We'll Keep a Secret (If You Keep Me Guessing)

Within an hour, our whole band of six was at the park. The boys were all playing football while Erin and I sat on the swings, talking.

“So, what’s the update on you and Rian?” I asked her.

She sighed and looked over in Rian’s direction. “There is no update. Nothing’s going on between us.”

“What do you mean? It’s been months. You haven’t made a move on him yet?” I knew how much she liked Rian, and the attraction between the two of them was so obvious. It was odd to me that neither of them had even made an attempt to ask the other out.

She shook her head. “I just can’t bring myself to do it. It’s too nerve-racking.”

“Well, if you won’t do it, then I will.” I got up to head over to where Rian was, but Erin grabbed the back of my shirt, stopping me.

“No, Sophie, don’t,” she pleaded. “I don’t want you to do it for me.”

“I won’t say anything that you wouldn’t want me to. I just want to talk to him and see where his head is at.”

She gave me a skeptical look before letting me go. I walked over to a bench where the boys were resting after finishing their game. They were sweating profusely, their faces were red, and Zack and Jack had taken off their shirts.

“Soapy,” Jack said excitedly as he jumped up and started approaching me with his arms wide open.

“Don’t you even try it,” I warned, backing up.

He dropped his arms and pouted. I giggled and turned away from him.

“Rian, can I speak to you for a moment?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said before getting up and following me away from the bench. We stopped when I felt like we were at a safe enough distance from the other guys. “So, what’s up?” he asked, blatant curiosity written all over his face.

“What do you think of Erin?” I quizzed bluntly, figuring that it would be pointless to beat around the bush.

“She’s a cool chick,” he answered nonchalantly. “She’s smart, funny, charismatic and definitely pretty.”

“Do you like her?”

“Of course. She’s my friend.”

I cut my eyes at him. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah,” he said, nervously scratching the back of his neck and fixing his eyes on the swing set, where Erin still sat. His face had turned a faint, red tint. “I don’t know. It’s kind of complicated.”

“What’s complicated about it? You either like her that way or you don’t. Plain and simple.”

He huffed. “I just don’t want to make it awkward between us if she doesn’t feel that way about me.”

“Rian, I’m her best friend, and I know her better than anyone else. Do you really think I’d be over here asking you all of this if she didn’t like you back?”

He pondered for a second before a wide grin spread across his face. “So, she does like me?”

“That’s something that you can discuss with her,” I said, pushing him in Erin’s direction.

“Thanks a lot.” He gave me a hug and ruffled my hair before walking over to the swing sets.

I smiled, proud of my job-well-done at playing cupid and strolled back to where the other boys sat. They gave me odd looks, but I ignored them.

“Where’s Rian?” Alex asked.

I pointed, and their eyes followed my finger. Rian and Erin were sitting on the swings, talking. Erin was giggling, and Rian was beaming. They looked so cute and comfortable together.

“Playing the love doctor again?” Jack asked with a chuckle.

I shrugged. “I can’t help what I’m good at.”

“If you’re so good, then how come we don’t see you around with boys hanging all over you?” Zack asked smartly.

My smile faded, and I shrugged my shoulders again. “I just haven’t found any that have peaked my interests. Well, not any available ones at least.”

“She’s not allowed to date anyway,” Jack said matter-of-factly.

“And why not?” I questioned.

“Did you forget that you’re supposed to be having my babies?”

We all started laughing, except for Alex. I glanced over at him, and he seemed a little disconnected, like he was too deep in his own thoughts to even pay attention to what we were saying. I wanted to ask what was bothering him, but I figured that it would be better to just leave him alone.

After a while, Rian and Erin finally finished their talk and joined us again. Rian sat down with the guys, and Erin took a hold of my arm and pulled me off to the side.

“Oh, my God! Thank you so much,” she said, beaming. “I owe you one.”

I laughed. “So, I’m assuming that it went well.”

“Better than that. It was amazing! He asked me out on a date.”

“Congratulations. When?”

“Saturday night. He’s taking me out to dinner.”

“See? I told you that he liked you.”

She smiled and gave me a hug. “Thanks again for talking to him.”

“No problem. Anything for my bestie.”

We turned and walked back over to the guys. It was starting to get dark outside by that time, and I knew that I was going to have to be home soon.

“Alex, do you mind taking me home?”

He still seemed to be in a bit of a daze, but when he heard me talking, his head snapped up, and he looked at me. “No, not at all.”

Everyone got up, and we all went our separate ways. Zack left on his own, Rian and Erin left together, and Jack, Alex and I walked back to Jack’s house. Alex and I got into his car, and he took off toward my house. The ride was silent. The tension in the air was so thick that it was almost smothering, and it felt really awkward because that wasn’t how it usually was when Alex and I were together. Normally, we would have been goofing around and laughing with each other. I wanted to say something, anything to at least make him crack a smile, but the look of concentration on his face and something inside of me told me to keep quiet.

I was relieved when he finally pulled up to my house. It felt like I could breathe normally again. “Thanks for the ride,” I said as I was getting out of the car.

Alex didn’t respond. He didn’t even acknowledge me at all. He just stared straight out the window.

“Alex,” I tried to call his attention, snapping my fingers.

He faced me. “Huh?”

“Are you alright?”

He nodded and faked a smile. “Just got a few things on my mind.”

I looked at him dubiously for a second but decided against badgering him. “Well, I’ll see you later then.”

He nodded again before pulling off and driving a bit further to his house. I stayed out and watched him until he went inside. He had been acting strangely since I gave him advice about his art project earlier that day. I hoped that he was just thinking of ideas and that I didn’t say anything that upset him. Whatever it was, I just hoped that he was going to be okay.