by Amity Hope
“Do you see her very often?”
“No. We’ve gone to Spokane a few times. Mostly for the holidays.” She swirled her straw through her malt, frowning as if flipping through unpleasant memories. “She doesn’t like to come back to Laurel.”
There was an edge to Kylie’s tone that hinted there was a story there. I debated asking her about it but wasn’t sure we were in that kind of place yet. Still, I wanted to ask because I wanted to know everything about her.
Our waitress appeared with our burgers and the moment passed.
…
“Take it,” I said as I held out the kite string to Kylie. I was slightly out of breath from racing up and down the shoreline against the wind, trying to get the thing into the air. After lunch Kylie had spotted a family flying kites off in the distance. She had commented that even though she’d been to the coast countless times, she’d never flown one.
Neither had I.
I thought it might be a fun thing to add to her list. She’d agreed. Who would’ve guessed it was a lot harder than it looked?
“Thank you.” She took the kite from me, smiling as she glanced up at the sky. The red and black ladybug I’d gotten her at a little shop on the boardwalk fluttered in the wind. “I feel bad you did all the work. You should be able to fly it now that it’s in the air.”
“Nah,” I said, “I’m good.” I wanted Kylie to have fun. I didn’t really care about the kite. She laughed when a big gust of wind yanked at the plastic she gripped in her hand, and I knew my mission was accomplished.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking through town. We met up with Allie and Margo for ice cream. After Allie sent their mom a few more pictures, we went our separate ways again.
“Did you have fun today?” I asked Kylie as we walked along the sand. We were set to meet the girls in the parking lot in twenty minutes.
She stopped walking and turned to face me. “I did.”
I glanced at the sky, relieved that today was a clear day. I gave Kylie a nudge. “The sun’s going to be setting soon. I’m guessing that’s why you wanted to come. So you could cross seeing a sunset off your list.”
She flashed a shy smile. “I’ve seen the sunset before.”
I frowned in confusion. “It was on your list, though.”
“No,” she said slowly, “seeing a romantic sunset was on my list.”
Right. That had been her little side note. She considered being with me romantic? I definitely considered that progress. She turned toward the horizon. It was streaked with colors so vibrant they appeared to glow.
“It’s so beautiful,” she murmured.
I slipped my arms around her, pulling her into a backward hug. If she wanted romantic, I was going to do my best to give it to her. She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around mine, sealing us even more tightly together.
I’d seen a lot of sunsets. I knew that once the sun hit the horizon, the descent happened quickly. It was almost hard to grasp how fast that enormous, glowing ball of light appeared to drop once it met the ocean’s edge.
My eyes were on the sun, the salmon, plum, and golden streaks spreading across the sky. But my mind was completely tangled up in Kylie. The citrusy scent of her shampoo, the way she held on to me, the way I loved talking with her.
I had crushed on Kylie from a distance for so long. Standing here with her in my arms, with the waves crashing, the wind blowing, and the sun setting…it almost seemed surreal.
I finally felt like I had a real chance of making her my girl.
After the sun had completely dipped out of view, she twisted around to face me.
“That was so magical,” she declared with a dreamy look on her face. “Today was amazing. All of it. Flying kites, eating on the ocean’s edge, watching the sunset, I can’t imagine how it could’ve been any more perfect.”
Not even if she was with James? The silent question echoed in my brain. With some effort I shoved it aside, refusing to let myself obsess about how flustered she’d been when he’d crashed our lunch the other day.
“Question for you,” I said as my heart rattled around. “Do you think you’re ready to go on a date with me?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You don’t consider today a date?”
I didn’t. Not at all. Even though Allie and Margo were really independent, it still kind of felt like babysitting.
“Was this supposed to be a date?” I wondered out loud.
I was still trying to figure out where Kylie’s head was at. She’d kissed me again the other night, but I wasn’t completely sure she was over James. I sure didn’t want to ask, though I was dying to know. I knew feelings weren’t something you could always control. I was willing to take things slow with Kylie. I wanted to let her warm up to the idea of dating me without any expectations.
I knew her parents added on another layer to her hesitation, but we’d work through that if she gave me the chance.
