hair and crossed it over the top of my head like a headband. My curls were shiny and my skin glowed. I wasn’t wearing the heavy make-up I had been wearing the night we had gone to the bar; this was more natural and I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.
I didn’t just look like a pretty little high school girl; I looked like a beautiful young woman.
“Well? Do you like it?” She asked, nudging me in the ribs with her elbow, meeting my gaze in the mirror. I smiled genuinely at her and leaned my head on her shoulder.
“I love it. I’m just surprised.” She gave me an odd look.
“Surprised by what? You know your beautiful, Hon. You finally look your age, not like some nine-year-old girl running around in boy’s jeans and tent sized t-shirts.”
I laughed and nodded, looking down at the floor and taking a deep breath.
“You’re nervous about tonight,” Victoria stated suddenly, my eyes shooting back up to hers. I stood up straight and gave her an incredulous look.
“What? I’m not nervous.”
The biggest smile spread across her face as she poked me in the arm.
“Chase Melanie Taylor! We need to work on your poker face! I know EXACTLY what you’re thinking about doing tonight. Can’t say I blame you. I would have twisted the top off Oreo Fillin’ back at the bar, but you know me.”
“VICTORIA! Gah!” I shouted, turning fifteen shades of red and burying my face in my hands. I started to laugh and shake my head in denial as she squeezed my shoulder gently. I sighed as I looked into her perplexed eyes. I know she’s right—At least I have her to talk to if I plan on going through with it.
I expected to see her cheesy grin, but instead she looked at me with a gentle smile.
“I’m just worried that I’ll regret it afterward, you know, because he’s leaving. This is probably the last time I’ll see him—like I’m setting myself up to get hurt in the worst way possible,” I breathed out, unsure of how I found the right words.
Vic nodded and met my gaze in the mirror, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.
“If the moment is right, you’ll know, Chase. You’ll never regret it if you trust yourself.”
I ended up skipping my last two classes because I couldn’t concentrate. I snuck out one of the side doors, hoping I would find his car sitting in the parking lot. Sure enough, there he was leaning against the driver’s side door, facing away from me while I silently watched him. My teeth dug into the flesh of my cheek as I saw him distractedly run a hand through his hair and I broke into a run. As I rounded the front of the mustang, his head turned toward me out of reflex, and then jerked back to look at me again. His eyes opened wide in astonished surprise, and so did his mouth.
“Hi,” I said softly, nervously, as his eyes raked over me.
“Chase,” his voice came out in a low husky tone that summoned those butterflies almost instantly, “Wow, you, uh. Hmmph, you look incredible.”
Biting my lip to hide my smile at his little word fumble, I walked over to him.
“Thank you, you look handsome,” I said, tugging playfully at the front of his leather jacket, his eyes still watching every move I made. I could feel the blush rising underneath my skin, the way he was looking at me was very similar to that night in my bedroom and our date in the park. I cleared my throat, drawing his eyes up to mine. He licked his lips so slowly that I swear I felt my knees buckle. He bit down on his bottom lip and let out an amused laugh,
“Sorry, I just can’t take my eyes off you. You look unbelievable, Chase. Come on. I have a surprise for you.” He took the book bag from my shoulder and threw it into the back seat. Before my brain could even formulate a response, we were holding hands and speeding away from school.
About thirty minutes outside of my small town was another pint-sized city that I had never been to before. When we pulled into a gravel parking lot, and
I didn’t just look like a pretty little high school girl; I looked like a beautiful young woman.
“Well? Do you like it?” She asked, nudging me in the ribs with her elbow, meeting my gaze in the mirror. I smiled genuinely at her and leaned my head on her shoulder.
“I love it. I’m just surprised.” She gave me an odd look.
“Surprised by what? You know your beautiful, Hon. You finally look your age, not like some nine-year-old girl running around in boy’s jeans and tent sized t-shirts.”
I laughed and nodded, looking down at the floor and taking a deep breath.
“You’re nervous about tonight,” Victoria stated suddenly, my eyes shooting back up to hers. I stood up straight and gave her an incredulous look.
“What? I’m not nervous.”
The biggest smile spread across her face as she poked me in the arm.
“Chase Melanie Taylor! We need to work on your poker face! I know EXACTLY what you’re thinking about doing tonight. Can’t say I blame you. I would have twisted the top off Oreo Fillin’ back at the bar, but you know me.”
“VICTORIA! Gah!” I shouted, turning fifteen shades of red and burying my face in my hands. I started to laugh and shake my head in denial as she squeezed my shoulder gently. I sighed as I looked into her perplexed eyes. I know she’s right—At least I have her to talk to if I plan on going through with it.
I expected to see her cheesy grin, but instead she looked at me with a gentle smile.
“I’m just worried that I’ll regret it afterward, you know, because he’s leaving. This is probably the last time I’ll see him—like I’m setting myself up to get hurt in the worst way possible,” I breathed out, unsure of how I found the right words.
Vic nodded and met my gaze in the mirror, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.
“If the moment is right, you’ll know, Chase. You’ll never regret it if you trust yourself.”
I ended up skipping my last two classes because I couldn’t concentrate. I snuck out one of the side doors, hoping I would find his car sitting in the parking lot. Sure enough, there he was leaning against the driver’s side door, facing away from me while I silently watched him. My teeth dug into the flesh of my cheek as I saw him distractedly run a hand through his hair and I broke into a run. As I rounded the front of the mustang, his head turned toward me out of reflex, and then jerked back to look at me again. His eyes opened wide in astonished surprise, and so did his mouth.
“Hi,” I said softly, nervously, as his eyes raked over me.
“Chase,” his voice came out in a low husky tone that summoned those butterflies almost instantly, “Wow, you, uh. Hmmph, you look incredible.”
Biting my lip to hide my smile at his little word fumble, I walked over to him.
“Thank you, you look handsome,” I said, tugging playfully at the front of his leather jacket, his eyes still watching every move I made. I could feel the blush rising underneath my skin, the way he was looking at me was very similar to that night in my bedroom and our date in the park. I cleared my throat, drawing his eyes up to mine. He licked his lips so slowly that I swear I felt my knees buckle. He bit down on his bottom lip and let out an amused laugh,
“Sorry, I just can’t take my eyes off you. You look unbelievable, Chase. Come on. I have a surprise for you.” He took the book bag from my shoulder and threw it into the back seat. Before my brain could even formulate a response, we were holding hands and speeding away from school.
About thirty minutes outside of my small town was another pint-sized city that I had never been to before. When we pulled into a gravel parking lot, and
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