“A dealbreaker for me is lack of trust in any relationship. If I can’t trust you, then you’re not the one for me.” I gulp, my heart thudding hard against my ribcage as memories of my previous relationships pound against my head.
“Then I’ll be sure to have our trust be as tough as titanium, there’s no breaking that,” He says in a matter-of-fact tone as if it’s just that simple.
I want to laugh at the naivety of his response, trust is something people build and break constantly. If he thinks that I’ll freely give it to him, he has another thing coming.
“Sure, you will.” I roll my eyes.
“I will! Ye of little faith, I am going to have you trusting me so hard, you won’t know what hit you, Princess.” Blake’s face is triumphant as if he’s already won as he takes a sugar cookie into his mouth.
Derek, the DILF of the team (Jace’s words, not mine but I do agree) is also a culinary arts major. He made us the best lunches of chicken parmesan, fruit, and sugar cookies for today’s makeshift “picnic”/project day.
“Okay! It’s my turn, Lover Boy!” I exclaim as our fourth timer for our session goes off.
We usually do ten-minute intervals between questions before swapping the camera to let each person get an even amount of screen time. It was Blake’s idea to do so and probably our smartest one regarding this project.
Skimming over our list of questions, I chuckle at the realization that Blake’s previous one wasn’t one of our regulated questions.This boy, I swear.I smile as my eyes land on one question in particular.
“What’s something that makes you feel overwhelmed?” I frown at the question before looking up at Blake who ponders. The questions that we have to answer for the project are invasive and much worse than the ones we created, and this is an example of one. I knew that the object of the project was to document our lives and to get to know our partner and the camera on a deeper level.But shit,this was adifferentlevel.
“I get overwhelmed by a lot of things, I’m not going to lie.” He chuckles, running a hand over his face before sending me the most beautiful grin I’ve ever seen. I covertly clench my thighs at the sight of him as he continues. “I may not seem like it because I’m such an awesome guy with an impeccable personality but I find a few things overwhelming. Crowded rooms where I know little to any people, public speaking—don’t tell the guys but I hate giving out speeches in the locker room, it makes me itch.” He fiddles with the baby blue bow tied across my bag’s handle.
I watch Blake through the lens of the camera in a newer light as his cockiness fades and is replaced by nervousness. He continues speaking and I pray to God that I got everything on camera because the only thing that I can focus on is the softness of his features under the warm autumn sun and the way that when he carefully looks over at me, my heart beats two times too fast.
I am screwed.
So freaking screwed.
When Blake excuses himself to throw away our snacks and plastic utensils, I immediately pull out my phone and shoot an SOS text to Margarita Central.
My phone buzzes four times in my hand as I watch him come back, smiling broadly.
“Ready?” he asks, holding out a hand for me to grab, the gesture curating a pool in my panties as I grab a hold of it.
“Of course,” I breathe out, grabbing his firm hand before helping him clean up our makeshift picnic area.
Blake and I ride back to my apartment listening to Twisted Vipers, singing along to their songs together. He sings the songs like we’re in a rom-com, using his fist as a mic. The action makes me swoon as the music shifts to One Direction, I chuckle as Blake sings You & I to me obnoxiously loud. I pretend to ignore his singing until the opening chords of Night Changes plays.
My mouth drops as I gasp, “This is my song!”
“You got this, Princess, give it your all!” Blake shouts, holding his fist up to my mouth. I smile at the action and immediately break out into song, using the “mic”.
We laugh and sing the entire ride to my place and it’s only when More Life by Astra begins playing that I realize we’ve been driving in circles for the past fifteen minutes. My heart spins but I don’t point it out to Blake as he makes yet another right turn, I never want this moment to end so I don’t do anything to interrupt it.
thirty-two
Cleo
When I enter thehouse, the girls are all waiting for me in the living room, each holding looks of smugness and muddled excitement as I mosey into the shared space. I only get four steps into the living room when I’m ambushed with questions.
“What happened?!”
“Were y’all on a date?!”
“Why did you drive around the block fifteen times?” Georgia asks lastly and it’s her question that has my eyebrows shooting to my hairline.
Fifteen times?!
I thought it’d been only two, maybe three…