The way she’d melted into my arms just now as we watched the sunset made me hope that she was finally ready to take the first step.
“No, I guess this really couldn’t be considered a date.” She pointed down the shoreline. I wasn’t shocked to see Allie and Margo heading our way. “If we were on a date, we wouldn’t be chauffeuring those two around.”
“Exactly,” I said. “So what do you think? Are you ready to add ‘going on a first date’ to your list?”
“When you put it that way,” she said with a laugh, “I can’t really say no.”
Chapter Eleven
Kylie
I pulled onto a side street a block away from the school and took a quick peek in the rearview mirror. After deciding my hair and makeup were still acceptable, I leaned back against the seat to keep an eye out for Leo.
He had offered to meet my parents. He said if we were going out, he wanted to do it the right way.
I’d declined, and I wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe because introducing him would’ve jacked up the pressure. I wasn’t ready to deal with my parents. I was busy enough dealing with our well-meaning friends.
Luke had told me I better be good to Leo and that I had better not break his heart. Meg said he was joking, but I wasn’t so sure. What I did know was that I had a hard time grasping the idea that I, Kylie Jenkins, even had the ability to break someone’s heart. The very notion was a foreign concept to me.
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t having fun sneaking around. I knew it was wrong, but it always gave me a little rush. Flying kites and watching the sunset was nice.
But secretly going out of town with a boy?
It made me feel like my life wasn’t so boring after all.
I tried not to think about the fact that I was, in a roundabout way, corrupting my little sister. She was my alibi for tonight, but I’d also turned into hers. I had a sisterly hunch that Margo wasn’t the only person she was hanging out with at the movies.
When Leo arrived, I hopped out of my car before he pulled his truck to a stop. I scurried around my vehicle, tugged his passenger door open, and slid inside.
“I’m sorry about this,” I said. “I know it’s kind of inconvenient.”
“No worries,” he replied. His gaze slid over me. “You look amazing, by the way.”
“Thanks.” I’d let Allie dress me again. It wasn’t that I couldn’t pick out my own clothes, it was just more fun to let someone else do it. For reasons unknown to me, she thought I looked good in yellow. It seemed that Leo agreed. “You look pretty amazing, too,” I said.
He grinned at me before pulling away from the curb. I liked Leo’s carefree look, but nights like tonight, when he put in some effort, he crossed the line from cute to more than a little bit hot. Even hotter? He’d put in the effort for me.
I relaxed against the seat as he drove. He had asked me where I wanted to go; I’d told him to surprise me. I realized he must’ve taken that request quite literally when, instead of driving downtown, where most of the restaurants were, we ended up tur
ning into his neighborhood.
“Leo,” I said curiously, “where are we going?”
“My house.” He quickly added, “My parents are in Portland for the weekend, visiting my sister. We have the place to ourselves. I hope that’s okay.”
Before I could respond, he continued with his explanation.
“Here’s the thing,” he said as we rolled to a stop and he turned off the ignition, “the last few days I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out what we could do, where we could go. The fact that you’re nervous to be seen with me complicates that a lot.”
“I’m not nervous to be seen with you,” I protested.
He gave me a knowing look. “You don’t want me to meet your parents yet, so obviously they don’t know that you’re with me. That didn’t leave a lot of options for tonight,” he explained. “I knew if we went out in Laurel, you’d be a nervous wreck. And honestly, since it’s a Friday night, there’s a good chance someone would see us.”
“True.” The thought had crossed my mind, but I figured I’d deal with it if it became an issue. I should’ve known Leo would take it into consideration.
Francesca was right. Spending time with Leo was helping me to sort out my feelings pretty quickly. I loved that he was so thoughtful and that he knew me so well. It made me want to get to know him better, too.
“When I found out my parents would be gone, I decided to bring you here.” He opened his door and announced, “I’m going to cook dinner for you.”
I tossed my own door open and hopped out. “You’re going to cook for me?”
“This is a date,” Leo said as he frowned at me over the hood of his truck. “You were supposed to wait. I was going to get the door for you. And yes, I plan to cook. I know it’s kind of lame, but at least you won’t be stressed out like you were at Maebelle’s.”
