Almost Home

Chapter Fourteen

When we reach the summit, I understand why it's Easton's favorite part of town.

To put it simply, the view is absolutely breathtaking.

It's not only the trees and the bushes and the countless varieties of flowers up here, but the entire city, sprawled out before us like we're looking down from an airplane.

I'm actually in awe as I gaze down.

Easton, noting my obvious lack of words, chuckles, "See what I mean?"

"How do you do anything except sit up here?"

At that, he laughs, loud enough that it echoes around the surrounding space, "It's a struggle to not come up here all the time and just sit."

I take a seat on the cliff edge, my legs a respectable distance from the drop, and Easton takes a seat next to me, smiling.

"I come up here sometimes," he says after a moment of silence, "To draw, to listen to music."

"Most of the time, though," he adds after I haven't said anything, "I come up here to pray, to talk to God when I really want to make sure He hears me."

"He always hear you."

"Yeah, I know that," he smiles a little, "But up here, it just feels-"

"Personal," I interrupt him, my lips tilting into a small smile, "I get it."

"Yeah," he seems to relax a little after hearing that I understand, "It feels more personal."

After another moment, a thought hits me, "You said you just moved to this town in January?"

He nods.

"So, then, how did you find this place so quickly? It doesn't seem to be something you can just stumble upon."

I think back to the odd twists and turns he took to get us here.

Maybe I imagine it, but the tips of his ears turn pink when he mumbles, "A friend showed it to me."

"You told me that you didn't have any friends."

"No, I said I didn't have many, good friends," he corrects me, "I have a few."

"It was a girlfriend, wasn't it? That showed you this."

This time, I'm sure the tips of his ears turn pink, as well as his entire face.

"Would you be mad if it was?"

"Of course not," I reply, instantly, "It would be ridiculous if I was."

He visibly relaxes at those words, "You have no idea how relieved that makes me."

"But it was?" I nudge him with a shoulder, giving a small, taunting smile, "A girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"What was her name?"

"Why all the questions?" He laughs, "I thought you didn't care."

"No," I mock his tone from earlier, "I said I wouldn't get mad, not that I didn't want to know about her."

"Alright, alright," his eyes are twinkling in amusement at my horrible imitation of his voice, "Her name is Kayla."

"What's her last name?"

"What are you going to do, huh?" Easton pokes me in the side, forcing a giggle out of me, "Are you going to look her up? Harass her?"

"No," I continue to laugh long after he's stopped poking me, probably because of the voice he's using to mock me, "I would never do that."

Easton grins, "Her last name is Price."