It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The trade winds blew in off the coast and could be felt on the inner island. The sun worshipers covered the beaches while the surfers took advantage of the good swells on both the North Shore and just off of Waikiki Beach. It was another perfect day in paradise for most, but for a group hovered around a gravesite, it was anything but beautiful.

Sarah looked up as Steve came and stood next to her. She had a tissue in her hand, using it every few seconds to wipe away fresh tears. They were both dressed in Hawaiian colored shirts as well as the majority of attendees. Jacob's mother had requested it. She wanted it to be a celebration of his life and not a gloomy day knowing already that tears would be inevitable, but she wanted everyone to remember Jacob as the vibrant little boy that he had been.

The funeral was outside by the gravesite and nearly thirty people were in attendance, half of them associated with the HPD.

Steve put his arm around Sarah as they both stared at the white coffin. They hadn't spoken since the day at the beach; only giving waves from across the room as he passed by each morning on his way up to his office. She was fine with that. It gave her time to clear her head over what had happened without any new circumstances to cloud her judgment.

She hadn't woken up like she had hoped and forgone all those feelings for him, but she did wake up to reality and decided that it was time to put them to rest on her own. She was twenty-seven years old and she wasn't getting any younger. She wanted a family and for that she needed a husband. Steve was never going to be that person and she had to get that through her dreamy head. She was letting other opportunities pass her by, lucrative opportunities that could amount to a possible future and happiness. She wasn't going to let this ridiculous crush go on any further, disrupting her life.

He needed her stability right then, not knowing why it had to be her; maybe it was because what they had both felt for Jacob was similar. He'd thought about her a lot over the past few days, trying to get a handle on what he was actually feeling, but every time she would pop into his head and he'd try to sort things out, his thoughts would drift and the next thing he knew all he could picture was her beneath him and the way she had looked at him. That image was etched on his brain and tortured him.

One side of him was compelled to accept the fact that he had made a mistake and should count his blessings that they were still friends, while the other half wanted her again. The impact she made on him that night was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He could have moved on and let it go if it wasn't for that. He was craving it. He wanted to feel it again, but somehow he knew that if he searched it out with a hundred other women it would never equal what she had given him that night. He couldn't get his head around the idea that Sarah, the one woman in the world that he least expected to be attracted to, had run him over like a Mack truck.

Sarah pulled away from him as the others departed the grave after it was over. Jacob's Mother, Grandmother and the two of them were the only ones left. She felt it was their time to leave too and let her have this moment with her son. "Come on," she said, pulling on Steve's shirt, "let's go."

As they walked by, Sarah put a hand on her shoulder as if giving her condolences. Sally looked up seeing the two of them.

"Thank you," she said to them. "Thank you for making him so happy those last few months."

They both stopped as she turned to them, her focus first on Sarah.

"You made the hospital visits bearable for not only Jacob but for myself. I'll never forget some of the encouraging and uplifting words that you gave me Sarah. You made me laugh and were a friend at times when I thought I had nothing else to give, but you somehow always pulled me back up and made me see how strong I was. Thank you for that."

Steve put his arm back around her as she nodded with the tissue up to her eyes, unable to speak.

"And you," she said to Steve, with a thankful smile. "He told me about your father, son pact." She reached out and touched his arm with fresh tears filling her eyes. "It always made me sad that he never had a man in his life, and then you came along. After that it was always Steve did this and Steve said that," she chuckled. "He was so proud to be a part of your life, thank you for giving him that precious gift." She wiped her eyes off. "I can't tell you how thankful I am to you for that. You were truly a blessing to him."

It wasn't something he needed to be thanked for. In his eyes, Jacob had given him so much more. He took in a breath fighting off the relentless tears that had wanted to flow freely from his heart that felt broken. This day was almost as bad as the night in the hospital. "I can't tell you…" he started and then paused, trying to regain his composure. "I can't tell you how much he meant to me too. He was an amazing person and one of the best friends I've ever had."

