"What the fuck." I felt a certain satisfaction as I watched her eyes expressing their dismay at my choice of words. Clementine hated the fact that I used the f bomb so much.

"Nothing's going to change, Rhett." She got up and sat next to me. "I'll still be here for you."

"What are you talking about?" I glared at her. "I'm talking about something we agreed upon years ago."

"Sometimes things change." She put her arm around my shoulder and I shrugged her off of me.

"I know that."

"Have you seen your mom recently?" She asked softly and I frowned as my stomach lurched.

"No and I don't want to." I frowned. "This has nothing to do with her."

"I was just asking." She sighed and lay back. "I know you don't like to talk about her, but I think it would be helpful."

"It won't be," I looked down at her and tried to ignore the stirrings in my heart as I stared into her wide concerned eyes. Clementine was my rock. She was the only person I knew who truly loved me and had my best interests at heart. I had no idea what I would do if she left me.

"It might be good for you as well." She offered me a weak smile and I stared at her lips as she spoke.

"What might be good?" I frowned as I realized my eyes had fallen to her chest. I wasn't sure why I was so interested in her br**sts all of a sudden. I felt uncomfortable admiring her body. I tried to look away, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of the swell of her br**sts and the imprint of her ni**les as they pushed against her t-shirt.

"Me going away." She sat up and her hair swung in front of her face.

"How will that be good?" I gave her a look.

"Maybe it will help you..." Her voice trailed off.

"Help me how?" My voice rose.

"Find someone to be serious with." She bit her lower lip and shrugged. "Maybe you can have a real relationship."

"I like how everything is now." I lay down and stared at the ceiling. "I don't want anything to change."

"We'll still be best friends, Rhett." She lay down on her side and stared at me.

"So why do you want to leave?" I turned over and stared at her.

"I don't," she shook her head and her nose crinkled. "But we have to face up to it sometime. One of us is going to move away sooner or later."

"No, we don't have to face up to anything." I reached over and played with her hair. "You need a trim."

"Thanks, another one?" She rolled her eyes and grinned. Then she reached over and played with the hair at the front of my face. "So do you."

"You're not cutting it." I winked at her and we both laughed as we thought back to the time in tenth grade she had given me a Mohawk.

"Hey," she laughed. "Maybe I was just jealous of your blond locks."

"Uh huh." I grinned and stared at her for a few seconds in silence. "I don't want this to change." I sighed.

"I know," she bit her lower lip. "But people don't understand our relationship now. They think we must be dating or something."

"Eww no." I shuddered and she laughed.

"Thanks, Rhett."

"No offense or anything, but dating?" I stared at her and ignored the sudden rapid beating of my heart. "Hell no."

"I know you don't do relationships." She giggled and rested her hands on her arms.

"We'd ruin our friendship if we tried to be more than friends." I spoke slowly. "Not worth it at all."

"Don't worry, Rhett. I don't want to date you either." She grinned and I felt a pang of some unknown emotion in me.

"Now you have Elliott huh?" I frowned, feeling angry again.

"No." She made a face.

"Why is he coming anyway? I thought he was a crappy kisser?"

"He's not that bad."

"Oh!" I attempted a smile, though I wasn’t feeling very happy at her words, and moved towards her. "Want to know what a better than not bad kiss feels like?"

"Huh?" She frowned at me and looked confused.

I wasn't really sure why I decided to kiss her. It shocked and surprised both of us as I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her lightly. Her lips felt soft and moist beneath mine and I felt myself deepening the kiss as her lips pressed against mine firmly. My arms instinctively reached towards her and brought her into my chest. I felt her br**sts pressed against me and I felt something in me loosen up as I internally groaned at the same time. I was sexually attracted to her and I wasn't sure what the f**k I was going to do.

"Rhett," she breathed against my lips. "What are you doing?" She pulled away from me with wide eyes. I stared at her for a few seconds wanting to kiss her again, but instead I started laughing.

"I wanted to show you how a real man kisses, so that you have something to compare a great kiss to."

"I see." She frowned. "I don't know why you did that."

"I was playing around." I jumped off of the bed and smiled at her as if it were nothing.

"You can't just do that." She stood up slowly.

"Sorry, it was a joke."

"I see." She touched her lips gingerly and she had a dazed expression on her face.

"What did you think of the kiss?" I asked her softly, unable to resist.

"I've had better." She grinned and I watched as she walked out of the room. Better, my ass! I thought to myself as I followed behind her. She was lucky she was my best friend or I would have gone back for seconds to show her that there was no one better than me.

***

"So, who's ready for some baseball?" I walked into the yard and flexed my muscles as if I hadn't just been kissing Clementine and enjoying it.

"Let's get this party started." Jake hollered back at me and I grinned.

“Winners vs. Losers baby.” I ran over to him and held my hands out for him to throw me the ball.

“Where you been?” He looked at me curiously.

“Nowhere.” I laughed, guiltily and looked over at Clementine who was tying her shoes. I turned away and pretended that I hadn’t just overstepped a boundary. It was just in fun. It didn’t mean anything to either of us. It was just a kiss. Nothing more and nothing less.

“Elliott.” Penelope’s voice was loud and happy. I looked up and stared at Elliott as he made his way into the backyard. Of course she would like him. I frowned as I watched Clementine walking over to him with Penelope. Both of them were smiling widely at him and I felt my face growing hot.

“Hey guys.” Elliott waved to all of us and he gave me a short smile as our eyes connected. My eyes narrowed as I looked at him and I turned away without acknowledging him.

“Ass.” I muttered under my breath.

