Chapter 52

"So this is what you're planning? A hike?" asked Alex breathlessly.

They had been following the trail that Michael had given them and her legs felt like jelly from exhaustion.

Robbie chuckled.

"Do you want me to carry you, sweetheart?" he teased.

Alex narrowed her eyes at him.

"I hate you," she uttered.

Robbie laughed.

"Alex, I thought you're the sporty one. Why are you giving up on a ten mile hike so easily?"

"Well, for starters, I haven't hiked for a long time since we were kids. Second, my total workout was just standing and walking in bars for hours, and it does not even involve high places and rocky roads."

Alex stopped on a large rock by the stream and sat down. Beads of sweat trickled from her forehead as she felt so warm all over for walking too much. She took the water bottle from her small backpack and gulped it down to quench her thirst. Then, she placed it back to her backpack again.

Robbie walked over to her and sat beside her.

"Do you remember this place?"

Alex smiled.

"Yes. I think I only went here once or twice with... Dad. We used to collect rocks here."

There was a hint of pain in her voice as the memory of her father came to her mind.

Her father, before he became an alcoholic, used to enjoy the outdoors. Often she would bring a small tote bag and collect some rocks that she personally picked up by the stream.

That was the last fun memory she had with her father. After her mother passed away, everything went downhill, and she ended up staying more often with Robbie and his family to avoid seeing her father in a sad state.

She endured it for three years until Clarice convinced him to get into the program and be rehabilitated.

"Alex..." Robbie spoke suddenly and she looked at him with sad eyes. He took her hand and kissed it.

She smiled at him. This place had truly been filled with memories, mostly happy ones and yet, the more the memories came to mind, the emotions that had been longed pushed aside, had awakened oneself again.

She did not want to feel those kinds of emotions. The ones that engulfed her and made her wishing it never happened.

She stared at the stream as she remembered her mother used to wash her feet on it, then happily splashed a bit towards her. Her father would laugh so hard and would try to splash the water onto her mother as well. Soon all of them will be playing in the water and come back to the tent wet but happy.

That memory... which she knew would never happen again, made her feel empty so suddenly.

"Hey..." Robbie called her as she felt a tear dropped from her eyes. She did not want to feel sad during this time that she would be spending time alone with Robbie and yet, she could not help herself remembering.

"Why did you bring me here, Robbie?" Alex asked as Robbie cupped her face towards him.

"Because I want you to remember."

"What? To remember the painful memories?"

"No... though I know it would not stop you from remembering, but I was hoping you will also know how special you are."

"What?"

She did not expect that kind of answer from Robbie. She thought he just wanted to take her there so she could reminisce some of the great memories she had of her parents.

"Remember how you collect rocks whenever you come by this stream?" he added.

"Yes."

"Well, I collected some rocks, too, whenever we passed by this stream with the other boys in camp."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I also wrote your name on each one."

Alex laughed. "You wrote my name on each one? How many did you do?"

He let go of her face and opened his bag. Robbie took out a ziploc bag filled with different rocks. Alex widened her eyes in amazement.

"You collected all these? How did you-"

"I did not know I have them till Michael showed me where I hid them."

"You hid them here?"

"Yes... I didn't remember about it. Michael did and led me where we both hid our so-called treasures."

"Sounded like a time capsule."

Robbie laughed.

"Well, I still think it's the right timing."

"So you've had a crush on me since we were kids?" she teased.

"More than you'll ever know, Alex," and his face turned serious as he gazed into her eyes. "I have admired you since I met you."

Alex chuckled nervously.

"But we were just four... how can you tell you liked me back then?"

"You're so adorable whenever you pouted, and I liked it. Plus you're a huge fan of Disney so, what's not to like?"

She chuckled.

"And I have always wanted to kiss you since we were fifteen," and he stared down on her lips as he leaned closer. Suddenly everything stopped as Robbie brushed his finger on her lips. "I'm so obssesed with those lips that inspired my company... and the first time I ever kissed them, it felt like heaven."

She let out a deep sigh. This was all too familiar. The same emotions. The same scenario...

But what would it be this time? Would she let him kiss her now?

She had allowed him over and over but this one felt differently. She knew something was different.

The way he talked... could it be that he was about to confess to her?

Her heart skipped a beat as she anticipated it. Why? She did not know.

All she wanted was to know.. to assure herself that there was a possibility that Robbie belonged to her alone.

Though she knew in herself, her feelings for him was still quite uncertain.

She might love him yet... she still doubted.. or maybe afraid... to fall in love deeper..

"Robbie..." she whispered. "W-Why are you saying these things?"

Robbie smiled.

"Because that's the truth," and he cupped her face once again, continually brushing her lips with his thumb. "I wanted you to know that you have always been special to me."

"I-I know that, Robbie... because I'm your best friend."

Robbie shook his head.

"My feelings for you is beyond that, Alex."

"What are you saying?"

He pressed his lips on hers as she kissed him back, holding his face. Her heart wanted to know more.

She knew she was special to him ever since but she did not know it was more than that.

Far beyond she expected it.

She did not deserve it.

Robbie was one person who deserved to be loved and she had not even considered him... or perhaps she just stopped believing.

Now that he was confessing little bits of what he felt for her, she was eager to hear the words.

To hear him say...

"I love you," he whispered as he let go of her lips and they both gazed into each other's eyes. "I have always loved you, my dear Allison."

Alex did not know how to react. For once she felt so happy that her heart leaped too many times inside her.

"Robbie..." she whispered. "D-Do you really mean it?"

Robbie laughed.

"For a smart woman like you, you seemed kind of dense sometimes," he remarked and Alex pushed him.

"Hey! You're so harsh," she replied. "Besides, I'm not the smart one, you are."

"But you're the sexy one, though."

Alex cheeks flushed.

"How did you ever get so flirty?"

"I mastered it because of you."

She smiled then...

"Robbiee, I wanted to give you an answer but..."

"It's okay. I just thought you needed to know," he said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "As long as I get to kiss you all the time and... maybe let me touch you, it's fine."

"You pervert!" and she smacked his chest. His laughter rang in her ears.

"Well, admit it, Alex. You cannot resist touching me, too."

"Sht!" she cursed as her cheeks turned pink. "You let us sound like friends with benefits."

"It's better than just friends.."

"Such an excuse to be a pervert, does it?" she teased.

Robbie laughed as she laughed along with him.

"Anyway, we better go and finish the trail. We don't want them to start worrying about us, and have some ideas, you know," Robbie said and winked at her.

She rolled her eyes at him as Robbie took her hand.

"Thank you for taking me here, Robbie," Alex told him.

Robbie smiled.

"You're welcome... I was hoping you somehow add this memory to your library full of wonderful ones.. and replace the pain that comes with this place."

Alex sighed.

"I hope so, too," and she smiled. "But somehow, it made a huge deal for me since... I would always remember how pervasive you had become."

Robbie laughed.

"Well it was your fault," he told her as they started walking along the trail again.

"What did I do?" she asked innocently.

"You opened my innocent mind to corrupt things."

She stopped in her tracks in front of the water and placed her hand on her hips.

"Is that so?"

He nodded.

"You're the sex goddess who beckoned me," he replied with a smirk.

"Really?"

"Really."

Alex took a handful of water from the stream and splash it towards Robbie. The latter laughed so loud as the water wet his shirt. She laughed hysterically at him.

"You'll pay for that," and he started splashing water to her as well.

Soon, they both found themselves in the rocky stream, both splashing each other till they got soaked.