Sally leaned over and kissed Sarah on the cheek and then did the same to Steve before turning her attention back to the casket.

They slowly walked over to the others who stood by the cars waiting for them. She glanced up at him and didn't think she'd ever seen him look so broken. She wrapped her hands around his arm as he looked down at the grip and then at her. He couldn't believe the comfort he found from that single gesture. He fed off of her strength, needing it now more than ever. She went to release the grip and he quickly without thinking put his hand over top of hers, getting a grasp of one of them. For some reason he didn't want her to let go. He'd missed her over the past few days and this physical contact made him realize just how much he had.

"It's going to be okay Steve."

He stared down at her, recognizing that look in her eyes. It was the same one he'd been recalling in his head, seeing it for the first time as she lay beneath him. He felt the warmth of it cover him like a blanket. "Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked her, hoping they could just sit and be together like the day on the beach. But that look she had vanished in an instant, along with it came a chill that replaced the warmth he had been feeling.

"No," she replied, releasing the grip on him and moving away from him at the same time. She flashed back to that night in her kitchen. He had that same tortured look and she was feeling that same horrible loss of their friend. The next thing she knew they were kissing. That memory was both a blessing and curse, but more than anything else it was a mistake and one she wished now she could take back, because she missed what they had, but she couldn't go back like he could, she just couldn't do it.

"Are you mad at me Sarah?" He wasn't sure if her avoidance of him over the past few days was because she was still angry over the beach incident.

"No," she answered as she started walking toward the others. She glanced back at him as he followed her, but the look on his face was disheartening. She turned away from it, knowing that he knew she was lying. "It's just that everyone was talking earlier about going over to Donner's afterward. It's been a tough day. You know?"

He felt the shift in their relationship just then. He was already emotionally drained from the funeral and now this, only it wasn't he that was putting a strain on their friendship at the moment, it was her. "Yeah, I know."

He followed behind her staring at the back of her head as her long hair flowed down her back. He'd never seen it down before, except for that night when it was fanned out on the pillow. He felt that same familiar rush sweep over him that could catch him off guard at the most unexpected moments of the day. He watched her disappear through the maze of attendees almost as if she were trying to lose him in the crowd on purpose. He came and stood next to the group that included Danny and Chin and some of the closest friends he'd ever had, but never in his life had he felt so alone.

The mood in the bar was not the norm for a Saturday night get together with this group of eight that had also attended the funeral. The laughter and smiles were far and few between. Some told stories of an encounter with Jacob, and they relived the first day they met him and the fake robbery they had set up, laughing over some of the scenes that had played out. Steve told them about the rock that he and Sarah had found at Bellow's Beach, glancing over at her as she sat across and three people down from him, which was unusual in itself, usually she positioned herself close to he and Danny, if not between them.

She only glanced at him, but did collaborate on his story to the others. They were all amazed at the find and no one else had a rational explanation of how it got there either. Danny went as far as saying it was fate that the two of them of all people were together when they found it. Sarah only nodded in agreement. That day had been both a blessing and a curse.

Steve couldn't help but feel that she was deliberately ignoring him, which began to irritate him. If she was pissed then she should just come out and say it and get it over with. This whole pouting thing she had going on was becoming a pain in his ass.

Sarah pushed away from the table announcing a trip to the bar for another beer, offering to buy for anyone else that wanted one. Her offer was declined.

She leaned against the bar, talking to the bartender when she noticed out of the corner of her eye the guy sitting two seats over slide his beer down and take the seat next to her.

"Well look at you?" he said, leaning over to her, "If I had a dollar for every time you stuck your tongue out at me, I'd be a millionaire."

Sarah moved her head back away from him and then all at once recognized him. "Oh my God, Bryce." She playfully nudged him. "I thought you were some creep giving me the worst pick up line ever."

He laughed, "How's it going, Sarah?"

"Pretty good. When are you guys moving back to the mainland?"

"Pretty soon. They've got me for another month and then were back to reality."

"I bet you miss everyone. You're wife must be going crazy so far away from home."

