1It was a blistering hot day down in Georgia. Beads of sweat rolled down
Caleb's face as he entered the fresh, air-conditioned house. He let out a sigh of relief and rounded the corner to his bedroom, at that moment only wanting to flop down and take a nap. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her standing there on his bed, her delicate hands fingering a picture near and dear to his heart.
Caleb was by every meaning of the word country. He was a Georgia born and raised redneck. He was fair skinned with medium brown hair cut into a hight and tight, his eyes were a brilliant steel blue, and he had fair skin covered in tiny freckles. He wore a "Duck Commander" cap with a silver hook on the bill down to a flannel shirt that was red and black. He wore faded jeans with a "U.S. Marines" belt with a camo belt buckle with a silver deer in its center, his work boots were old and stained with fresh mud from the days work.
The girl fingering the picture was Rae. Rae wasn't from around there- she was a northern girl, and her Scandinavian traits were evident in her pale blue eyes and her wispy brown hair. She was a bit taller than Caleb was, and she had on a navy blue hoodie. Her jeans had holes in them, and her sneakers dragged across the floor as she subconsciously swung her legs back and forth as she looked at the picture.
Caleb pushed his hat back on his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "What'cha doin?" he asked with his adorable Georgia drawl.
Rae looked up, a blush fluttering slowly across her face.
"O-oh! Hey Caleb! I- I was just waiting for you to get back in so I could ask you... Something, but then I saw this picture of us back when we were little kids and met for the first time..." she stuttered.
He smiled and sat down next to her, his eyes gleaming with the memory.
"I remember this!" he drawled, "You said there was somethin' you wanted ta ask me?" he asked.
Her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest.
"I- l... I-" she stammered out. Her voice grew quiet, and she just couldn't choke out the words.
Caleb's hand went to her shoulder. His face grew confused and concerned.
"Rae? You okay?" He asked worriedly. She shook her head. Tears began to spill down her face and fell into her lap.
"Why can't I just say that I like you?" she whispered under her breath, too quiet for Caleb to hear.
"Hey what's wrong?" He asked as he pulled her into a hug. "Anythin' I can do?"
"There's... This guy. I really like him, but if I told him I-it would ruin everything!" She whimpered. She clenched her fist but then released it, angry at herself for not being able to tell him the truth.
"Who's the guy?" Caleb asked with a sweet caring tone as he rubbed her back.
His fingers running down her back almost wanted her to scream at him how much she liked him.
"If I told you, it would ruin everything.." She whispered.
His eyes suddenly flashed with realization. He could barely get his lips to form words as he uttered her name shakily.
"R-Rae..."
She didn't meet his gaze. Her chest tightened and she wanted to run out of the room as fast as possible.
"Rae, there's somthin I've been meanin to tell you too..." he drawled as he turned her to look at him.
Rae blushed underneath his steely gaze and braced herself for his rejection.
He smiled and said these heartfelt words:
"Rae, I...I...I like you...really like you."
He looked away in shame. Caleb's gaze dropped to the ground, not wanting to see her reaction.
Rae's mouth dropped open in astonishment. She turned his head towards her, and tears of happiness welled up in her eyes.
"R-really?" She whispered.
"Really..." He said as he looked into her eyes, her beautiful eyes. Without a word he picked up his cowboy hat and placed it in front of them, hiding the moment from the rest of the world as he planted a soft kiss onto her lips.