I’m sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and my laptop, working on the article for the amusement park’s grand opening. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write as my mind keeps going back to that night with Everleigh.

The date was nothing like I could have ever imagined. We clicked right away, and we shouldn’t have. I know it was a dick move to take her like that on top of the Ferris wheel, but I don’t regret it for a damn second. Watching her come apart at my hand was the sexiest thing I will probably ever see in my entire life.

I can’t get the look that she gave me when I walked out of the hospital room out of my head. I know I hurt her, but it’s better this way, at least that’s what I’ve been trying to convince myself of. Leaving was a shitty thing to do. I know this. I kept telling myself she’ll get over it though. Much easier than if her relationship with my sister was compromised in any way. I’m just not sure if I’ll get over it.

I remembered where her spare key was, so I went into her house and did some redecorating to help make things easier for her while she’s healing.

I picked up the panda when I went back to the park that night. I had every intention of going back to the hospital, but I just couldn’t. We would be right back to where we were on the date, me pulling, her pushing and vice versa. At the time, staying away seemed like the best idea.

She hasn’t even sent a text to say thank you, and that’s how I know how much I fucked up.

I stare at the blank document on my laptop, not knowing where to start. This never happens to me. Usually, I can dive into my work and have my articles done within a few hours.

All of a sudden, the front door swings open and my sister barges through, a pissed off look on her face. I open my mouth to say something, but she doesn’t let me.

“Don’t. I don’t want to fucking hear it. I can’t believe you, Colton,” Sienna yells.

“I fucked up,” regret fills my voice.

“You’re damn right you did, and redecorating her living room and giving her a stuffed panda isn’t going to make up for it”

“I know.” I take a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask the question I haven’t been able to stop wondering about the answer to for the past few days. “How is she?” My voice cracks.

“A mess. She has a broken foot and a broken heart.” My sister glares at me.

“I didn’t break her heart.”

“You did. You knew there was interest there and you took advantage of that, kissing her!” she yells.

“I would kiss her a hundred times over and over if I could,” I admit. My shocked sister plops herself in the chair across from me.

“What?” Her voice quiets.

“You heard me. I wouldn’t take that night back if my life depended on it”

“Then why’d you leave her there?”

“The date was awesome, Sienna. I have never had such a good time with a woman before that didn’t involve a bed,” I admit; her nose scrunching up in a grossed-out face.

“Then what’s the fucking problem?” She still doesn’t get it.

“She’s your best friend,” I deadpan.

“So? What does that have to do with you and her?”

“Everything,” I say.

“Explain because I’m not following.”

“If I were to get into a relationship with her, what happens if it doesn’t work? You’d be in a shitty position with the possibility of having to choose between your brother and your best friend. You’d get hurt. She’d get hurt, so I just took myself out of the equation.”

“That is the most asinine thing I have ever heard,” her voice is exasperated.

Thinking about it, saying it out loud, I realize she’s right. I just stare at my sister, not knowing what to say.

“You like her. She likes you. Don’t use me to hide the fact that you’re scared to death of falling in love!” My chest hurts from the truth she hits me with.

“Look, I would love the two people I love most in this world to be together, but that’s on you. You need to figure it out, Colton. If you want a second chance with Everleigh, you’d better be prepared to work for it. If you are going to stay away, then you need to do just that. Staying away doesn’t mean breaking into her house to leave her gifts. If you decide to give up, then I shouldn’t even bother to tell you this, but you would be missing out on being with one of the best people there is.”

“Don’t you think I know how incredible she is?”

“No, I don’t. Your actions lately don’t match your words.”

“You’re right.”

“I usually am.” Her voice is smug.

“So, what do I do?” I plead, desperate for her help.

“Make a decision and stick to it. I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you that I see the way you look at each other. Not even giving it a chance, would be doing you both a great disservice.”

“I need to think about things. I don’t want to lose her, even though I only had her for a few hours,” I moan.

“You’ve had her for many years, Colton. You’ve just been too blind to see it. I’m going to jump in the shower and get back to Ev’s house. I want to make sure she and Paul are ok. I bet it’s like the cripple leading the cripple over there,” she laughs.

“Paul’s home?”

“Yeah, I picked him up from the airport earlier this morning. Look,” she fiddles with her phone and hands to me.

Tears fill my eyes as I watch the reunion between Everleigh and her brother play out. I’ve seen these military videos on Facebook and they always tug at the heartstrings. But it’s so much different when it’s someone you care about who is seeing someone they love for the first time in months. Having been there when she received the phone call about Paul’s injury, I’m hit with so much emotion. Watching my girl balancing on crutches, sobbing into her brother’s chest, has me finally accepting the fact that she’s mine. She always has been. I was just too afraid to do something about it.

I’m stunned speechless, as I hand the phone back to my sister. Decision made, I know what I need to do. Mustering up the guts to do is a different story.