"She is, plus she's expecting again."

"Wow! Congratulations. What is that, like fifteen now?"

"Four," he chuckled. "Have you talked to my sister lately?"

"No, I've been meaning to call her."

"God, I remember the two of you used to drive me crazy."

"You deserved it, plus you always paid us back twice fold."

Bryce laughed, "Remember that time I tossed the two of you into the pool for getting into my dresser and taking all my cash?"

Steve leaned over to Danny interrupting a conversation he had going with Chin about a recent baseball game. "Who's that guy talking to Sarah?"

Danny looked over toward the bar, taking a quick look. He shrugged, "I don't know," he said uncaring and immediately went back to his conversation.

Steve watched them intently, too far away to hear what was being said, but his guard came up the second he did notice the guy slide over toward her as she stood there getting her drink. It reminded him of the night of her birthday when she was drunk. She wasn't intoxicated this time but for some reason he felt compelled to keep an eye on her anyway.

Sarah gently shoved Bryce back and laughed, "Oh my God, that water was freezing cold."

"You two stole thirty bucks!" Bryce defended, laughing with her. "I knew that water was extra cold though," he put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed, as if pretending to warm her up. "It was a little harsh."

"It was in the middle of December!" She playfully wiggled out of his grip, "We bought you a Christmas present with that money." They both laughed over that.

Steve stood up once his arm crossed over her shoulder and she tried to squirm away. He didn't notice the laughter that came from her; his mind was fixated on the fact that this asshole had his hands on Sarah. His Sarah! Who the hell did he think he was, touching her like that?

Bryce reached for his beer when he felt a shove, pushing him into the bar. He knocked his glass over thinking someone had accidentally bumped into him until he heard the voice.

"Keep your hands to yourself or I'll break 'em off!"

Sarah reached her arm over protecting Bryce from the angry outburst from Steve. "What are you doing?!" she yelled at him, even more shocked than Bryce.

Steve leaned over in Bryce's stunned face, "You think its ok to just grabbed a woman in a bar?!"

"What?!" Bryce looked at Sarah for clarification.

"This is Bryce!" she said, pushing Steve away from him. "His little sister is a friend of mine. What is the matter with you?!" She pushed him back toward the tables they were occupying. "Go sit down?!"

"You know this guy?" Steve asked stunned. His feelings of wanting to protect her quickly shifted to a feeling of betrayal from her, but not knowing why. She hadn't done anything wrong but he still couldn't get over the anger that another man had put their hands on her. At first he thought he was acting out of chivalry, but now it was clear that she had welcomed it. She was flirting with another guy right in front of him. He never would have done that to her.

"Yes I know him!" she said, glaring back at him as if he were the stranger. She watched him walk backward a couple of steps before he turned and headed back to the table and sat down, staring back at her now.

The others at the table stared at him in wonderment over the ordeal.

"What was that about?" Danny asked.

Steve ignored him, his attention too preoccupied with what was happening at the bar.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Bryce asked.

Sarah shook her head, "Just this guy I work with."

"I'd be careful of him Sarah. He's got a temper."

"He's harmless," she said, grabbing some napkins, trying to mop up the beer mess as the bartender made his way down with a fresh one. She was still a little shocked and more than anything else angry, until it suddenly dawned on her that Steve was defending her.

"I wouldn't call that harmless."

She smiled slightly over her revelation, "I think he was jealous of you."

"Yeah well, jealously isn't always a good thing."

"Believe me Bryce, I've never seen Steve angry before, especially not like that. He's a cop and really is a nice guy. It's just been a trying day for all of us."

He looked at her oddly. "Sounds to me like you got something going with this guy."

"Once, but that's all it was."

Bryce huffed, "Once my ass. A guy doesn't go after another guy in a bar over a girl unless he feels a threat over his stake in that girl. Believe me, Sarah!" He wiped the beer off his arm. "He was going to kick my ass." He looked back over at Steve and decided she was probably right. If he were the angry, jealous type that had a temper, then things would have escalated more than just a shove, instead he was pretty amazed how Sarah had been able to cool his jets pretty quickly.

