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17 years old

The stars shine brightly among the backdrop of the dark sky. The pop and crackle of the fire twirl, dancing to the tune of the constant chirping of crickets. Warm arms wrap around me from behind, for the first time, but I feel as though they’ve always meant to hold me.

“Why did you wait so long to ask me out, Heath?”

For as long as I can remember, Heath’s been in my life. First as a classmate, the boy who used to throw bugs at me, then as the boy who used to tease me incessantly. My longtime friend, the one person I’ve always been able to count on. Somewhere along the way, we became more. We became friends.

I feel the vibration of his chest as he laughs. With a sweep of his nose, he moves my hair out of the way and places a gentle kiss on my temple.

“Truth?” he murmurs.

“Yes. Truth. Always the truth.”

“All right. For one, there was no way I was asking my mom to drive us on our first date. I wanted it to be special. And two… I was afraid.”

“Well, I have no clue why you were afraid, but I have to confess. I’m not sure there will ever be a better first date.”

I didn’t know what to expect when he’d shown up to my house, out of the blue and unannounced a few hours prior. The last I heard, he was taking his driving test after school. I was shocked when he knocked on my front door, asking if I’d like to go for a ride in his father’s truck. It wasn’t until I was buckled that he asked me out. “Good,” he’d replied when I answered yes. “Because I already have our date all planned out.”

When we pulled through his family’s property, I knew exactly where we were going. Out in the back pasture is my favorite place to be. I love relaxing on the blanket covered hay bales they always have scattered around the area. I love this piece of land that was nestled against the green of the foothills. So different from the city where I live.

“I’m kinda hoping this might be your last first date, Whit,” he confesses.

I turn in his arms. “What are you after, Mr. James?” I tap the tip of his nose with my finger.

When he looks at me, his eyes convey everything I know he wants to tell me. Biting his lip, he leans in a little closer to me before he whispers, “Your heart, babe. Always your heart.”

Before I can respond, I feel the softness of his lips against mine. The butterflies of my stomach start to fly as my heart begins to race, and his hands grab at my waist, bringing me with him as he lies back in the grass of the field. As soon as I feel his back hit the ground, I pull my lips from his. My long hair falls over our faces, shielding us from the outside world.

“Are you serious?” I question him.

“I’ve always been serious about you, Whit. From the moment I first saw you when we were kids, I knew I’d always be serious about you. When I see you, I see my future. I always have and I always will.”