My weekend is quiet. I spend the majority of it with Emma and her friend Lindsey. She's exactly the type of person I'd never naturally gravitate toward, but it turns out she's pretty cool.

I do my best to block out thoughts of Seth and Cassandra, while simultaneously waiting for him to text. It's confusing to want something you don't want. I need to stop obsessing over him so much, I know that. And every day I try to convince my head to find other topics to be consumed by, but my heart is sly. If I smell something or see something that might remind me of Seth, my heart will bring attention to it by flopping around in my chest. Stupid thumping muscle.

Saturday and most of Sunday come and go before Seth finally texts. The moment I see his name pop up on my phone, I toss it on my bed and take a calming lap around my room. I have to remain in control of myself. He doesn't want me the way I want him. Acting all weird around him is just turning me into a fool.

I take a shower to give myself time to get my head on straight, and then after dressing, I check my phone.

You busy?

My thumbs hover over the keys, fumbling for a response. I don't dare start my response yet because I know I'll have to keep starting over with it. I'd hate for him to see the texting dots coming and going in my flustered attempt to word everything just right. It's a ridiculous worry, especially when I end up responding with nothing but a 'nope.'

Not even two seconds later, there's a knock on my door. I holler for whoever it is to come in, and a moment later, Seth is creaking the door open and peering in through a crack. When he spots me sitting on my bed, he pushes through the entrance and shuts the door behind him.

"So," he begins, grinning, "I was kind of already here and figured I should probably text first before bothering you."

"Oh." I nod once, slowly. "I just figured you might be The Flash."

He shoves his hands into his front pockets, ignoring my sarcasm as he drops his gaze to the floor and smiles. Then he clears his throat and levels a thoughtful glance at me.

"Wanna do something?"

His question sounds so innocent when paired with his uncharacteristic insecurity. For the first time, I think I'm witnessing a nervous Seth. Not nervous because he's about to reveal the shame of his past to me; nervous because he's with me. Shonice said he doesn't know how I feel, but what if he actually does. And what if that's making him uncomfortable?

"Yeah," I nod. "Like what?"

He shrugs. "No clue."

The laugh that passes his lips is adorable and I have to duck my head to conceal my smile.

"A movie?"

His suggestion is met with a nod of approval and I have Seth search the TV for the movie of his choice while I find snacks. I find a bag of popcorn and hurry to the communal kitchen down the hall to microwave it. In addition, I've also found some turkey jerky, multiple bags of chips, bottles of water, and some of Emma's skittles. We're all set.

Tossing all the comforters and pillows onto the floor, I begin making a cozy pallet for us to lounge on. Getting comfy, I tear open some chips and watch for the movie to begin. I sit cross-legged while Seth lays beside me and I find it to be surprisingly relaxing. I've managed to ignore my heart so that, for once, I'm able to sit beside Seth without being distracted.

When the movie is over, Seth rolls over onto his side to look at me, his head propped on his hand.

"Now what?" he asks, expectant.

I tap my chin, thoughtful. The options are endless and that's what always makes decision-making difficult.

"How about a walk?"

His brows scrunch up in thought and then he smiles. "Okay. A walk."

I grab my dinosaur winter suit from under my bed and slide into it. Seth watches, amused, and then pulls the hood of it over my head so he can get the whole view.

"Nice," he says, nodding in approval.

We step out into the night, puffs of white leaving our lips with each breath. It's peaceful even though it's still early in the evening. No words are spoken as Friday's snow crunches beneath our shoes. The sound is satisfying.

"You're not mad at me anymore, right?"

The question surprises Seth and he glances sideways at me. "No," he assures me. "I never was, really."

"You sure?" I push.

He nods. "I was surprised, I think." He pauses for a moment, considering his words. "It's also just a really strange feeling to find out people are fighting over you." He laughs at how ridiculous his own words are, shaking his head.

"How are things going with you and Cassandra?"

Seth lets out a heavy exhale, a smoky white cloud filling the air in front of his face. "There is nothing going on with Cassandra." He glances down at me. "What you saw last week was Cassandra kissing me."

"Didn't look that way," I say, hoping my tone comes off as teasing rather than jealous.