"I'm sorry," Sarah said, but couldn't control the grin that was plastered on her face.

Bryce nudged her, "You like this guy. You like the fact that he was about to kick my ass," he laughed.

"No I wasn't! And he wouldn't have kicked your ass." she quickly replied. "I just can't believe he did that."

He reached in his pocket and tossed a five on the bar. "My buddies just walked in. It was good seeing you Sarah." He pointed over his shoulder at Steve, "Good luck with that. Don't be mad at him, sometimes guys can lose their minds when it comes to women."

She laughed and hugged him before walking back over to the table. "It was good seeing you too. We'll have to get together before you head to the mainland."

Steve played with his beer and watched her. He didn't feel like the idiot he should have. He was too preoccupied by thoughts of her with this guy, with any guy. He'd never been so plagued with jealousy before like he was over her. He couldn't shut it off. He looked at the two of them but could only see Bryce's hands on her, and then his arms around her and then images of Sarah with him the same as when they were together. That thought hurt worse than any of them. Did she like this guy? She sure acted like it, defending him while she shoved him back to the table, almost telling him to mind his own business, not even taking into consideration that he was doing it for her! His imagination took over again as she reached out and hugged him, wrapping both her arms around him and saying something to him in his ear. 'Shit! She likes this guy. Brother of a friend my ass!'

As she walked back over to the table she smiled, shaking her head at him. Ready to sling him some shit for that. She wasn't mad, well not anymore, especially after what Bryce had explained to her. She was actually flattered.

'She's enjoying this,' he thought angrily. 'Look at that smile. It's almost as if she planned it.'

Sarah stood across from him, holding her fresh beer in her hand. "I've never seen that side of you before," she raised an eyebrow, "you can be intimidating. Poor Bryce didn't know what hit him."

"I didn't know that you liked guys groping you in the bar or I would have stayed put."

She tilted her head caught off guard by his sarcasm. "He wasn't groping me! We were just playing around." She went to explain when he interrupted her.

"That was flirting, not playing around." He reached in the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out some cash, tossing it on the table. "Just make sure you where a condom, he looks kind of sketchy."

"Steve!" Kono yelled from across the table,

"What the hell!" Danny joined in, seeing by the look on his face that he wasn't joking.

He knew he'd gone too far. Why did he say that? He didn't mean it.

Sarah slammed her beer down on the table. She could see the regret all over him for that remark, but didn't care. She rested one hand on the table and leaned over in his face. "Fuck you Steve!" she blasted him, grabbing her keys off the table, walking toward the exit.

He nervously looked around the table at the others as they all stared at him. None of them, not even Danny was able to explain his odd behavior in neither the last few seconds nor the display at the bar. The only common denomination they shared was that they both involved Sarah. He had no excuse for what he had just done except plain old fashioned jealously.

He pushed away from the table and bolted out of the chair toward the exit.

"Good luck with that," he heard Chin yell out as he pushed through the door going after her.

He came around the corner of the bar seeing her car lights turn on. As he ran toward it she put it in reverse glancing over her shoulder for another car before backing out, instead she saw him and didn't hesitate to come out of the space just a little too fast, her tires squealing.

"Sarah!" he yelled almost making it to the driver's side door when she threw it in gear and took off. "Sarah!" he yelled again, knowing that she saw him but didn't care.

He stood in the parking lot watching her turn out onto the road and speed off. "I'm sorry," he said to no one.

He didn't bother going back inside. An explanation was due but he didn't have one to tell them, but he did have an urgency to give one to Sarah though. He jumped in his truck and headed in the same direction as her.

He pulled into the parking lot of Sarah's apartment, seeing her car and glanced up through the windshield, seeing the lights in her apartment come on just then. The guilt was eating him up from the inside out. He still couldn't believe he had said those thing to her. He had sworn that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize this friendship, yet he had underestimated what jealousy could do to a person. An emotion he rarely experienced. He knew what he had to do, but still didn't have a legitimate explanation to give her.

