Water - Complete

Ilyse

It was probably a bad idea going to see Keelan, I mean he seemed pretty set on what he'd heard. Even though I hadn't communicated it properly, I hadn't really meant to insinuate that he was who I'd be cutting out of my life but I guess that it was how it had sounded. Reflecting on it the last few days I did realize I could have worded it a lot better than what had come out. But truth be told I had been totally distracted by the talk with Martin and later my conversation with aunt B that I just couldn't process things as fast as my mouth was saying them.

When Natty had called me I think our conversation had gone along the same lines, so her being upset at the start had morphed into total devastation towards the end. I couldn't even backtrack the conversation to explain myself better, she had hung up and now was actively avoiding me.

Mrs. Poller didn't seem too pleased to see me and I felt a little too awkward sitting in the quiet lounge while she busied herself with cleaning. I hadn't really met Mr. Poller yet so I wasn't going to go an strike up a sudden conversation with him.

All up I think I had waited half an hour before I plucked up the courage to walk out the front door, I was just going to confront Keelan another time but I wasn't sure when. I'd have to plan it out a little better than just randomly showing up on their doorstep, I'd feel like a creeper but I'd feel even worse if I let them continue thinking the way they currently were.

Like a real creeper I had jumped into the nearest shrub when I'd heard them all coming down the footpath and felt myself redden a little at how ridiculous I must have looked. I was a grown teenager and I couldn't even face three people because I was...scared?

Part of me was terrified that Keelan wouldn't listen to me, another part of me was terrified that we'd end up arguing and go back to how we were the night of the fair. But the bigger part of me, the braver part of me wanted to at least try. So when Keelan and Cal stopped at the doorway I climbed out of the shrubs and hoped there were no leaves or twigs in my hair.

Keelan had his back to me but Cal could easily see me standing there, the longer Keelan spoke the more I realized he did have feelings for me and...I don't know. It kind of just made everything better and worse, better because he really was human and I really did have a chance. But also sort of worse because I'd never had much interest in guys until Keelan, I didn't even know to approach guys and even him.

I liked him, that much was obvious.

His smile was infectious when it was unguarded, his grin too was cute and when he blushed it was even cuter. I shouldn't objectify a guy but he was one of the best looking guys that I'd ever seen and I could happily look at him all day if he let me.

When Keelan turned to see who Cal was smiling at though he didn't have a happy expression on his face like I assumed he would, instead he looked mortified and went pale almost instantly. Was it something I wasn't meant to ever hear? Maybe Keelan hadn't planned on telling me any of what he'd just revealed to Cal, it made me curious though.

"Ilyse! How long have you been standing there?" I don't think it was until Keelan fully turned to face me that I realized he was shirtless and I almost started hyperventilating.

My mind was screaming at me that this was what Maggie's remark was about the other night, a guy that looked like him didn't really go for 'weird' girls like me. But the way Keelan had jumped to my defense without so much as a second thought made me like him even more. He was fiercely protective of those that he cared about, like Nat and Cal...if I was a great girl then he was a greater guy because almost everything good he did he didn't realize he was doing.

"Not long Keelan, can we talk alone for a bit. Please?" Keelan looked like he didn't trust me, I didn't really blame him. That whole conversation we'd had the last time we'd spoken was enough to even put me off talking to my stupid brain.

Keelan looked over his shoulder to where Cal had been standing but Cal had noiselessly slipped away without even me noticing.

"I just wanted to apologize for what I said the other day, or what I implied. My mouth was talking faster than my brain was thinking and I kinda just let it out even though I hadn't meant to and I hadn't been thinking that at all. I don't want to end our friendship or ruin it. I'm sorry Keelan, I really am. Can we still be friends?" I stopped suddenly, I didn't know what else to say. Did I spill my guts and tell Keelan that I'd overheard him telling Cal how he felt?

It felt like forever standing there in front of Keelan, waiting for him to say or do something. He just stared at me with this weird expression on his face, it was so long waiting for any response from him that I wondered if he'd heard me or if my being there was too much of a shock for him.

When Keelan reached a hand out towards me to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear I couldn't help the blush and smile that suddenly appeared across my face.

"Hell yeah we can still be friends, I like you Ilyse. It took me ages to realize just how much of a good person you are and I feel like the biggest douche on planet Earth for ever thinking poorly of you. I...uhm. Screw it. Want to go out with me? Not on a date...I mean we can go out on dates if you want to, but will you be my girlfriend is what I'm trying to say? I've been wanting to ask you for a while now but you had that thing with your family and then the other day. But you're here now and I figure if I don't ask you now I'll chicken out." My heart was suddenly in my throat, I already knew the answer to his question and didn't care how he meant to ask it. I was nodding my head almost as soon as Keelan asked his first question and kept nodding through the rest of what he said.

The grin on his face was the most handsome thing I'd ever seen I think, it was totally unguarded and so full of happiness that it made my heart skip a beat but also my breath hitch in my throat when I saw Keelan moving closer to me.

He was half naked and I was sure he was about to kiss me, this was the most intimate I'd ever allowed myself to be around a guy so I had no idea what I was doing but went with whatever felt right.

Keelan wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me the rest of the way to him, I went a little too willingly and almost ended up tripping over but braced myself against Keelan's chest for support. My brain kind of freaked out when I realized I was touching naked skin, I mean I'd probably touched Keelan's arm before but I'd never been anywhere near his chest and it must have shown because Keelan chuckled.

"Are you okay? You look like you're freaking out a bit." Shaking my head a little I looked up from where my hands were touching Keelan to his face and smiled a little, trying to relax as I did so.

"I'm uhm, yeah I'm totally fine. Yeah, never better. And yes, I'll go out with you on as many dates as we can manage because I like you too Keelan. I have for a while," it felt totally weird admitting it out loud. That I liked Keelan even through his douche-bag phase, through his accusing me of using Nat and the mentoring thing too.

Maybe I liked torturing myself or maybe I just enjoyed looking at fine things but my heart knew well before my brain did.

"You don't have to be nervous Ilyse, we'll go at your pace. If slow and steady is what you want we can go slow and steady, but just warning you now...I'm probably going to kiss you soon." My heart fluttered when Keelan said that, he didn't give me much time to think or prepare for it, his lips were suddenly on mine.

I really don't know what I was expecting from a first kiss, maybe I'd seen too many Hollywood movies where actresses faces are literally eaten off by their boyfriends. But this kiss was the total opposite, it was soft, slow and didn't feel scary at all.

When Keelan pulled away I was left a little breathless and disorientated.

"Woohoo! Yay, you guys did it...I don't mean did it. But you know! Yay, can we go on couples dates now and stuff?" Our moment was interrupted when Nat came flinging herself at the both of us, Keelan's goofy grin was infectious. I found myself returning it briefly before turning my attention to Nat and Cal who was following at a slower pace.

I was a little mortified to see that Keelan's parents too were standing out on the front porch.

"That's totally up to Ilyse, I'm letting her call all the shots here." Keelan gave me a pointed look before turning his attention towards Nat. I didn't know what the look meant but was even more nervous now knowing that I wasn't going to be following but leading this relationship.

We would be in trouble and I'd need all the help I could get.