Book I: Burnt Bliss [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 8: Reading Between the Lines

Part II: Springtime

"Sweet spring is our time; for springtime is lovetime and viva sweet love!"

~ E.E. Cummings

March

It was early March now, and Sarah couldn't help but find various excuses to hover near James. They made idle chatter, occasionally more substantial talk about his work with their horses. She didn't do this every day; she couldn't be too obvious or seem desperate. She had to choose wisely to make further observations about herself and James.

"James," she brightly chirped as she walked up to their stable one afternoon. "How are you

"Fine Miss, thank you," he replied, carefully coaxing one of their horses into its stall. He was a young brown colt with a shiny black mane and tail.

"You know, you don't have to call me 'Miss'." she suggested, petting the horse between them. "You can just call me 'Sarah'."

"Can't, Miss." he objected dutifully, now brushing the horse's mane. "It's my place

"Yes." she replied. "But why must one have a 'place' at all? I'm a person, you're a person. Is there any real...difference between us?" she wondered aloud, staring at the colt's face

"I don't know how to explain it." he shrugged, now carefully combing out a few stubborn snarls at the ends of the dark shiny hai

"Maybe a compromise then?" she suggested, now petting the snout of the beautiful creature. "How about 'Miss Sarah'

"Well, only around you." he looked up and smiled, walking closer to her, staring at her sparkling eyes and full lips. "Miss...Sarah

"Guess it'll just be our little secret then. You and me." she flashed a radiant smile at him and bounded off, positively gidd

James watched her walk away, her words echoing in his min

You and m

He'd tried to seem nonchalant about Sarah, but with a girl that attractive, it was very hard to not notice when she was nearby. She was always in a new gorgeous dress, usually one she'd designed. She was also very smart, and friendly to him. He knew he wanted to be closer to he

But it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't allowed to happe

Because while she may not agree with having a 'place' he needed his, especially if he was to learn more about animals to hone his skill and hopefully have a career one day. Sarah was simply off-limit

He sighed as he watched her go back inside. Her wavy hair gently flowed past her shoulders, glistening in the early spring sunlight

Just before she entered the house she turned back, and smiled at hi

You and me.

~

That evening, Augustus was in bed, and lay awake for most of the night. He couldn't help feeling a little jealous: Will had someone to focus on romantically, a brand-new relationship. Ever since he mentioned Claire to him, he'd been thinking about her again. He might have even started to miss her. His mind snapped back to when he'd started their relationshi

He was out taking a walk, chatting with one of his friends when he heard a loud thump behind him and turned around

And there, in the afternoon sunlight of early September, a girl was kneeling down in a light blue dress with a white apron collecting her vegetables. When he bent down to hand her a turnip, she touched it at the same time and their hands me