*unedited*

It's a perfect summer day. The sun is filtering in between my curtains, a soft wind pushing at the fabric as a breeze blows through the open window. I shove my face into my pillow, willing the brightness to diminish so I can return to the land of dreams. But, no luck. The sun has no mercy this morning.

I roll over, kicking my sheets off my body in one swift motion and rolling out of bed. My mom must hear me stomping around in my room because a few minutes later, she comes knocking.

"What?" I holler, my voice groggy and lifeless.

"Hey," she says, peering her head into my room and sending a questioning glance to the clothing flung all over the floor. "Would you be able to go to the store and get a few things for me?"

"For what?" I mumble, as I strain for a particular shirt hanging towards the back of my closet.

"You forgot?" she questions, a hand on her hip as she rests her head against my door frame. "We're having the Davies' over for dinner tonight."

"Oh," I say, unable to muster up even a hint of enthusiasm. I keep rummaging through my closet for a moment longer when my mom's words send a weird sensation of deja vu drifting through my mind. "Wait," I say, stopping her from shutting my bedroom door. "Who'd you say is coming over?"

"The Davies."

The Davies? The Davies. The Davies...I keep repeating the name over and over in my head, and then Justine's words from several weeks back reveal a startling realization.

"I think you know their son," my mom continues, but I've already pieced everything together in my mind.

"Gregory," I say, shooting wide eyes in her direction.

"Um, yeah," she looks at me with a perplexed dip in her brow as she studies me with concern. "Do you have a problem with him?"

"No," I hurry to say, a wave of nerves awakening and sending jittery bugs into my stomach. "I just heard a rumor that he likes me, that's all."

"Oh," my mom says, her face softening as a smile slides across her lips. "Aw, baby, that's adorable." Her shoulders straighten and a giddy energy perks up her features. "I can't wait to tell your father."

"Great," I drawl out sarcastically, and before I can plead for her to keep her little lips shut, she's gone. I sigh again, snagging my blue Oxford off the hanger and slipping it over my head. I pair it with some dark skinny jeans and throw my hair into a ponytail. That's about as good as it's gonna get.

With a list of grocery must-haves, I jump in my mom's Volkswagen Beetle and head to the store. I'm just turning into the bread aisle when I spot him. They're walking side-by-side, their voices low and their movements awkward—like a cute nervous couple. The site makes me sick. They don't belong together.

Seeing Jamie with her gives me all the wrong feelings. It's not just jealousy—though that emotion does play a big part—it's something deeper. It's as if I can feel the catastrophe that their relationship could create. In the darkest crevices of my being, I sense that this relationship could potentially ruin Jamie. He's been through enough and I suspect that Penny has every intention of toying and then destroying. She's using him for her own fun, but the moment she's had enough, she'll kick him to the curb like an empty Pringle can. As much as I want to be there for him, I'm not sure I have it in me to watch him drown in misery again.

I hurry to grab a bag of hamburger buns and then head towards the checkout. I'm not purposely trying to avoid them—because, there's a twisted side of me that would enjoy letting the two of them know just what I think of their relationship—but somehow, I manage to finish my shopping before I'm spotted. It's probably best this way. I'd hate to rile the beast.

It isn't until I'm nearly home that guilt begins to seep into place. I'm simply Jamie's friend. I'm not his girlfriend, and he's been very upfront about that. So, for me to start tearing apart whatever it is that they have with each other is completely unfair. Jamie was right, I don't know Penny all that well, and to constantly judge her intentions is wrong. Maybe she genuinely likes him, and if that's the case, why do I feel I have the right to stand in the way?

I brush away any self-pity that I've accumulated since spotting the two of them together and park the car in the driveway. Guess today could be the perfect day to move on. Gregory is coming over and he happens to like me—that is, if the rumors are true. So, what would be the harm in giving him a chance? Start up a real love-triangle? Only... in this case, there's a possibility that neither guy involved actually likes me.

I spend the rest of the day helping my parents clean up the house and prepare the side dishes. We're grilling out tonight, so the burgers won't be put on the grill until the Davies' arrive. It's five 'til six when the doorbell rings and I listen as my mom greets our guests. I don't bother revealing myself as I finish cleaning the bathroom before escaping to my room. I hurry to dab on a thin layer of make-up. I don't have time for a shower, but I'm desperate to hide the grime from cleaning all day. I spritz on some perfume, fluff my hair and then head back downstairs.

My eyes find Gregory's first. He's sitting beside his sister on the love seat as our parents converse around the living room. I smile and offer a wave, to which he simply nods in return. I wonder if he's in a bad mood today, or if my friends were completely wrong about his feelings for me. Because based on his reaction just now, I see zero attraction.

