Page 40 of Who The Hell Are You?

The first stop on our way into town is the pumpkin patch, expertly found by our weekend planner; Teddy. He actually has an itinerary, with food place recommendations, added activities and sights to see. Miles really wants to see the Abbey and Harris wants to take pictures, but first–pumpkins.

We all fit in both mine and Harris’s cars, so after navigating the bumpy grass makeshift car park, we ambled out and pay admission into the pumpkin festival. Yep, a full festival. Not only is there a patch stretching for what feels like miles, but vendors with food, drink, kid activities and shopping stalls.

We all naturally separate, picking food trucks to wait at and we both opt for breakfast burritos. We grab two pumpkin spiced lattes too, wolfing down our food as we walk towards the patch. Miles bounces like a tall eager puppy, taking a long breath after he finishes his burrito before telling me exactly what pumpkins were going to pick.

“So the most fucked up the better?” I ask, clarifying we’re after the weirdest looking ones.

“Oh yeah, the weirder the better. Truly hideous so we can make the faces weird and distorted.” He smirks.

“This may be the weirdest date activity I've ever done, you know? I love it.”

“What things would you normally do?” His tone is a little flat, meaning it's my turn to smirk and I knock his shoulder with mine, leaving it there to brush him as we reach the patch.

“I cannot reveal my tricks now can I?”

He swats at me. “I am no basic woman Cassie, wining and dining does not guarantee the opening of one's legs.”

As always he fucking wins and I nearly spit out my coffee, infact—I think he purposely waited till I took a sip to say that. “No?” I bat at my own chest to unlodge the frog in there. “But finding a disfigured pumpkin to carve does?”

He lowers his head so he's leaning into my face, before he brushes a curl away from my ear and the motion makes all the hairs stand up on my body. “Oh yeah, you'll have me on my knees sucking you like a fucking slut for a disfigured pumpkin.”

Yep, I'm dead. This man is going to ruin me, in the best possible way.

We scour the patch for the funkiest of ugly pumpkins, passing Harris helping Micah tackle a giant one into his wheelbarrow. Emery comes up behind them both with his arms full of tiny ones, grumpier than normal. He watches the entire encounter unhappily, before hip checking Harris and tossing some of the pumpkins into his arms. They leave Micah to fiddle with the wheel barrow, but before he can struggle Miles jumps over some of the loose vines and grabs the handles.

“Thanks Miles, I was struggling to lift it.” Micah blushes, chewing at his lip as he looks around the patch.

“I got you bud, don’t worry about it. We’re looking for weird pumpkins.”

Teddy passes us, holding his own perfect orange squash. “Ugh, do you have to?”

“Yeah, the more fucked up the better.” Miles and I say at the same time, facing each other as we crack up. He lets out a giant belly laugh, before sucking in a large breath and pointing into the distance.

“There! Cassie, look at that mother-fucker, it’s hideous!”

Now I’m laughing from the depths of my chest, allowing him to take my hand and drag me across the patch to a section of weirdly shaped, long pumpkins that kind of curve to the side. Letting go of my hand, Miles drops to his knees right there in the dirt, cackling like a mad doctor as he selects his prize.

“C’mon Baby, support me in my madness.”

Shaking my head, I drop down to my knees too, meeting his eyes that sparkle like the tropical sea when it meets rays of sunshine. As I dust dirt off a pumpkin that kind of resembles a pear with a squished flat top, I honestly believe I’d support this man's madness, purely to be blessed with him looking at me like this again. Even if it's for just a moment. The way his smile brightens when he looks at me, it sets fireworks alight inside me. His eyes crinkle, a rogue blonde wave falling over one eye. He’s gorgeous; in his element, cradling a misshapen winter squash like it’s a baby. Our baby.

We all hit the farm shop before we leave, meaning I’m tactfully piling bottles of seasonal ales, sweet treats and pumpkins into my car boot. It will all keep in there because the day isn’t getting any warmer, so we head straight to the coastal town center and park up close to the cobble streets. On the way Harris phones me from the other car and over the speaker, he’s keen to get up to the Abbey to take more pictures. I can hear Em complaining in the background, which is unusual but no one else in the car pipes up. We spend the early afternoon exploring shops, walking up the steps to the Abbey as an eerie layer of mist floats around the stone structure and we all pose for a photograph Teddy takes on his phone.

Pulling me close, Miles takes one of the two of us, snapping another as he licks the side of my jaw and my cheeks turn a vibrant shade of pink. He laughs and apologises, but not before I shove my face into his neck and start to lick, causing him to squeal. Not backing down he digs his fingers into my hips and I fucking giggle, which causes my friends to bark with laughter. To make the final move, I grab both his cheeks and seal his lips to mine, receiving his tongue that I match stroke for stroke.

“Disgusting! Get a room.” Teddy teases, and we break apart, completely unphased.

Micah giggles, playing with the hem of the long coat he’s still wearing that clearly isn’t his. “I think it’s cute.”

Em rolls his eyes, before turning to head over to where Harris is getting a low angle photograph of the Abbey.

We head back down and find a pub for dinner, to which I automatically slide Miles onto my thigh so that we can all get around one table. He squirms and reminds me often that he’s not light, but I just wrap my arm around his waist and rest my head on his shoulder. He manages to escape me to eat our fish and chips, but then before I can pout he’s already moving back onto my lap to engross himself in a conversation with Harris about the farm. Miles never gets bored of hearing about his family business and it’s the one topic my best friend could talk about for days on end.

We watch the waves. I talk everyone out of going on a pirate boat and then on the way back to the car we weave through an independent indoor market. I get separated briefly from everyone and find myself lost in an antique shop, impressed by the collections of taxidermy and animal skulls. There are cases of pinned butterflies and other creatures, but two magpie skulls interest me on a plaque, so I ask the woman behind the counter to pull it down, telling myself it’s a random purchase, but I’m kidding myself to think it’s not another gift for Miles. I can’t help myself, it’s like he’s unlocked a part of my brain that is highly satisfied when he accepts my gifts. He preens; melts a little each time I’ve given him a plushie or even a coffee.

Taking my card out my wallet, something glints in the case underneath the counter and catches my eye. Lowering my head, I see a silver ring, with black stones embedded in the shape of stars.

Running my index finger over the glass, I tap down and ask the women for the price of the ring. It’s really reasonable and she tells me it’s an antique piece, made of a rare, deep black gemstone found on the North Yorkshire coast. It could be bullshit, but I choose to believe it's precious. I bought the ring. Maybe Mum will like it, or I’ll keep it as the perfect gift for someone at Christmas, or their birthday.