Page 62 of We Drank the Dawn

I lifted my hand to his cheek, temp-testing his surprisingly cool face. “How are you feeling? You don’t feel hot.”

“It went away a couple hours ago. I’m just exhausted now.” His brow furrowed. “I’m sorry we couldn’t go tonight. These stupid fevers⁠—”

I laid a finger over his lips. “Don’t.”

Reaching up, he grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine. His palm against my own still caused my heart to flutter like an explosion of butterflies in my chest. He said, “I feel bad though.”

I glanced around the room. “We will have a great time right here.”

“I think we will.”

“What are we doing exactly?”

“Well…” He turned around to the table behind him, suppressing a smile. When he turned back, he held a little white corsage. “Obviously, we are going to eat and dance a little.” He lifted my left hand, stretching the elastic band until the beautiful white flowers and blue ribbons rested over my wrist. “I thought we could watch a movie if I start feeling bad again, and—I want to cross something off your list, actually.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

Instantly, my mind flitted back to the other list items we’d crossed off. Trying to write a respectable bucket list in a single class period was more difficult than I thought it would be. And, in my haste, embarrassing things slipped into the list, like pierce my bellybutton and make out in a janitor’s closet. As well as things that bordered on impossible like step foot on all seven continents and kayak the Big Thompson River. And I put some normal life things on there, too. Like get married and have a baby, Peter took each one in stride, determined to help me experience as many as he could.

In fact, he’d marched down to the school library and asked the librarian to xerox a copy. I died of embarrassment when he stuffed the copy into his backpack and gave me the original with a smirk. But, just like I loved him on the playground for entertaining my wild fantasies about catching the sun, I loved him again for not treating me like the foolish, wide-eyed girl I probably was.

Trying to hide the way my fingers shook, I removed the boutonniere from its box and fumbled with the long straight pin against his lapel. And then his mom swept in, taking a few pictures of us. And before I knew it, we were swaying to the music, laughing our heads off, and dipping huge red strawberries and pretzel sticks in melted chocolate.

The night swirled under a haze of euphoria.

If someone looked at us, they wouldn’t see two teens missing the biggest school event of the fall. They’d see two best friends acting like the night was made for them.

And just when I could hardly contain my happiness, Peter tugged on my hand, leading me out the back door of their house. As we stepped onto the deck, he flipped the flood lights off, plunging the two of us into darkness.

Well, as much darkness as a suburban neighborhood could afford.

Then he led me into the middle of the yard, where the open sky stretched above us.

With my heart in my throat, I wracked my brain, wondering what I’d written on the list that would warrant this. Grabbing both of my hands, he faced me, and my stomach bottomed out with anticipation.

He took a deep breath. “Line fifty-seven said, do something scary in the dark.”

I almost scoffed out a laugh. Could I have written anything more vague? What a ridiculous entry. But I bit down on my lip, eager to hear his interpretation.

He gave a slight laugh. “And maybe I’m just a chicken, but I thought of something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, but I’ve been too scared.”

What did that mean? Was he about to…

His eyes flicked to my mouth.

And just like that, the strength in my knees vanished.

Fighting to stay upright, I held my breath and squeezed his hands as my legs quaked. He tugged me closer and leaned his head toward mine. Strangely breathless, his voice caressed my lips. “If this doesn’t count as scary to you, you don’t have to cross it off. Sound good?”

My eyes settled on his beautiful mouth as his hands slipped around my cheeks, gently lifting my chin, touching me like I was made of glass. As if pulled by a magnet, my eyes fluttered closed even though I desperately wanted to keep them open. Encased in darkness, I leaned my body into his, taking the tiniest sip of air and hoping it was enough to keep me conscious.

Then Peter’s lips touched mine.

He was soft and warm, familiar but brand new. A comfortable sigh and a tense breath rolled together. He was moonbeams yet sunbeams. Floating and grounding. Risky but safe. My heart popped to life in my chest as I tilted my head, meeting him as he moved his lips across mine. One of his hands dropped to my waist and I pressed closer, greedy for any touch I could get.

Ending before it truly began, he drew back.

I peeled my heavy eyelids open to find his beautiful brown irises roaming my face, checking in. His voice was gruff, “What do you say? Does it count, Sunshine Girl?”