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Years of fight or flight response pours adrenaline throughout my bloodstream, making my pulse spike and my sweat glands open. It takes every ounce of self-control I have to breathe through the reaction to conceal it from Carlee. “No.”
“Did Carter tell you about?—”
“Him being sick?” I finish for her. “Yeah, he did.”
She bites her lip. “And?”
“And what?”
“And you don’t want to talk to him?”
“No, I don’t. And before you go feeling sorry for him, I’d like you to remember how shitty he was to me when I was a kid.” Carlee doesn’t know all the details. No one does. But she knows enough to make me question why she’d bring this subject up in the first place.
“Okay.” She looks at the dishes spread around the blanket and picks up a grape, rolling the fruit between her fingers beforeeating it, staring at the flowers on the nearest rose bush, lost in thought.
I wait for her to say something else. She doesn’t.
“That’s it?”
She looks back at me. “What?”
“You’re not going to pressure me to see my dad?” My tone is curt and defensive, but I can’t help it. “You’re not going to guilt me into reaching out?”
“Of course, not. I’m on your side, Corey. I just… I didn’t know if Carter told you about what our mom told us. I didn’t want you tonotknow.”
Some of the tension leaves my body at her explanation. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry if it felt like I was pushing something on you. That wasn’t my intention.”
I look into her sincere gaze and say, “I know. Thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome.” She goes back to admiring the beauty around us. “I still can’t believe you’ve been hanging on to this date idea for so many years.”
I appreciate her for changing the subject. “I knew it was your favorite place. It seemed like a no-brainer for a first date.”
“But our first date was in Florida,” she reminds me.
“I guess I need to make this date memorable for a different reason.” I push off the ground and stand.
She tilts her head back, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looks up at me. “What do you mean?”
Rather than answer, I drop to one knee.
Her eyes fly wide open, and she scrambles back, tripping as she gets to her feet. “Corey, what in the world?—”
“I should’ve asked you this years ago, Carlee Jones,” I reach forward and grab her hand, pulling her towards me. “But better late than never.”
She gapes at me like a fish out of water, gasping for breath.
I caress my thumb over the back of her hand. “Will you make me the happiest man in the world and…” I pause for dramatic effect, “agree to officially be my girlfriend?”
I’m only slightly insulted by the utter relief flooding her expression. It’s quickly replaced with indignation. “You’re awful!” Carlee declares, shoving my shoulder with her other hand, using enough force to knock me off balance.
I fall on my butt laughing. Still holding her hand, Carle tumbles forward with me. I rotate my torso and spread my legs so she falls right into my chest. I take in her rosy cheeks and how her chest rises and falls with rapid breaths, and I laugh harder.
“You’re such an ass!” She pushes against my chest, but I wrap an arm around her back to keep her in place.
I tsk. “Language, Carlee.”