"Interpret it however you want," he says, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "I swear, it's nothing. Maybe I let it slide in the moment so I wouldn't embarrass her, but I told her not to let it happen again."

"You told her that?" I gasp, covering my smile with a hand.

"Literally. Word for word." He grins at my reaction and then shrugs as if knowing he should probably feel guilty for being so blunt with her. But it's clear when he starts laughing along with me that he doesn't regret it at all.

We turn down a dark tree-lined street that leads out of town. As we walk, the glow of the town streetlights slowly starts to diminish until only the powdery gleam of night remains. It settles discreetly over us, a whisper of light, as if trying not to disturb the serenity.

Little is said as we head further from town, and no questions about a destination are asked. If Seth knows where we're going, I hope he keeps it to himself. I don't want the mysteriousness of our walk to be ruined.

Seth casually tells me what he's been up to this weekend. Like me, he's been doing a lot of studying. It seems our teachers are evil and enjoy giving homework over break. He's also been working and I find it odd that he's never mentioned what he does—and sad that I've never asked.

"I'm a sports official," he tells me, like I should know at all what that is. Seeing my blank look, he elaborates. "Umpires, referees, the guy who watches the clock, the person who enforces penalties... when I'm not being yelled at, that's pretty much what I do. But the pay is decent for sitting around and watching games, so, can't really complain."

I see the flicker of lights through the trees and know a car is headed in our direction. We move off to the grass just as a truck rounds the corner, and then we continue on our way.

"I should probably get a job," I conclude. "I'd finally be able to buy my own snacks instead of mooching off my parents and my roommate." The mention of Emma has my brain jumping to a completely new topic. "By the way," I begin, "care to explain to me why you had such a strange reaction toward Emma when you first met her?"

"Emma?"

"Yeah," I nod. "My roommate."

"Oh." His hands are now stuffed into the single pocket of his hoodie. "Um... honestly, I'm not sure I even remember meeting her."

"Oh," I say, puckering my lips in thought. "Well, don't worry. You'll have plenty of opportunities."

"Goodie."

I'm not sure if he's being sarcastic, but I'm not even bothered if he is. I find most things he does to be adorable, but there's something about 'goodie' coming out of his mouth that is just too cute. I grin to myself, and though I can sense his eyes on me, he doesn't ask what's causing my smile.

"So how's your friend?" I ask as we turn left at a "Y" in the road. "The one you visited in the hospital the other day."

The shock on Seth's face is evident but he recovers quickly, his shoulders relaxing and a smile tugging at his lips. "He's good," he says. "Much better."

I wait for him to continue, but he doesn't.

"That's good," I say, patting his shoulder.

Seth nods in agreement and looks out toward the sky. "He's had issues for years but was never interested in help. I think this incident scared him enough that he's had a change of heart. Just hoping it lasts."

"Drugs?" I venture to ask, adjusting the head of my dinosaur suit so I can see Seth's face better.

He nods, glancing down at me with a sympathetic grin.

It's not until we turn down a dirt and snow-covered road that reads "Patriot's Park" that I realize where we're headed. The trees are massive, looming shadows with thin naked arms that seem to reach toward us. Somewhere in the distance I hear the rustle of leaves and then movement from something that must be larger than a squirrel. Already, I'm a little freaked... but kind of enjoying the danger.

"You know," I say, scanning the shadows as I speak, "I've never actually been to this park before."

"Oh yeah?" Seth keeps walking, apparently not a stranger to these parts. "It's a nice place. My buddies like to go fishing at the lake here."

"Do you fish?"

He lifts a shoulder and mumbles an, "Eh, sometimes. I come mostly for the trails. They're peaceful, especially at night."

I shiver inside my arctic suit. "You come out here alone... in the dark?"

Seth chuckles but doesn't respond. The trees give way to a small clearing where I catch a hint of something shiny and smooth glistening in the moonlight. As we draw closer, I can see that it's a small playground.

"This is the best spot for stargazing," Seth tells me, pulling himself up onto the large jungle gym and then reaching a hand down to assist me. I feel like a whale as I struggle to get over the edge, my fluffy belly limiting my mobility.