I can't say the same for myself though. Gregory cleans up nice! And I mean real nice. He's not particularly gorgeous, but his eyes are this brilliant shade of blue that almost glows when he wears darker colors... like he is tonight. Also, his jeans happen to fit him superbly.

I can't help that I'm shallow. I mean, I love a good personality, but a pretty face cannot be ignored. Though, I've always found it fascinating how beauty can be muted completely when you discover that this Greek god of a guy has the personality of a gnat. I can't help that I tend to admire guys for their appearance first and their personalities second. Right now, Gregory is definitely getting points in the 'appearance' department.

A wave of nerves skitter down my spine and settle into a tight ball in my gut. My fingers find each other, clamping themselves together as I step into the living room to join everyone else.

"Oh, Lynn," my father says, waving me over to his side. "This is my daughter, Lynn," he tells the unfamiliar faces seated across from him. "Lynn," he says to me, "this is Mr. and Mrs. Davies."

"Hello," they say, to which I return the exact same greeting.

"It's nice to meet you," Mrs. Davies says with a tender smile.

"You too," I mutter, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

It's only then that I notice Gregory's eyes on me. My gaze flickers to him and I watch as he quickly diverts his attention away. He mutters something to his sister when I see her nudge him in the side. His words sound threatening, but she simply laughs, focusing her large green eyes on me as she smiles slyly. I get the feeling I'm their topic of conversation and it sends a thrilling flutter of unease and delight through my veins.

My dad excuses himself a moment later so he can start cooking the hamburgers and Mr. Davies follows him out. Apparently, my parents met the Davies through a mutual friend and simply hit it off. I figured they had some kind of work connection or something but based on the way they all seem to be getting along, it's clear that their relationship goes beyond business. They talk as if they're all old friends. The only awkward people in the room are me, Gregory and his sister.

When the moms head to the kitchen to mingle, the three of us are left to stare blankly at any inanimate object that captures our attention—as long as we don't have to look at each other.

A giggle breaks the stillness and I glance over at Gregory's sister to find the noise coming from her.

"So," she says, her face still dancing with amusement. "You two are in the same grade, right?"

"Uh, yeah," I tell her with a nod.

"But you don't know each other?"

"We sort of do," I say, briefly mentioning the one project we worked on together several months ago.

As she continues to question me, I discover that her name is Paisley and she's currently taking a gap year before starting college. She's an easy one to talk to, unlike her brother, and we find ourselves enjoying a comfortable chitchat as her brother sits beside her scrolling through his phone.

For all his good looks, his personality sure is lacking. Guess I care a little bit more about personality than I thought. Somehow, I remember him being far more fun than this, but maybe he just feels weird talking to the girl he likes when his parents are within hearing range. Maybe they all know about his feelings for me... if he has any at all. From the way he's acting, I'm starting to doubt the rumors.

Dinner goes well, and my nerves slowly dissipate until time for dessert when Paisley bids everyone farewell. Apparently, her boyfriend's been out of town for a week and she's supposed to pick him up from the airport, which happens to be an hour away.

The adults migrate to the living room, with plates of cheesecake and cups of coffee in hand, leaving Gregory and me alone. Normally, I'd join the rest of the family but it actually seems less awkward to be alone with Gregory than to sit listening to our parents' chatter as we try to avoid eye contact.

"You want some cheesecake?" I ask, preparing to dish a piece onto a plate.

"Sure," he answers rather curtly, barely breaking eye contact with his phone in order to acknowledge me.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please."

"Cream?"

"Yes."

"Sugar?"

"No, thanks."

I patiently provide him with each request, though I'm slightly ticked he isn't trying to be more social.

"I'm seriously about to chuck your phone into our garbage disposal," I say, shocked by my own words but playing it off with a careless quirk of my brow.

"What?" he says, his eyes shooting up to meet mine. The moments my words click in his head, he drops his gaze sheepishly and tucks his phone into his pocket. "Sorry," he mumbles.

"You texting a girlfriend or something?" I ask, my tone playful to cover my curiosity.

"No," he says, an embarrassed laugh breaking its way from his throat. It's a nice sound, I have to admit. "I'm just—sorry, you make me really nervous."

"I make you nervous?" I sit back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest, completely stumped as to how I could ever make a person nervous. Do I come off too strong? I mean, I know I tend to speak my mind more often than I should, but I never thought about it as being a reason to make someone feel intimidated. I'm genuinely startled by this revelation and regretful that he feels this way.

"Not in a bad way," he clarifies, and I watch his eyes slide past me to the adults lounging in the living room behind. Our house is one of those super open-concept homes, so there's really no place to hide.

"Do you wanna... go to my room, or even outside?" I ask, following his gaze to find his mom watching us curiously. When her eyes meet mine, she smiles politely and returns to her conversation.

