Here's a longer chapter to make up for the shortness of Chapter 6! The longest chapter of this story yet, actually. I know the title of the chapter kind of gives away an event of the story, but come on, you guys knew it was coming.

Thank you to everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed so far! I look forward to more!

Hope you enjoy!

"So, did you rope Kamil into coming too?" Annie asked Agate while they walked.

Agate gave her a halfhearted glare. "I invited him, yes. He said he'd be by sometime to help if he wasn't busy."

The two friends were on their way to the animal safari where Agate often worked as a ranger. She had called Annie early that morning - around 4am, which was too early even for Annie - to ask her for help getting things together after the construction of a horse barn on the side of the safari. Apparently there were brand new horseback riding paths, and with that came people wanting to board their horses nearby.

Annie didn't have a horse, so she wouldn't even be using the new additions to the safari, but she was still looking forward to spending the morning with Agate, who was usually quite skilled at cheering Annie up when she was frustrated with Raeger. She felt a stab of anger and embarrassment at the memory. There were better ways of rejecting people than making fun of them, especially when the subject was romantic feelings. She wished she didn't have feelings for him, but she had no such luck as somehow the thought of the handsome chef still made butterflies flutter in her stomach. He's a dick, she thought, trying to convince herself. Quit liking him.

Avoiding Raeger afterward hadn't been too difficult, since he was usually stuck working at the restaurant. She had stayed away from town on Wednesday, his day off, to dodge the possibility of an awkward encounter with him, and instead had done all her business on Tuesday. He had come to her house a few nights ago, but she simply muted her TV when he knocked on the door and pretended she wasn't home until he left. She was probably overreacting, but she just wasn't up to being hurt by him again. Luckily, since today was a Wednesday, she wouldn't be in town to run into him.

She felt disappointment, too. She wasn't sure what she expected of him when he finally found out about her feelings, but it certainly wasn't teasing and laughing at her. Even gentle rejection would have been kinder - although it would have been awkward at first, she was sure they would have still been able to be friends. Now, she wasn't sure what would happen. All she knew was that she was pissed, and she didn't want to see him.

As the two walked down the path to the safari, Annie shivered in the near-dark of the early dawn. Pink hues were just beginning to break free from the horizon, the sun soon to follow; She longed to feel its heat thaw her skin. Hopefully working at the safari would warm her cold, stiff muscles.

"Does anyone else work here besides you?" Annie asked her friend.

Agate sneaked a quick look at her. "Uh, we do get other volunteers, sometimes..."

They were approaching the large, unpainted barn.

"Like Kamil?" Annie winked.

"Yeah, and..." Her friend bit her lip and awkwardly grinned at Annie as they rounded the corner of the barn and the young farmer nearly collided with Raeger, who was carrying a pile of lumber.

Annie stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her stomach twist. Raeger attempted a small smile, but she pretended not to see it, and instead glared at Agate. The ranger shrugged and threw her hands in the air dramatically.

"Work it out, kids." Agate moved through the space between them to get into the barn, turning to wink at Annie and stick her tongue out before disappearing into the wooden building. Raeger placed the lumber on the ground, turning to her and opening his mouth to speak.

"Don't even think about it," Annie hissed, finally turning to look at him.

He held his hands up as if to show he was unarmed. "Hey, I was just going to apologize."

Annie gritted her teeth in annoyance - more so because of Agate's unwanted interference than Raeger's presence.

"Fine. Thanks," she murmured, stepping forward to walk around him and into the barn.

He caught her arms gently, turning her to face him. "Annie," he said softly.

She looked up at the pleading in his voice. His brow was scrunched in concern, and he was frowning slightly. Well, at least he wasn't laughing at her anymore.

"I mean it. I'm sorry."

"I mean it. It's fine."

Raeger sighed, shaking his head at her stubbornness. He released her arms and she abruptly strode past him into the barn.

Agate was near the back of the building, setting out paint cans, brushes and rags. She smiled as Annie entered, her eyebrows raised suggestively. Annie gave her a sour expression.

"What's he doing here?" She demanded.

Agate shrugged. "It's his day off."

"So he volunteered? Or you asked him to-"

"Alright then! Raeger, get in here," Agate called out.

Annie's sour expression changed to one of exasperation. "What are you doing?" She asked, suspicious of her friend's intentions.

"Well, you guys came here to help," she said happily, handing Annie the paint brushes, and Raeger the paint cans when he approached. She led the reluctant pair outside and showed them where the barn would be painted each colour. Raeger was given red paint; Annie, white.

