16:58

Chapter Forty-Five

My heart stops. I think I must have heard Colton wrong because he just told me he had feelings for me. Colton has feelings for me and maybe that means that we have a chance. My head is spinning and I'm trying not to smile.

"You—you do?" I stutter.

Colton sighs. "Of course I do, Andy."

I feel butterflies in my stomach. "I...you...why?"

"Why what?" Colton asks.

"Why did you leave?" I ask.

"I told you in the letter," Colton says.

I frown. "You said that it hurt to leave."

"I don't want to talk anymore," Colton says. He sighs and sits down on a chair.

I frown as the butterflies start to fade and my face pales. "Colton," I say slowly. "I care about you. You have feelings for me."

"I know."

"Why aren't you saying anything?" I ask. "You know what this means, right? We—"

Colton cuts me off, "This doesn't change anything, Andy."

"It changes things a lot," I tell Colton.

He sits up. "It doesn't. Don't get any ideas."

Colton puts his earbuds in and lays down and I'm stuck staring at him with my mouth open. How did that go so wrong?

My head keeps spinning. Colton has feelings for me. He has feelings for me and I can't stop thinking about him. But he said it doesn't change anything.

Nothing makes sense. We can be together but he doesn't want to. Colton has feelings for me and he knows I have feelings for him, but he's still going to leave. What is going on with him?

What the fuck is happening? Everything that I wanted to happen did, but it didn't. Colton doesn't want to be with me even though he has feelings about me. There must be some reason, and I know it's not because of Bryce.

What the fuck?

I walk back inside the house and sit down at the table. I drop my head into my hands. I need to figure things out. I need to find some way to get through to him.

I can't lose Colton.

*******************

"You two set the table," Alex tells Colton and me. We're about to have dinner.

The rest of my day was spent laying out by the pool. Colton didn't say anything else to me, and I couldn't stop thinking about him. I did catch him looking at me a few times, but that was it.

"I'll get plates," Colton mutters quietly. I sigh and nod. I grab silverware and glasses. I start putting them down and my hand brushes Colton's when he sets a plate down. His eyes jump to mine and neither of us move away.

Colton blinks and shakes his head. He pulls away. I swear Colton is always the one to pull away. He's always the one to move away. He's always the one to leave and I don't even know why I'm surprised when he does.

I finish setting down everything and I sigh as I look outside. It's dark grey and slightly yellow-tinged. A nasty storm is coming.

"Do you want any wine?" Alex asks.

I look at her. "Huh? Oh, no. Thank you, though"

She smiles. "Of course." Alex looks at Colton and says, "You don't get any, you brat. You need an attitude change."

"Whatever," Colton mutters.

"You need to be nicer to Andy," Alex says. "It's her birthday tomorrow and I'll make you wear a monkey suit if I have to."