"Yeah." He nods, a smile of relief pulling away the scowl that I'd grown used to, and lighting up his face with a special charm I didn't realize he possessed.

We grab our plates and drinks and head towards the back door. I slide it open and motion with my head for him to exit first. We get settled in a set of lawn chairs that sit decoratively on the back porch. I didn't bother turning on the outside light because I knew the garden lamps would offer just enough lighting while keeping our faces hidden enough that we could be open and comfortable with each other.

"So," I begin, not ready to let his earlier statement drop. Sometimes I'm too curious for my own good. "What did you mean when you said I make you nervous?"

He scratches the side of his head, his pale eyes glinting in the lights as they reflect off his irises. I finish off my cheesecake quickly, setting it on the side table and pulling my legs up to my chest as I turn to face the boy beside me.

"Come on Gregory, don't be shy," I coax teasingly, eliciting a groan from him.

"Oh gosh. Please, call me Greg," he pleads. "Gregory just makes me feel old, like I should be some rich guy's butler or something, I don't know."

I laugh but don't respond, still waiting for him to elaborate as to why I make him feel so uncomfortable. I have my suspicions, but, until he can verify, I'm not willing to believe them. Though, at the same time, I'm not sure I want to know. If he truly does like me, then having him confess will change everything. I'll no longer be able to act casually around him without wondering if hanging out with Jamie is painful for him—because, if Greg likes me, then I'm sure he's noticed how much time I spend with Jamie.

Suddenly, my mind jumps to Jamie and a new sense of understanding settles into place. For a moment I get how Jamie must feel knowing that I like him. He plays it off well, but I doubt he enjoys having to constantly consider my feelings when he's with other girls... though, it seems that maybe he's given up on trying to preserve my feelings. Now that Penny seems fully willing to give him a shot, no one else really seems to matter.

"This is going to be so weird," he says, shifting in his seat, his dessert finished and sitting on the table beside him.

"Really, if it's that bad, you don't have to tell me. My curious mind will survive even if it slowly mutates itself into—"

"I like you."

His confession hits me like a torpedo to the chest. I'd prepared myself for this, but no matter how many times you have the conversation in your head, it's impossible to really plan out how it'll all go down. And I most certainly was not expecting myself to be speechless.

"Oh great," he says, laughing at himself. "Now I've scared you off."

"No!" I hurry to say. "No, you didn't. I'm just—well, I sort of figured you did because I'd heard some talk, but you seemed so distant tonight that I started to think it wasn't true."

"No, it's true," he tells me, almost regretfully so even though his face is lifted in a smile. "I've liked you since that project we did together. I just—I didn't know how to confront you about it. I'm this computer dork, and you're—well, you're beautiful. I figured I had no chance."

If I could blush, I'm sure I'd be blushing right now. His words are like little flames, sending bursts of heat into my chest. Jamie called me beautiful once, but it wasn't nearly as genuine and heartfelt as Greg's words.

"I want to say thank you, but that feels totally inappropriate," I say, shaking my head in disbelief. "Nobody's ever said anything that flattering to me before."

"You're kidding!" He looks so flabbergasted that I can't help but wonder if he's offended that nobody else has ever complimented me in such a way. "Man, the guys in our school seriously need to grow a pair because if I wasn't so convinced that you'd reject me, I'd ask you out."

"What makes you think I'd reject you?" I find myself asking, and instantly regret the question. I've basically just invited him to ask me on a date and I'm not sure that's what I really want.

"Would you?"

"Hah!" I laugh. "Now look who needs to grow a pair." I lean forward, resting my chin on the top of my hands as I prop them on my armrest. "It's very possible I might reject you, because—and I hate to be so honest—but I can't say my feelings match yours, but," I hurry to add, "that doesn't necessarily mean I'm not willing to try. So," I throw my hands up and lean back in my seat smugly, "it's up to you. Are you willing to take that chance?"

"I can now see why guys don't ask you out," Greg says, his words playful. "You're scary. But I'm going to ignore that fact and say heck to it. Will you go out on a date with me?"

I look at him closely, my eyes roaming over his almost flawless features. Maybe I'm missing out on big things by not taking a chance with him. Maybe he's someone that will actually make me happy, rather than someone who just stomps on my heart while I flounce behind him with a heart full of hope and eyes brimming with desire. So, figuring mine and Jamie's friendship will always be just that—friendship—I throw caution to the wind and grin at the boy across from me.

"Why the heck not."

---

So, how do you guys feel about Gregory? 

Is it time for Lynn to get over Jamie or do you still have hope for them? 

How do you think Jamie will handle the news that Lynn's attempting to date other guys? *gasp*