As Agate left the two alone to paint, Annie could feel the awkwardness between her and Raeger. He was focused on painting, his brush leaving scarlet streaks across the wood. He must have sensed her staring, as he looked over and met her gaze. She looked away just as quickly.

They continued painting in silence until the front of the barn was finished. Agate returned to check on their "work", although Annie assumed she was also hoping to see that her and Raeger had made up. No such luck.

Around noon, they took a break and relaxed on a hill overlooking the horse pasture, eating sandwiches and sugar cookies from a picnic basket which Raeger had apparently volunteered to bring. The fact that there was the perfect amount of food for the three of them made Annie wonder if Raeger had known she was coming. Was that why he was here?

Agate and Annie chatted comfortably until the ranger had to leave her alone with Raeger to go and exercise her horse, Kierra. She watched as Agate mounted the beautiful chestnut and white-coloured mare in the pasture, then rode her out to the edge of the woods where the new riding path started. Annie found herself wanting to ride as well - she had taken lessons as a young teenager, and always wished she had her own horse. Perhaps she could buy one from one of the visiting vendors, but how much was a horse?

Annie was so used to the silence between herself and the man beside her that she had forgotten he was there until he cleared his throat, then picked up both their empty lunch containers and began cleaning up. Raeger reached beside Annie to grab the picnic basket, grazing her arm slightly and causing her to flinch.

He recoiled his hand and sighed."How long are you going to be angry with me for?"

She shrugged, standing to brush crumbs from her lap. She could practically sense the impatience in Raeger as she ignored him and walked away, back toward the barn where she had left her paint can. She pulled the wooden door open, careful to avoid the painted areas, and felt a splinter pierce the skin of her palm.

"Ah, ouch..." She winced, picking at her hand where the splinter had gone in. It looked deep - she couldn't grab the end with her fingernails. She looked around for a first-aid kit, but couldn't see one. It must be kept in the ranger cabin, she thought, then made her way over to the small building where Agate kept her working supplies - horse saddles, stirrups and crops hung on the wall. She spotted a white box on a self which read "First-Aid" in red script and opened it, digging through it and finding a pair of tweezers.

Annie sat on the small, stiff bed in the corner and began picking away at where the tail of the splinter barely stuck out. Just as she grabbed it, the visible part broke off and she cursed. Jabbing the sharp tips of the tweezers into her skin, she tried to dig it out; Blood welled up in the crease of her palm. She heard a knock at the cabin door followed by a creak as the door opened. Raeger stepped in.

"There you are. Agate wants help moving hay bales into the barn - it looks like it's going to rain. She said she's gonna finish the painting job later," he said, then looked at her hand. "What are you doing?"

She had gotten blood all over both her hands during her efforts to remove the wooden sliver. "Uh, splinter," she murmured, a bit embarrassed.

"Here, you're not gonna get it out like that," he responded, bringing the first-aid kit over to the bed and kneeling in front of her.

"I've got it," she snapped stubbornly. Raeger ignored her, and took an army knife out of his pocket. Annie's eyes widened and she pulled her hand away, clutching it near her chest.

Raeger rolled his eyes. "Fine, get an infection. Maybe Marian will have to remove your hand. You'll go down in history as the best one-handed farmer ever," he said sarcastically.

"Okay, okay, fine, but don't hurt me," she muttered, refusing to look at him.

She noticed out of the corner of her eye that his lips were curved in a small smile as he took an antiseptic wipe out of the kit and wiped the knife down with it, then used another to wipe the blood off her palm. He flicked open the knife and took her hand. His skin was slightly rough - probably from carrying lumber - as he held her hand in his. She bit her lip, praying she wouldn't blush at his closeness. He flicked on the lamp next to the bed since the light outside was dying from the cloud cover, and leaned in to get a better look. With careful precision, he slid the tip of the knife through her skin over the splinter, then took the tweezers and deftly gripped it and pulled it out with a small tug. He held the splinter up for her to see - it was pretty small for how much trouble it caused - then cleaned her hand with antiseptic. She winced.

"Annie?" Raeger murmured as he held a cotton ball to the tiny wound, then stuck it in place with medical tape. "I'm truly sorry for how I acted toward you. I don't want to hurt you."

She looked up, not realizing just how close he had leaned in while removing her splinter. Their noses nearly brushed as she did so, and she felt her cheeks betray her as they reddened.

"It's fine if you don't want me," she responded, aware of how pathetic she sounded.

He maintained their eye contact as he answered quietly, his voice gruff with emotion. "You don't know what I want."

Annie's heartbeat sped up. What did he mean?

"What do you want?" Her voice was a whisper.