He came up the stairs and knocked on her door.

"Go away!" He heard from the other side.

"Sarah, open the door."

"No! Go away! You're an asshole!"

He sighed, "I know. I'm sorry. Please, just let me in."

He heard the apartment door behind him open instead and an old Hawaiian woman appeared, dressed in a flowered robe, giving him the stink eye.

"Sarah honey, are you all right?" she called out.

Steve smiled at the scowl on the old woman's face. "It's okay, we're friends."

"Well," she said sarcastically, pointing toward Sarah's door, "if you were friends then she'd open the door."

Sarah couldn't help but smile, admitting that this was punishment enough for him, having Mrs. Kettles berate him. She was a tough old broad for being eight-eight years old.

"Yes ma'am," Steve replied, trying a new approach. "I'm a police officer and I just..."

"I don't care who you are." She looked past him to Sarah's closed door. "Sarah honey, would you like me to phone the real police?" She looked back at Steve as if what he had just told her really meant nothing.

He had no response to that, knowing how feisty Hawaiian women were and she was about the feistiest he'd ever come across. He was about to give into defeat and leave when he heard Sarah unlock her door. She appeared but refused to look at him. He could tell she'd been crying which only ignited his guilt to a whole new level.

"Hi Mrs. Kettles," she smiled sheepishly, "it's okay."

The old woman looked back up at Steve with the same threatening glare. "Are you sure?"

Sarah glanced over at Steve just then as he silently begged her to come to his aid. She nodded, "Yes, thank you though." She leaned against the door frame reassuring her with a smile.

"Ok then,"

"I'm sorry I bothered you," Steve said, trying to make amends with at least one of the women he had pissed off that night.

She stepped back inside her house. "Well if you ignorant men wouldn't do stupid things that needed begging of forgiveness in the middle of the night, I wouldn't be disturbed. Remember that next time."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, but the door was closed in his face before he could get it out in time.

Sarah smiled but quickly hid it as he turned back in her direction. "What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

"No."

"Please Sarah, I'm sorry."

His voice sounded so sincere she couldn't resist him, still amazed that he had shown up in the first place, but it didn't by any means justify forgiveness for what he had done to Bryce or to her. She pushed off the door frame and went inside, leaving the door ajar, not closing it but not making it inviting for him either.

He took that as a yes and went in, closing it quietly behind him.

She sat down on the couch, but still wouldn't look at him.

He took a seat on the coffee table across from her. "I'm sorry," he repeated again.

"Why would you say something like that to me?" she shook her head, still confused over his childish behavior. "Especially in front of everyone. You made it sound like I was just out to get laid."
Those words crushed him. "I'm so sorry."

She looked up at him, "Things have changed. That night changed us for the worse. I can't believe you don't see it."

"Don't say that," he argued, taking a seat next to her, not fearing for the loss of just their friendship this time but the terrible fear of losing her, period. "I just thought he was hitting on you…and I…"

"So what?" she argued. "It's none of your business!" She was tired of this cat and mouse game he was playing. He wanted to protect her, or was it he just wanted his little Sarah to be there for him when he wanted her. She was good enough for that, but not good enough to be in his life everyday. 'Screw that!' she thought bitterly. She loved him but she had to put herself first and ever since she knew him she hadn't done that, and it had to stop.

"You know what Steve," she said, before he could reply. "I think it would be better if we just admitted what this relationship has become and just let it go." She stood up and walked away from him.

"What do mean?" He felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"You know what I mean."

He did but he didn't want to go there with her. "I'm not ready to let you go yet," he said sadly.

"You never had me to begin with!" she yelled. "We had sex and then tried to make the best of a bad situation, but it backfired on both of us and now we're left with this." She spread her arms out, "This uncomfortable horrible thing that's just hanging over our heads. You feel guilty about not wanting more and I can't deal with your goddamn guilt anymore. It's as if you don't want me, but you don't want anyone else to have me either."

