I don't know where I was running, but I knew I had to get the hell out of there. Never in a million years would I admit it, but I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I hated to acknowledge it, but I had fallen for that silly brown haired rancher. At first I had seen her as a bother but now, well it doesn't matter. She obviously doesn't feel the same.

~~

"So Chelsea, a little birdie told me what you bought at Chens," Denny teased.

I blushed. "Well you shouldn't listen to everything Popper says."

He laughed. "Actually it was Lanna who told me."

My eye twitched. "Remind me to kill her later."

"Aww come on it's no big deal, the whole town will find out eventually huh? "

"I suppose."

"Well come on, let me see it!"

"I don't know, what if somebody sees us and gets the wrong idea?"

"Ha as if! Everybody knows I'm saving up to buy one for Lana."

"What!? I didn't know that."

Denny shrugged. "Well now you do. Come on let me see it."

I sighed and pulled it from my rucksack. "Here, just don't mess it up or something."

"Woah it's huge." He turned it back and forth examining it all over.

I nervously looked around. It still felt awkward having Denny look at it out in the open like this. I swore I saw a flash of silver hair and my heart pounded. "Alright give it back."

Denny handed it back to me and I gently placed it back in my bag. "Well I'd better get going; I'll talk to you later."

"Alright Chelsea, make sure you tell me how it goes."

I sighed and turned to walk away. It's not like news takes long to spread here. I bought the blue feather yesterday and was trying to muster up the courage to present it to Vaughn before he returned home for the week. I wanted to try and get him alone that night, when I was at Mirabelle's that morning delivering him his porridge it didn't feel like the right time. We were both rather shy about our relationship, but I knew that I loved him.

"Chelsea!" Julia called out as she ran to me.

"Oh hey what's up?"

She frowned. "That's what I was gonna ask you. I just saw Vaughn run by a few minutes ago and he seemed really upset. Did something happen?"

I covered my face and moaned, "Oh no I knew something like this would happen. Denny asked to see the feather, Vaughn must have seen me handing it to him."

"Chelsea you have to find him! Quick go ask Kirk if he left the island."

I nodded and ran for the dock. It didn't take me long to get there, but before I could say anything Kurt asked, "Are you looking for Vaughn?" I nodded and he said, "Hop on I just took him to Meadow Island."

My heart pounds as we get closer. Vaughn is sitting by the water's edge staring out at the ocean. He's so absorbed in thought that he doesn't seem to hear us coming. We reach the dock and I quietly disembark.

"I'll go back to the mainland for a few minutes so you two can have some privacy."

I nod. "Thanks Kurt." I then turn to see Vaughn glaring over at me, his eyes red and swollen. He scowls and quickly turns back around. I walk over to him cautiously, not because I'm afraid of him but rather because I don't want him to try and run away. Although I guess he couldn't get far unless he tried to swim, but I wouldn't put it past him to try. I reach out for him softly asking, "Vaughn did you see me talking to Denny?"

"Yeah," he snarls, "congratulations."

"Did you know he's buying a blue feather for Lana?"

Vaughn was quiet for a moment before mumbling, "No."

"Well he told me today that he was and he insisted that I show him the one I bought."

"So," he said slowly, "you weren't giving him one?"

"Nope, I've got someone else in mind." I ran my hand over his back as I sat down next to him. I reached up and snatched his hat. He avoided my gaze, but I could feel his eyes on me as I pulled the blue feather from my bag and stuck it into the band of his hat. I leaned my head against his shoulder and shyly held it out in front of him.

He hesitated a moment before taking it into his hands and seemed a little dumbfounded. A smile crossed his lips as he placed the hat on his head. He then turned and tackled me to the ground so we were nose to nose. "So does this mean that you're mine now?"

I blushed and nodded. "I guess so."

His smile widened and he pressed his lips to mine. I'm not quite sure how long we kissed, but he eventually leaned back and pulled me up into a sitting position with him. "I didn't know what to think when I found out you bought the feather yesterday."

My jaw dropped and I whined, "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "Well I overheard Julia tell Mirabelle this morning as I was getting ready to leave. They don't whisper very quietly when they get excited you know. I went looking for you as soon as I heard, and well you know the rest."

I frowned and reached up, taking his face in my hands. "I'm sorry Vaughn."

He shrugged as pink dusted his cheeks. "Hey it made me realize how important you are to me." He pushed my hands away. "I just don't know why you waited so long to ask me you coward."

"Vaughn!" I shoved his chest laughing. "It's not like you're the easiest person to talk to all of the time." I stuck out my lip.

Chuckling, he kissed my forehead. "Come on lets go wait for Kurt, I'm sure everyone is dyeing to know when we're getting hitched."

"Oh and when will that be?"

"Hmmm well I can get my things packed in a week."

I laughed. "Alright then in one week!"

He smiled and kissed me before whispering in my ear, "I can't wait."