She heard him swallow, but neither one of them moved apart. She held her breath, as she didn't dare make a sound. His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles, and she closed her eyes as he leaned in a fraction of an inch closer to her. Every bit of her yearned for him to close the gap between them and kiss her. She parted her lips slightly as she felt his lips meet hers, gently and slowly. Heat rushed through her body at the contact.

The door to the cabin was thrown open without a knock, and Raeger jumped back, releasing her hands as well. Annie heard a thump as he fell back into the bedside table, then watched as he scrambled to his feet and turned around to see who had interrupted them.

Agate stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-" She stopped, laughing nervously. "I'll leave so you guys can finish."

Annie and Raeger both began stuttering at her response, but she had already left, closing the door behind her. Annie looked at him, and noticed he was blushing - probably as much as she was.

"Ah... I'll clean this up," Raeger said quickly, gesturing to the bloody tweezers and wipes.

"Oh, good!" She replied too loudly, and the two stood with their arms crossed, staring at each other. Annie giggled, feeling breathless. "I'll, uh... Go help Agate. With the hay."

Raeger nodded, and Annie left the cabin with relief. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. A million thoughts and feelings were rushing through her, but she was so elated she swore she could fly. They had pretty much just kissed. Did that mean he definitely did feel the same way about her? He must feel something, based on his actions.

She practically skipped back to the barn, a grin forcing itself on her face. As she came near, she heard Agate's voice and wondered if Kamil had shown up. She was about to walk around the front of the barn to ask Agate where the hay bales were when she saw that Kamil had indeed shown up, and he had Agate in his arms as he smiled. She felt a trill of happiness for her friend, then, thinking it best not to disturb their moment, Annie surveyed the area and found the hay bales stacked at the back of the barn. She quietly opened the back doors and began carrying the bales in and placing them in the back stall. Annie couldn't shake the thought that perhaps Raeger felt the same about her as she did. She kept nervously glancing toward the cabin, waiting for Raeger to appear.

Raeger watched out the small cabin window as she walked away, her waist-length blonde hair blowing gently in the wind. His heart was still hammering - had they just kissed?

"What am I doing?" He whispered to himself, not quite grasping what had nearly just happened.

He had already told himself that nothing could happen between them. So why, when he was actually near her, was it so hard to keep his personal promises?

He wasn't normally an impulsive person. He thought things through, weighing his options and predicting outcomes before making a decision. But when he was with Annie, he found himself wanting to throw caution to the wind - as he'd just done. Goddess, she was stubborn, but somehow it made him want to kiss her more; She was so cute when she pouted at him.

Raeger smiled, touching his lips gently with his finger tips, where he'd briefly felt her lips. Being with her felt so right. Knowing she felt something for him, too, made it nearly impossible for him to stay away from her.

But he had to; Because everything has to end at some point, and the more you care about someone, the more it hurts when they're gone.

"I have a date with Kamil!" Agate hissed to Annie, obviously trying to contain her excitement. The two were crouched in the barn by the hay bales, whispering loudly while Kamil went to get Raeger.

Annie blinked. "Really? That's great!"

"Oh, my God, I almost forgot. You and Raeger kissed! Do you have a date with him, too?"

Annie fiddled with the material of her pants. "We didn't really kiss. Our lips barely touched."

Agate beamed nonetheless. "Well he wouldn't be that close to you if he didn't want to. He's got to feel something."

"Sometimes I think he does, but then he'll act like nothing happened, and I'm left wondering if he even notices that he... Does this, to me," Annie admitted. "He knows how I feel, but-"

"Wait, what?" Agate grabbed her arm, interrupting her. "He knows?"

Annie nodded, but kept her mouth shut as she heard footsteps approaching outside.

"Come over to my place and catch me up?" Agate asked.

Annie smiled. "Sure."

Just then, the back door opened and Kamil came in carrying hay, Raeger behind him with more.

"This is the last of it," Kamil stated, sharing a smile with Agate as he passed to place it in the stall.

"Thanks so much for your help, guys. Looks like the rain's starting." Agate gestured to the foreboding sky.

Annie noticed droplets of water in Raeger's hair as well. The young chef was standing next to her, but not acknowledging her presence. Annie held her breath, not sure what to say to him, if anything, given the fact that Agate and Kamil were there. Just as she had the thought, the two of them turned and left the barn, chatting happily.

Suddenly Raeger turned to her, a conflicted look on his face. "Annie," he began, not quite meeting her gaze. "Can you come to the restaurant later?"

"I've got plans with Agate when we get back to town, but I can tonight, sure," she replied with a smile.

