When it finally does, I’m blinded by the sight of her.
Her long hair is pulled back away from her face in the front, long strands disappearing behind her shoulders down her back. I’m struck dumb by her blue eyes as they take me in. Her makeup seems heavier than usual, her pouty lips painted a deep red, and all I can think about is what they taste like. She’s wearing blue skintight jeans with holes in the knees, showing off every inch and curve of her legs, with a red top to match her lips and a leather jacket thrown over top.
The groan that rises up in the back of my throat threatens to spill over as I stare at her, at a loss for words.
What does someone say when faced with their biggest fantasy, only to realize it’s becoming their greatest weakness?
“For you,” I say, thrusting the pink flowers at her awkwardly. The brightest smile lights up her face.
Fuck me.If that isn’t the best thing I’ve seen in my eighteen years on Earth. This girl, smiling at me as if I just gave her the greatest gift she’s ever received.
“Oh Kane, they’re beautiful,” she gasps, grabbing them from me and pulling my hand to drag me inside after her. My hand burns where she touches me, and I find myself never wanting to let go of this girl. I wrap my fingers through hers and let her take me wherever she wants to go.
I could be walking straight to my death, but as long as she’s still holding my hand, I would go with a smile on my face.
I take in the interior of the house as we walk. The place is spotless. The furniture almost looks untouched—the couch and two twin chairs with perfectly plumped pillows,and the stark white rug suggesting that not many people sit here every day. She takes me into an equally spotless kitchen, the counters gleaming and all the stainless-steel appliances free from a single fingerprint. She reaches up high in a cabinet above the refrigerator, and I move behind her until her back is a breath away from my front. The heat of her sets me ablaze from my head to my toes.
I reach above her and grab a spare vase, her heavy breaths mingling with mine. The proximity seems to affect her just as much as me. I take a step back, lowering the vase to the counter as I watch her turn around. A pretty pink tint is evident on her cheeks, the flush rising up her neck as she looks at me with a soft smile on her face.
“Thank you. Just let me put these in there and then we can go. I’d hate for them to wilt too soon,” she remarks bashfully.
“I’ll just buy you more if they do,” I reply with an air of nonchalance. If this girl wants flowers, I’ll make sure she never goes without.
The blush in her cheeks brightens. I stare at her, unable to put together words to describe how Avery makes me feel. I may barely know her, but I can already tell that she’s the kind of girl you do anything to keep right next to you.
Avery arranges the flowers in the vase after trimming the stems, discarding the extra leaves and wrapping in the trash—which is also empty. The house feels as if a model showroom was bought sight-unseen and they just moved in. Every room I have seen so far is decorated so precisely.
She turns to me. “All right, I’m ready. Where are we going?”
“Do you need to say bye to your parents?” I ask, curious that I haven’t seen or heard another soul since we walked in. The stillness of the house almost has an eerie quality to it.
“No, they’re gone,” she waves me off nonchalantly, turning away from me to grab her purse, ducking her head a bit so I can’t see her face well. I want to ask more, but I’m ready to get this date going. I reach out to take her hand again, my heart soaring as she grabs it with enthusiasm and I hustle her out of the house.
I wait for her to lock up then walk her back down the walkway and open the car door for her, helping her inside before closing it. A grin stretches across my face at the thought of the next couple hours alone with her, her citrus scent drowning me.
I make my way around to my side with a pep in my step and get inside. The silence is comforting as I start the car and hand her my phone.
“Music?” I ask her, as she grabs the phone from me and holds it delicately in hers.
She looks at my phone as if I asked her to name all the United States presidents.
“What’s that look for?”
“You’re giving me your phone? What if I go through it?” she asks, wringing her fingers together in her lap. The question is laughable, considering there isn’t a thing I can think of that I wouldn’t let this girl do.
I shrug. “Have at it, the password is zero-eight-one-nine.”
A jolt rushes through me at the thought that she may know what those numbers mean.
The day I first saw her.
“I’m not talking to anyone else, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I reassure her as she scrolls through the playlist I had queued up.
“It’s okay if you are. I mean, we haven’t really even hung out before.” She tucks a lock of her long brown hair thatescaped her clips behind her ear. I track the movement, wishing I could reach out and feel those strands between my fingers.
“No, I mean when I asked you out, I was hoping for exclusivity. I know we just met, but I know that I like you and I want to see where this goes,” I remark lightly, speaking nothing but the truth, no matter how ridiculous I sound.
If I only have one shot, I would rather lay it all out there now.
