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My stomach rumbles; a warning to how late it is. The sky darkens as dusk moves in.
“Are you ready for dinner?” Austin asks.
“Yes,” I say, sighing with relief. “I’m starving.”
I wonder which restaurant Austin has planned. Or maybe he’s going to let me choose. Austin starts walking back toward the car. I follow closely, pulling my phone out and holding it up, for a flashlight. I was a little disappointed when Austin first pulled up to this park. Now I’m sad to leave. This date has made me feel carefree, like a little kid again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I’m busy staring at the ground, following my light and trying not to trip, when Austin stops suddenly. My nose bumps into his back. “Ouch.” We both laugh. I look up and notice we’re back at the car. I walk over to the passenger door, but Austin doesn’t unlock it. He opens the trunk and pulls out a large, blue blanket with the periodic table of elements on it.
“Here, do you mind carrying this?” he asks, holding it out.
I move around the car to his trunk and take the blanket. My stomach growls again. Are we seriously doing something else before we go to the restaurant?
Then he leans down and heaves a large, red cooler out of the trunk. He plops it on the ground with athump. After shutting his trunk, Austin pulls a handle out of the cooler and begins pulling it across the gravel. That’s when I realize the cooler has wheels.
I follow Austin past the playground into an open field that was once used for soccer. He takes the blanket from me and spreads it over the thick weeds. “Have a seat, my lady,” he says.
I sit down slowly. I can feel the tall grass crushing beneath the blanket. A light breeze blows through, forming goosebumps on my arms. With the sun gone, the temperature has dropped. A chill runs across my bare midriff. Maybe this was not the best choice in shirts. I shiver in the breeze.
“Here,” Austin pulls a jacket from his backpack and hands it to me. I slide my arms in and can immediately smell Austin on it. It’s a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. I pull it closer around me.
“What exactly are we doing?” I ask, looking around.
Austin kneels down beside me and lifts the cooler’s lid. He pulls out two plastic goblets and a bottle of sparkling applecider. “Isn’t it obvious?” he asks. “We’re having a picnic in the moonlight.”
Any chill I felt a moment before is replaced with a sudden warmth. I never thought of Austin as very romantic before, but a picnic in the moonlight is definitely the most romantic thing I’ve ever experienced.
Austin opens the bottle of cider and fills both goblets with the bubbly drink. He then begins pulling sandwiches, chips, veggies, hummus, cookies, and fruit from the cooler. “Dig in,” he says.
I take a picture of the spread, to commemorate this romantic moment together.
Austin smirks.
“What?” I ask, putting the phone away again.
“Is that weird for you?” he asks.
“Extremely!” I say. “But I feel this weird sense of responsibility to all these people who genuinely seem to care who my date is for the prom.”
Austin shakes his head, laughing. “I never thought you’d turn into an influencer.”
I stick my tongue out. “Gag me. I am not an influencer. As soon as this competition is over, I may never get on social media again. I can go back to my life, and all these randos can go back to theirs.”
“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way,” Austin says.
I smile and nod. “Henry David Thoreau.”
“Exactly,” Austin says.
“You can choose what your future holds, Emma. But you can never go back to what your life was before all this. You’ve come too far.”
I smile. Austin hands me a paper plate, which I fill in no time. We talk and eat and I realize I feel way more comfortable here than I would have at any restaurant.
After our bellies are full, I lay back on the blanket and look up at the night sky. While we were eating, the grey shifted into black and the stars came out of hiding. Now they twinkle down on us, crowning the round, bright moon. Austin lays down beside me so our arms are touching. I become distracted by his warm body pressed up against mine. His fingers inch closer until our hands are locked together. I lift my head and rest it on Austin’s chest. His breath catches and I can feel his heart racing beneath my cheek. I’m sure mine is pounding just as fast. Austin wraps his other arm around me until his fingertips touch the bare skin around my middle. His gentle touch melts into my skin, sending heat waves coursing through my body.
I try and notice the beautiful stars, but my mind is preoccupied with the boy beside me. I’m comfortable with Austin. He makes me feel good. But can he really move out of the friend zone? When I focus too long on our touching hands, it almost makes me laugh. This is Austin. My Austin. My best friend from childhood. Then I think about calling him mine and I can’t help but smile. My heart flutters. But my heart also flutters for Jaron, and even a little for Ethan. My head is spinning and I’m forced to close my eyes. Am I doing the wrong thing? Is holding Austin’s hand and cuddling with him giving him the wrong idea? I stiffen.