He nodded at her, and as his eyes met hers she wasn't sure what she saw, but it wasn't the happiness she felt. A knot of dread began clenching her stomach as he walked away. Trying to shake the feeling, she followed him out and met up with Agate. The two began walking home, and although the sun was still bright in the sky, Annie shivered.

The clouds parted, revealing the sun that was beginning to dip below the treeline, creating massive silhouettes of the forest in front of the inflamed sky. Annie approached the restaurant, anxiety making her stomach turn. She didn't know what was about to happen.

She had filled Agate in on the events of the week before, after she had left the bar with Raeger, and what had happened in the cabin at the safari. At first she had been ecstatic, but that changed when Annie told her how he had looked after the sort-of-kiss.

"Maybe he's just nervous," Agate had suggested, but from her tone, Annie could tell she didn't believe her own words. From what she could tell, Raeger felt something too... So why had he looked so conflicted?

Annie bit back her uncertainty, took in a trembling breath and knocked at the restaurant door, since it was closed that day. When it opened, Annie saw Raeger had the same conflicted look on his face.

"Hey," she said, attempting to sound neutral.

"Hi," he replied, motioning for her to come in. "I've gotta talk to you."

Annie swallowed nervously as she entered the building, taking a seat at the counter. He sat next to her and turned so they were face to face.

Raeger took a moment to start. Finally, he seemed to find some composure and began: "I don't think it's a good idea for us to... Start something." He swallowed loudly, and Annie could see regret in his eyes as he continued. "I just can't do it. I'm sorry, I know that doesn't explain much, but I'm just not ready to have something like that with somebody."

Annie stared at him. Something didn't add up. "I don't get why, though." Raeger looked down, then to the stairs as if he would have liked to bolt up them. "I just don't know if I can have a relationship right now."

"You kissed me."

"That was a mistake, I shouldn't have done it."

Annie looked at him closely. "Why did you kiss me?"

He turned and looked at her, then. "I wanted to. I probably would have, if Agate hadn't come in."

"I would have kissed you back. Why did you, though?"

"I think I'm falling in love with you," Raeger said so quietly she almost couldn't hear him.

Annie blinked, astonished. She had suspected he had feelings for her, but she hadn't expected this. She didn't know what to say.

"I've lost so many people that were close to me, Annie," he nearly whispered to her. "I can't do it again."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not going to die, Raeger. Not anytime soon, anyway," she joked.

He didn't laugh. "I'm scared, Annie."

She took his hand in hers, feeling him flinch a bit at the contact. "So you'll go your whole life without having a relationship because you could lose them? That's no way to live. Everyone loses someone in their life, there isn't a way to avoid it, but denying yourself any closeness because of what could happen is even more heartbreaking, I think."

He swallowed, like he was about to respond, but Annie continued. "I'm sorry you lost so many people, Raeger. I don't really understand how it must have felt, but please don't push me away because of it."

"Dying isn't the only way you can lose someone, Annie."

"Sometimes you have to go through a few breakups before you find the person you're meant to be with," she responded without hesitation. "But, I mean, I'm here right now, and I want to be with you." She felt embarrassed admitting it out loud to him for the first time.

He sat still for a long moment as though deep in thought, his eyes fixed on their hands. Then, he looked at her with a small smile. "I want to be with you, too."

"What? I mean, really?" She couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

He reached to her and pulled her against him, holding her tightly by the waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, feeling inexplicably happy. She felt his hand move up her back to rest on the back of her head, and she sighed happily.

When he finally unwrapped her from his arms, he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. She grinned at the gesture, squeezing his hand and drawing a smile from him, too.

"Does that mean I can have a kiss, now?" She asked a bit shyly.

He chuckled softly. As he tilted his head slightly, Annie licked her lips a bit to moisten them. She let her eyes flutter shut as his lips brushed hers, when suddenly he pulled back and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose.

She wrinkled her nose a bit at the wetness, pulling back to see him laugh at her. She wiped his spit off her nose, although she had to admit she liked his kisses, no matter where they were.

"Tease," she muttered, her cheeks hot.

He laughed again, kissing her pink cheek this time. "I'll tell you what," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. "Come back tomorrow evening, and we'll do this right."

Annie raised an eyebrow at him quizzically as he pulled back. "I have to wait until tomorrow to kiss you?"

"Mhmm," came his response as he stood, pulling her to her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she said, although she would rather have kissed him right then and there. "See you tomorrow."

They embraced again as they reached the door. "I'm glad this went differently than I had planned," Raeger murmured against her hair before letting her go.

"Me too," replied Annie, delighted at Raeger's affection.

She turned to leave, bidding him farewell. He grabbed the door before it could shut.

"Hey, Annie. Wear a dress tomorrow, if you have one."