bike's seat. My sister is loitering at the Croft's gate, and she laughs when she sees me looking at her. Jumping forward, she mimics my thumbs up and hang-loose sign, sticking out her tongue like the crazy, lovable deviant she is.

Seriously, what would I do without her?

♂♀