"It's not that," he defended himself.

"Then what?" she stood looking at him with her arms crossed. "Stop feeling guilty over what happened and just accept that what we did was a mistake."

"Why do you keep saying that and making it sound like it was this horrible thing that we should regret?"

Her expression turned bewildered. "Tell me after we did it that you weren't thinking, 'Oh God! What did I just do?' You know you were," she accused.

"Not in the way that you are making it sound."

"You even said it to me. 'I can't believe we just did that.'

"Well I couldn't! Could you?"

She didn't want to answer that.

"I just wasn't expecting it to feel that way."

"You mean feel good, like it does with other women?" she replied angrily.

"No! I never knew it could feel that good with any woman."

She had never imagined that reply. "Why do you say things like that to me?"

He shrugged, "Because they're true. Do you want me to lie and say it was horrible?"

"Yes! That would be easier to understand and accept."

"Well it wasn't, and I'm not going to say it was. I'm not ashamed of it like you obviously are." He started to feel angry over her accusations once again. She was practically accusing him of being emotionless when it came to this whole thing, as if what happened was just another notch in his bedpost.

"What do you want from me?" she yelled.

"I don't know!" he yelled back, "Maybe the same thing you want from me."

She stood staring at him. "I don't want anything from you."

"Oh bullshit! Stop standing there and pretending like what happened was just out of the blue and you temporarily lost your mind!" he pushed off the couch, walking over to her. "I know how you feel about me Sarah."

She backed away from him, "What are you talking about?"

"The night of your birthday party," he said with a raised eyebrow. "You talk a lot when you're drunk."

She felt her mouth go dry. "What?"

He knew he hit the nail on the head as the color ran from her face. "You said some things to me before you passed out in my truck."

"What…" she stammered, "what things? I was drunk."
"You told me that you love me."

She suddenly felt relieved, chuckling and rolling her eyes. "I do. Haven't you ever told anyone that you love them when you're drunk? I probably told half the bar that night that I loved them." She went into the kitchen to get a glass of water to cool off her parched throat, feeling that she had maneuvered around that bomb until he dropped the next one.

"Yes, but then you grabbed me by the shirt and told me specifically that you didn't just love me, that you were in love with me."

The water did little this time to calm the panic that had swept through her. She had no excuse or couldn't come up with one to hide behind her drunken confession, silently cursing herself for letting it out. "Steve," she turned around and practically ran into him as he now stood next to her in the kitchen, staring down at her, trying to get a read on her thoughts. Ever since that night of her birthday he had denied to himself what she had said, not wanting to admit what he really heard, but now as he stood there he wanted nothing more at that second than for her to admit that it was true. He couldn't get away from the feelings that she had woken up in him, and he didn't want to let her get away with pretending anymore either. He decided at that second that maybe it wasn't so crazy, the two of them.

He came out and just blatantly asked her. "The events of that night weren't just all because of Jacob, were they?"

"Yes, they were," she quickly defended her actions. "I really never meant to kiss you. The first one was just a thank you for being there and really meant nothing." She stared down at the glass in her hand, nervously playing with it, feeling his eyes on her but not able to look up and face him, "but it felt nice and calm and…" she shrugged, "so I did it again and it felt even better the second time. It just made me feel better," she finally confessed. "But it didn't really happen because of what you're thinking. I never thought in a million years you would ever kiss me back," she smiled slightly, "but you did."

He smiled, recalling the surprise over her talent in that department. " And I never expected in a million years for you to ever kiss me. I'm not saying I didn't like it, I was just surprised."

"Well you seemed to like it," she said shyly, "so…I did it again and then everything happened so fast and then it was over."

"Fast," he said wanting to elaborate on that word being thrown out there, feeling his manhood coming into question. "I was just following your lead. You were fast. I mean you finished pretty quick." He had been pretty proud of himself over that feat, never satisfying a woman that quickly before. He suddenly developed a painful expression on his face, thinking the worst. "You didn't fake it, did you Sarah? Just to get it over with?" Some of her nervousness began to rub off on him.