"Think I'll use the stairs next time," I groan, rolling away from the gap Seth just tugged me through and onto my back.

He lays down beside me, obviously entertained by my impressive display of athleticism. The minutes tick by, my eyes growing heavy as I peer at the twinkling lights peppered across the sky. I glance at Seth only to find his arms wrapped around his torso as he gently rubs heat into his biceps.

"That breeze just cuts right though, doesn't it?"

A puff of icy air escapes my lips with a laugh. "The fact that I can even feel the chill means that, yes, it's definitely a little nippy out."

"Okay." He rolls himself into sitting and then jumps to his feet, shaking off the cold. "Come on."

I try to mimic his flow, but I'm far too puffy to get the movements right. When Seth eventually stops cackling, he's gracious enough to assist me into standing. I take the stairs; he takes the slide. Then, motioning me to follow him, we head toward the edge of the lake, just a few yards from the playground.

"Sit," he instructs and then immediately heads back the way we came. "Be right back."

Oh, yeah. Just leave me out here to die. With my luck, the Loch Ness Monster has migrated to this very lake and is going to eat me. I stare at the glassy surface, waiting for any breaks in smoothness, but it seems even the fish are trying to avoid tonight's weather.

When Seth returns two centuries later, his arms are loaded down with chunks of logs, twigs, and some grassy-looking straw.

"We're making a fire," he informs me as I watch him rearrange some rocks into a circle and then lay the wood inside of it like a small teepee. He must have found an abandoned nest and figured it'd make a good fire starter. I watch him pull a lighter from his pocket to ignite it and then carefully move the flaming nest toward the teepee he created. It takes some work, but I'm mesmerized by his determination.

"The wood's a little wet," he explains. "Makes it hard to light."

Eventually, a small glow can be seen inside the sticks and as Seth carefully blows on it, it grows until we have a blazing mini inferno before us.

Proud of himself, he dusts his hands on his jeans and takes a seat across from me.

"So," I begin, watching the orange reflections dance across his eyes, "you smoke?"

His attention jumps away from the fire and rests on me. "No..." The word hangs in the air like a question.

"You just always carry a lighter in your pocket then?"

"Oh." His hand drops to his pants, automatically feeling for the lighter as he nods. "Yeah. I don't know. I guess I just got used to always being prepared when I was growing up."

Scooting closer to the fire, I extend my palms toward the heat as I ponder what his childhood must have really been like. I mean, he told me, but when you haven't lived it, it's hard to imagine. Just goes to show that sometimes the kindest souls are the ones that have been broken the most. The cracks in his life only gave a way for the light to escape.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" I find myself asking. My thoughts had drifted toward his family... and how he didn't really have one.

Seth shifts himself closer to the fire and then shrugs. "Dunno."

I wait, blink a few times, and continue waiting, but he says nothing more.

"You have zero plans?" I gasp in astonishment, pushing my hood off so I know I'm getting a clear view of his face.

"I thought about just staying on campus," he mentions, nonchalant and clearly not bothered by my bewilderment. "My mom wants me to spend it with her. Apparently, she's not well and is feeling lonely."

There's no sympathy in his tone, for which I'm relieved.

"No and no," I tell him, adamant. "Neither of those options are good enough."

"Um... okay?" Now he's the one blinking at me, his forehead heavy with puzzlement.

"You'll be spending it with me." I nod once to solidify my decision. "With my family."

Seth doesn't respond for several thick moments, but I keep my eyes trained on him. He might be baffled, or it could be amusement. I'm unsure in this lighting, but I keep watching for any flicker of acceptance.

"You want me around for your family's Thanksgiving?" There is obvious awe, and a whole lot of doubt woven into his question.

"Well," I joke, "I didn't back out on Cassandra's challenge for your attention, so," I shrug, "I suppose it's kinda obvious that I like having you around, right?"

And that's how, three days later, Seth and I are making the three-hour trip back to my childhood home. Seth is about to meet my family. And let me just say, we're a whole other level of crazy.

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If you're up for sharing, I'd love to know what your favorite thing about this story is so far. (I won't beg, but I will send my best puppy dog face...  8-)   <--- that's it) lol