“Do over.” I nod.
Blake reaches into his backseat, shirt rolling up a bit as he pulls out the camcorder for our project, turning in my direction with a small smile, pressing record.
“Hi Cleo.” He smiles, covering his right eye with the camera.
“Hi Blake.” I chuckle, turning to fully face him from the passenger seat.
“Where do you feel the safest?” he asks me, his voice a mixture of softness and calming energy as I sigh.
“In what way?”
“I mean where do you feel the most secure and content that no matter what, as soon as you enter this place, it’s like a weight is lifted from your shoulders.”
I’m taken aback for a moment as my mind drifts over the endless places and possibilities that I can say but there are only two places that stick out the most to me.
“The beach and the bookstore.” I shrug.
“Really? I think mine is my childhood bedroom, lol.” He chuckles but then fully laughs, doubling over with the camera still recording.
I choke out my own laughter, belly tightening from the action.
“I know you didn’t just say ‘lol’ in real-time.” I gasp for air as Blake turns off the camera placing it in his backseat. He gives me a small look that I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t already been looking at him. My stomach does a small flip, startling me for a second.
How am I supposed to do this whole friendship thing whenthisis how my body reacts to him?
We fall into a comfortable silence as soft R&B plays on the radio and it gives me just a second to truly think.
I know that I like Blake, but I also know that liking a guylikeBlake as much and as quickly as I do can be dangerous to not only my grades but my mental health as well. What if he ends up just like Marcelo? What if he’s just another asshole hockey—
“Again, I’m sorry about last week, Cleo.” His abrupt words interrupt my train of thought. Blake gives me a small, crooked smile before running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never done this whole relationship thing before, and I meant for what I said to you to be a joke, but then I realized just how shitty it was as soon as you twisted your nose at me.” He sighs.
Twisted my nose?I do no such—
“You twist your nose when you’re annoyed, you do a little scrunch thing with it, too.” He chuckles, reading my mind before continuing. “I would like to date you Cleo and show you that I’m not the guy that you think I am.”
“I… I don’t date,” I stutter, and mentally curse myself for doing so.
I’m unsure if Blake is joking or being serious when he says he wants to date me, and it makes my head ache at the thought of him just playing games with my heart.
“We can take things slow, build a friendship before—”
“I would like to date you, Blake, but I can’t. My dad and I created a plan for my first semester, and boys weren’t a part of it. He doesn’t want me to date anyone.” I shrug playing with the hem of my shirt. How crazy is it that me, a 20-year-old woman, can't be in a relationship because “Daddy said no”? He probably thinks I’m a child now.
“We’ll worry about him when the time comes but, for now, how about we go on our first official date? You can call it a hangout but for me, it’ll be a date.”
I think my heart just melted into a puddle, I quickly slide my mask of indifference back into place because if he knew just how much his words affected me, we’d be in the backseat of this car right now.
“I don’t do relationships, Wilder,” I say, feigning nonchalance.
“That’s okay, Princess. I’ll wait.”
“What’s a dealbreaker for you in a relationship?” Blake asks me, holding up our project’s camcorder to his eye, smiling from behind it.
I let out a small chuckle of laughter at the man as he smiles deviously. “Was that question for the project or for you, Lover Boy?” I ask, smiling a little toying with the hem of my baby blue sweater.
Today, Blake and I are at a park to film for our project. We’re sat on a Spiderman blanket, facing the small man-made lake in Summerfield Park. Themid-October air is warmer than usual but still slightly chilly hence my outfit of a sweater and jeans instead of my usual skirts.
Blake’s smile is devastating and full of mischief as he gives me a playful shrug.