She looked up at him and could literally see the panic in his eyes over that idea. She quickly reassured him. "No, of course not! It's just that…" she shifted feeling slightly uncomfortable discussing that night in such detail, "that's never happened to me before with a man."

"Really?" He was even more astounded by that, but also couldn't help but feel that sense of pride once again. "I was that good huh?" he teased her.

Sarah looked up at his wicked smile. "Well you liked it too," she fired back, teasing him as well. "I don't even have to ask if you faked it. I know for a FACT that you didn't." She smiled pleasingly at him as she walked past him out of the kitchen with the glass in her hand.

"I'm not denying it. As a matter of fact I've never denied it and I've never once said that it was a mistake. Somehow you seem to think that I cringe every time I think about it, but I think you're the one that cringes over it."

"That's not true," she sat back down on the couch. "I just…" she started and then stopped.

He watched her whole body language change in a second. She became withdrawn and slouched down into the sofa. He sat across from her once again on the coffee table. "You just what?"

She slowly looked up at him, her eyes beginning to mist over. "I just thought that you would want a way out of this, so I didn't want you to know how I felt. I thought it would make it easier on you that way."

He mirrored his movement once again and took the seat next to her on the couch. He reached over and took one of her hands as she nervously picked at her thumbnail. A habit he recognized that she did when she was nervous or bored. "I don't want out of this relationship. We've been friends for a long time. I know now that you're right, we can't go back to the way things were." He spread her hand open and gently rubbed his fingers over her palm. "Maybe we should try a different approach."

She looked up, "Like what?"

He shrugged, "Maybe I'll take you out to dinner. I don't know, keep seeing each other but not necessarily as just friends anymore."

She stared at him and had to blink just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "You want to date me?"

He had to laugh over that parody, but it was exactly what he was suggesting. "Yeah, I guess. You leave me no other choice. It's either that or I keep beating up all the guys that try to hit on you, and well," he scoffed, "we know how that turned out."

Sarah smiled, but was still a little overwhelmed by his suggestion. "Do you think it would be awkward?"

"You're making it awkward by just saying that. Why can't it just be you and I sitting on your couch," he smiled over at her, "with me holding your hand. Why does it have to be complicated? I like you, you like me, lets just leave it at that for now and see what happens."

"I wonder if it will be awkward for the others?"
"Forget them," Steve huffed. "if they don't like it, forget em'. This is between you and I." But what he really meant was fuck em'. He generally didn't care what others thought of him anyway. He didn't change who he was or what he believed in for anyone. It was something he always admired about her as well. That was one thing they had in common.

"Lets just keep this between you and I for now, ok?" she asked. If it didn't work out she didn't want to have to explain to anyone why.

He shrugged, "Ok." He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulder, playfully singing to her. "I've got a girlfriend."

Sarah laughed, moving away from him on the couch. "And with that said, don't think you're going to get another home run anytime soon. It's a new game and you're up to bat for the first time all over again." She grinned at him as he made his way closer to her. They had always been playful and she never felt uncomfortable being close to him, on the contrary most times she loved it. "You'll be lucky if you make it to first base." She laughed, putting her hands on his chest as he leaned over her, puckering his lips and making kissing sounds. "Behave yourself or I'm screaming for Mrs. Kettles."

Steve instantly moved away from her to the other side of the couch, raising his hands up in defense, "I wasn't touching anything." He smiled over at her as she laid back now with her head resting on the arm of the couch and her toes touching his thigh. It was Sarah looking back at him with that bright smile that had so many times brought his mood up the moment he walked into work, but there was more to her than she had let on over the years.

He was intrigued about what she kept hidden behind those beautiful auburn eyes. The mystery of that woman is what captivated him. She had only shown him bits and pieces of her true self, but none more than that night they were together. She changed him in a way that he was willing to forgo the awkwardness and the questions from the others over their relationship just to get back to that place with her.

