Naturally, you just seem to get me

 Lily hated to think it was her fault that Rafe didn't come to IHOP after the Homecoming dance. After all, she was with Boone now. How could Rafe be so immature?

"Stop blaming yourself," Boone shrugged it off. "I have a feeling he didn't see you at all tonight." He cracked a grin and somehow it made her feel worse. Was she not even an afterthought to Rafe anymore?

She winced about the matter but went on to talk with Harley Mercer and Cade too. 

"Something is wrong with him," she said cradling a cup of black coffee. She just didn't know what.

"Maybe he's growing up," Boone looked at her blankly. "You know, he was with Harely's cousin all summer, maybe that's what he needed." He nodded about the matter as he was not thrilled with any of the breakfast food they ordered. She supposed he was a true baker, after all.

Lily's frown was small. She could hardly touch the waffles, cream, and strawberries, either. She boxed it up, hating to waste food. 

"Look, I know you'd like to think..that he's not over you," Boone spoke the truth. "But sometimes, you got a lot of living to do before you can figure it all out."

"Did he say something about me?" She wanted to know.

"No, not really. I just know it was getting a little too much with him, and Kimmy. He wasn't ready for that. Maybe he knew it wasn't what he really wanted," Boone went ahead and said, long after everyone left so abruptly. It was like they didn't want her to know what was going on with Rafe and Maddie. And Lily felt a little left out.

Sure, she knew Boone wasn't in high school and her classmates didn't look at him as they would those they knew daily, but they'd been friendly enough to include them. Only, she wasn't as receptive as she could have been.

"I don't want to talk about him," she said. Although, it kept her awake at night about what had gone so wrong. Would she make the same mistake with Boone? It wasn't like she and Boone had sex every night. Even if it wasn't a full-on relationship like that with Rafe, they had their moments. It was so close to something else and that was all they had when she remembered Rafe.

It felt like an unsettling grief that she knew was not anything like her grandmother had been through. Sometimes, when she thought of Gram it was like thinking of a cat with nine lives. Is this what this was? Looking back on her not-so-great love life? 

First, there was Brick and that was like being another person. Sure, she was a child then and it felt so noble. Like it could have lasted a lifetime, just being in each other's presence. He was truly an unlikely hero. Oh, if only she could have realized how precious those adventures had been. Of course, there were a few she knew back in Chicago that she didn't want to think of. It was not worth mentioning. It was best to leave it unsaid. Maybe Rafe knew, but still, she felt as if he perceived himself as quite the catch. Maybe she was wrong.

As she looked at Boone now, it was amazing she'd come this far. Yes, she felt as if they were on the same page. She could never be mad at him. After all, he was her best friend.