I was swept into his arms, his strength surprising me. Who knew what he had been hiding? Warmth radiated from him, as I was pressed to his chest. I had been alone in the woods for hours, I had felt so lost, confused, so alone, and he found me. He had found me! It was just now that I was realizing the significance of those words. Ever since I came to Horizon, maybe years before, I had been lost, waiting for someone to find me, and he had. I pulled him closer, and it was then I realized I was crying. At the fairytale moment that Shelby would scoff at, the revelation that Shelby would scoff at, or at the realization that I wasn't alone anymore. I felt weak-kneed and leaned on Auggie for support.
"Are you okay Jules?" He asked, letting me lean on him. I looked up into his face, a face that I had grown so familiar with, the brown eyes that I had tried to catch so many times.
"Now that your here." I whispered, still staring.
"Let's get you back," Auggie suggested, he started putting pressure on my waist, where his arm was wrapped protectively around me.
"Let's stay here a second," I protested, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. He had been looking back the way he had come, but now he swung his head so that he could look at me.
"You don't mean that." He argued softly, but I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to believe I did.
And I did mean it, I wanted him here, needed him here. I had connected with him, slowly, almost without my realizing it, Auggie had become my confident, my best friend, slowly but surely Auggie had become my world. "I mean it Auggie, I want you to stay with me. Now that I've found you, I don't want to let you go. I couldn't bear it if I had to let you go." The doubt was still in his eyes.
"Jules, you are the little princess, I'm the homeboy. Go back to your football player, and forget about me." He gestured back the way he had come, where Scott was, probably thinking about Shelby. I knew he didn't think about me.
I shook my head, my brown hair tickling my cheeks. Screw Scott. Shelby could have him. I found my prince, so what if he wasn't in shining armour? So what if he had battle scars? He was mine. "I don't want Scott." I could break up with him, it would be better for both of us. "I want you." Doubt still shadowed his eyes. What more could I say? He wanted to believe me, he did. But he, like all of us at Horizon, had had one too many disappointments. Like so many others he was so cautious, so slow to trust that he didn't recognize the truth anymore, that it made me so sad. "Auggie," I whispered, I had only one idea left. I put pressure on his chest, I could feel his racing heart under my palm. "Auggie . . . I love you."
Questions still lingered in his brown eyes, his face still showed no emotion. For a moment I thought that I had lost the fight, that he was going to take me back to whoever was out looking for me, and walk away like I hadn't just handed him my heart. The moment passed when he dipped his head and kissed me.
I don't own Higher Ground. Thanks to iluvacting for betaing, and thank you to those who will review, you are appreciated. :D
~DI4MGZ~