He loved her; there was no doubt in his mind about that, but in love? He wasn't sure what that even meant. In his mind they were committing to each other to see if they were compatible and if they could take that next step and find a common ground where they could both be happy. If that happened then he guessed that meant they were in love, otherwise those words were nothing more than just a cliché to him. He was slowly but surely moving away from seeing her as 'little sister Sarah' to seeing her as the woman looking up at him that night who magically appeared and shattered his image of her. She could be sexy as hell when she wanted to be.

Sarah smiled as he picked up her right foot and began to massage it. "Looking for brownie points?" she asked, moaning softly as he hit a soft spot just right.

"So are you telling me if I do this, then…" he motioned with his head toward her bedroom.

Sarah rolled her eyes and went to pull her foot away when he held on tightly to it.

"I'm just kidding." He set it down on his lap and slouched comfortably down into the sofa, looking over at her. "I like being with you Sarah. I always have. Whether we're surfing, hiking, drinking beers or just hanging out on the couch. I'm not sure where this is going to go, but I'm willing to give it a shot and we don't have to jump into where we left off either. I'm okay with that." He smiled uneasily, "You know me though, maybe better than most people." He sighed heavily, "I just hope you don't end up hating me. You know what I can be like."

She saw the genuine concern in his eyes and sat up, "I do know you, probably better than most people do. But you know what? I also understand you better than most people do too."

A smile slowly emerged on his face, because no truer words had ever been spoken. "Don't forget though that I know you pretty well too."

She smiled devilishly at him. "You don't know anything about me."

He took that as a challenge and grabbed her knee. "I know you're ticklish right there from that time you had to sit on my lap in Danny's car."

Sarah screamed out, trying to pull away from him.

He let go and leaned over her, pinning her hands down on the couch. "I know you are a master at telling dirty jokes, and sometimes when you laugh really hard you snort."

Sarah blushed as she pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to fight him off. "I do not!"

"Yes you do!" He started to laugh as he struggled with her, "And you are also freakishly strong for a girl your size."

She stopped fighting him and let her legs relax as he settled down between them, but neither considered it an invitation.

He let go of the grip on her hands and rested on his elbows, looking down at her, surprised at how relaxing it was. He wasn't at all uncomfortable being this close to her now that their situation had evolved. It only reassured him that moving forward was the best solution. "I'm sorry for those things I said tonight," he apologized again.

"I know." Her heart was pounding wishing now she wouldn't have proposed that stupid suggestion of not having sex again, because when he was this close, all of her will power seemed to vanish.

"It's been a bitch of a day," recalling Jacob's funeral, "but I'm glad it's ending on a positive note." He kissed her cheek just once and pushed himself up off the couch, standing over her as she lay in the same position.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes." He picked his keys and phone up off the coffee table. "I don't want to wear out my welcome."

She stood up and followed him to the door. He turned just before opening it, "So what exactly did we get settled here tonight, just so I'm clear?"

"You're my new boyfriend, and that means you have to call me everyday, send me flowers, take me out to dinner at least once a week and you aren't allowed to speak or look at other women." She tried to look stern but wasn't doing a very good job.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Yep, you're defiantly going to hate me."

Sarah smiled, "You're one of my best friends in the world. I'm just glad we talked."

He went to leave and turned to her once again. "Am I supposed to kiss you goodbye?" he asked teasingly.

She could feel her face turn a shade of red over that suggestion, not sure what she was supposed to do. She hated being so naïve, knowing that the women he dated were probably tall, beautiful and confident. She was none of those and it only made her seem like plain ole' Sarah on the inside. "I don't know," she said shyly, "this wasn't really a date or anything."

"That's right," he said nodding, "the rules." He used his fingers to count off the rules. "Flowers, calls, dinner, no girls. Flowers, calls dinner, no girls." He walked outside her door, mumbling it over and over as he walked down the stairs, waving over his shoulder.

"You are such a dork," she said to him, grinning from ear to ear. She laughed as she heard him repeat it again only louder as he turned the corner toward the parking lot.