“What?” Jake asked me curiously.

“Nothing.” I shook my head and looked back over to Clementine and Elliott. I felt my face growing heated as I watched him giving her a bouquet of flowers. “Really?” I mumbled under my breath, feeling angry. “What a suck up.” I muttered. Why was he bringing her flowers? He was really trying to play a strong hand. I watched as Clementine smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek after taking the flowers. She looked happy and pleased and I frowned at her expression. Was she really falling for his crap?

“You guys ready to play or are we going to stand around in the sun all day?” I shouted out and I saw Penelope turn towards me with a smug smile.

“We’re ready.” She gave me a look and then turned back towards Elliott.

“Clementine.” I called out to her. “Can we get this game going?”

“Yes, Rhett.” She stepped back from Elliott. “Let me go and put these flowers in a vase. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m going to get a drink.” I turned to Jake and followed Clementine into the house.

“Wait up.” I ran up behind Clementine.

“What’s up?” She turned to me with a small smile.

“Just wanted another drink before the game. I can’t wait to kick you guys asses.”

“Okay.” She nodded and turned away from me.

“Also, about earlier. It didn’t mean anything. I was just playing around.”

“It’s fine.” She mumbled and I saw her face flushing.

“I know I’m an ass.” I tried to joke about it. “I was just being goofy.”

“It’s fine, Rhett.” She sighed. “Hey Nanna, do you have any vases? Elliott got me these peonies.”

“Oh beautiful, of course Darling.” Nanna rushed over with a tall vase. “How thoughtful of him.” She bent down and sniffed them.

“Careful, Nanna, you don’t want a bee to sting you.” I muttered.

“Oh, Rhett.” She smiled at me gently, her eyes glinting. “They smell wonderful, darling.” She rubbed Clementine’s shoulder. “I’ll have to sit down and have a longer chat with him later.”

“Chat about what?” I frowned at her.

“His intentions with my granddaughter.” She replied promptly.

“Nanna, no.” Clemmie groaned and I could see her face going red again.

“Isn’t it a bit fast for that?” I walked to the fridge and opened it slowly, feeling myself growing agitated.

“It’s never too early to find out a man’s intentions.” Nanna’s voice was soft. “If he’s serious about you, it’s important for him to know that you have a family that is looking out for you.”

“Nanna, we just started dating.” Clemmie’s voice was weak. “Do not say anything to him.”

“Say anything to who?” Mr. O’Hara bellowed out as he and Mrs. O’Hara walked into the house with some shopping bags. “Are you and Rhett finally dating now?” He grinned as he dropped the bags onto the floor. “Here we go momma.” He kissed his mother on the cheek.

“Dad.” Clementine rolled her eyes. “You know Rhett and I are not dating.”

“What she said.” I gave Mr. O’Hara a small smile as he gave me a quick hug.

“Good to see you, Rhett. We haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks.” He patted me on the back and stepped back as Mrs. O’Hara gave me a hug.

“You must come to dinner next week, Rhett. We want to hear how finals went.”

“They were fine.” I made a face.

“And how is your dad?” She asked me softly and looked me over with an interested face.

“Same as usual.” I shrugged.

“You’re looking very handsome, Rhett.” Mrs. O’Hara ran her fingers along my shoulders. “Such a handsome man, you’ve grown up to be.”

“Surprised?” I said and laughed.

“I always knew you’d be a handsome man.” She shook her head and smiled at me sweetly. “Even when you were a troublesome little boy.”

“That we did.” Mr. O’Hara nodded. “We always worried about what was going to happen when you and Clemmie became teens. We thought we’d have to ban you from seeing each other.”

“Dad.” Clementine rolled her eyes and gave me a small smile.

“But we had nothing to be worried about.” Mrs. O’Hara patted her husband’s shoulder. “You two have always been so good. We almost forgot you were friends of the opposite sex.”

“Almost.” Her dad laughed. “I wasn’t about to let you guys have sleepovers once you hit puberty.”

“We still had sleepovers dad.” Clementine made a face.

“With the door open.” Her dad laughed. “And trust me, I didn’t want to let you have them.”

“We’ve been friends since we were little kids, dad.” Clementine rolled her eyes. “Nothing happened.”

“I know.” Mr. O’Hara grinned at me. “I thank God, that Rhett is a gentleman.”

“Thanks, Mr. O’Hara.” I smiled back at him.

“Though, I’m not sure why neither of you have dated?” He looked at us curiously. “Is one of you gay?”

“Dad!” Clementine exclaimed and Mrs. O’Hara rolled her eyes.

“Come on, Hank.” She grabbed her husband’s arm. “Let’s go and see Jake and the others, while momma finishes cooking.”

“What did I say?” He laughed as they walked out of the kitchen.

“Dad is too much.” Clementine shook her head and spoke to Nanna. “I hope he doesn’t say anything crazy to Elliott.” She bit her lower lip. “In fact, I think I better go outside and make sure he doesn’t ask when he’s going to propose or something crazy.” She hurried out of the kitchen and I watched her go, before looking at Nanna.

“What?” I frowned as I realized she’d been staring at me.

“I don’t normally like to get involved in other people’s business.” She stepped towards me and looked up into my eyes with a serious expression.

“What do you mean?” I stared back at her with a puzzled expression. What was going on here?

“You and Clementine have been best friends for a long time.” She said softly and handed me a plate of brownies.

“I thought we had to wait ‘til later to have a brownie?” I smiled at her as I grabbed one off of the plate.

“I’m going to let you have one now.” She smiled and sat at the table and patted the chair next to her.