The Boy Next Door

ｎｉｎｅ

Rachel

I opened the door of the car and followed Colton up the stone path. Colton opened the front door and held it open for me.

"I'll be right back. I have to put my stuff in the garage." he said. I nodded. He jogged down a hallway to the garage with his football bag in hand.

Hanna rounded the corner, coming out of the kitchen. Her eyes lit up. I was greeted with a hug around my legs.

"Hi Ray Ray! Why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm going to eat dinner with you." I bent down to her level.

"Can you sit by me?" she asked.

"Sure." I smiled.

She grabbed a piece of my hair and played with it. "Your hair is really pretty Rachel." she said.

"Thank you, Hanna."

"One day I am going to have long hair like you. My mom says that I have to be patient and wait for it to grow." She said. "It will be the same as you except it will be long and brown."

Before I could say anything, she let go of it and ran back into the kitchen. "Mom!" She called out.

I sat down on the couch. I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss that happened just minutes before. It was so... satisfying. Colton had been acting nicer and treating me differently than he did when we first met. Even after the second interaction we had was more pleasant than the first at my front door. The first time we met, he seemed arrogant and cocky. But something had dramatically changed about him, and I couldn't seem to figure out why. Maybe the first time I met him was all an act. All the hugs, holding me when I cried, listening to what I had to say, our conversations, the kiss we just shared. Everything he did just felt different. It felt right. It didn't feel like it was coming out of a place of arrogance.

Colton came back into the room. "Hey, let me just tell my mom you are eating with us so she isn't surprised too much." He spoke.

I nodded and stood up from the couch that I was on. I followed him into the kitchen.

Jennifer was taking a hot pan out of the oven. Hanna was sitting at the breakfast bar, coloring a picture.

"I made a picture of you and Rachel." Hanna said, handing Colton the picture she drew.

He laughed.

"Here Rachel, I think you should look at this." he said.

He handed me the picture.

The picture was of two people, me and Colton, holding hands.

I gave the picture back to Colton.

"Coltey?" Hanna asked.

"Yes Hanna?" he responded.

"Are you and Ray Ray getting married?" she asked him.

He looked at me and smiled. "I don't think so, squirt. Rachel is a really nice friend. Don't you think?"

"If you ever do, can I be the flower girl?" she asked.

Jennifer snickered.

"Yes, you can, squirt. I wouldn't choose anyone else."

I smiled.

"Nice to have you joining us for dinner Rachel." Jennifer said.

"It is nice of you for having me."

She brought the pan of lasagna over to the table. The four of us sat at the rectangular table. Hanna sitting next to me, and Colton sitting across from me, next to his mom. "So how was practice today, Colton?" Jennifer asked.