“It’s not lame,” I assured him. “It’s really kind of awesome.”
He paused on the porch before opening the front door. “Are you sure? If Luke or Adam knew, they would—”
“They would be jealous they didn’t come up with the idea themselves,” I said.
He laughed, clearly assuming I was teasing.
I wasn’t.
He led me inside and gave me a quick tour of the impressive house. He only offered up a quick peek at his bedroom. It was decorated in grays and shades of pale blue, and had a laid-back sort of feel that suited him.
The tour ended in the kitchen. He pointed to a barstool, motioning for me to take a seat.
“This place is amazing,” I said.
“My parents think so,” he said wryly.
“I have to admit I’m surprised you know how to cook.”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I know how to make maybe half a dozen things. Most of them are on the menu for tonight.”
He insisted I stay seated as he worked. To his credit, he’d thought ahead and had most of it ready to go. The steaks were marinating, the potatoes were scrubbed, and the salad was already prepared. He popped the potatoes in the oven first to give them a head start, then went to work dealing with the rest.
When he went outside to put the steaks on the grill, I used the time to check out the table in the dining room. It was set with fancy plates, perfectly placed silverware, and a candelabra that was waiting to be lit.
I shook my head and smiled.
“What’s so funny?” he asked as he stepped back inside. “Admit it. You think this whole idea is ridiculous.” He held his hands up in mock surrender. “You can say it. I’m a tough guy, so I can take it.”
“Can’t I smile because I’m happy? I was thinking that I cannot believe the trouble you went to for me. I know how much easier it would’ve been to go to Natalia’s. Or even back to Maebelle’s. You put so much effort into this.”
He eyed me as if he wasn’t sure I was being upfront with him.
“Leo, really. You could’ve ordered a pizza and it would’ve been fine. You really went above and beyond.”
He finally allowed himself to smile as he moved toward me. “This is our first date.” He leaned over and dropped a kiss on my cheek. “I want it to be memorable. There’s nothing special about ordering a pizza and popping the top on a couple cans of soda.”
I suddenly felt guilty for not having him meet my parents. Leo was such a gentlemen, there was no way they’d disapprove of him. Besides, because I hadn’t been ready to take that step, he had to go to a lot of extra trouble that I hadn’t even considered.
He moved to the fridge and pulled out a familiar blue tube. “I’m cheating with these, I know,” he said as he popped open the breadsticks. I watched him organize them on the baking sheet. He’d suddenly gone serious, and I didn’t think it was because of the breadsticks. He slid them into the oven and turned to me.
“Question for you,” he started. “Why didn’t you want me to meet your parents? Do you think they won’t like me?”
“They’ll like you,” I assured him. How could they not? “I am worried they’ll give you a hard time, though. According to Lexie, that’s just what they do. I guess I feel like if I can avoid that for a while, why not?”
He nodded as if my answer seemed reasonable enough.
“What about your parents?” I wondered. “What if they come home? Will they care that I’m here?”
“They won’t come home. Mom and my sister, Jenna, have a full day of shopping planned for tomorrow.”
“But what if they do?” I persisted. “Will they care that you have some strange girl here?”
“Well, I suppose that depends. How strange are you?” he teased.
“Ha.” I rolled my eyes. “Ha-ha.”
“Seriously, they’d probably both be thrilled. Last fall Dad sat me down and asked if I was gay. He—” Leo cut himself off mid sentence, his face turned ruby red, and he winced as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t believe I said that out loud. To the girl I’ve wanted to date for, oh, I’ve lost count of how many years.”
“I love that you’re so open and honest,” I admitted.
He shook his head. “I think you mean socially inept. I figure that’s why I’ve never had a serious girlfriend.”
“Does that bother your dad?” I asked.
“I don’t know if it bothers him. I think he finds it strange. My brothers”—he grimaced—“let’s say between the three of them, there were always strange girls in the house.”
“Your parents were okay with that?”
“Yeah.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.
“What are your parents like?”
“Ridiculously in love,” he said immediately.
“Is that bad?” I asked. His tone implied that it wasn’t exactly wonderful.
“It’s awesome,” he said flatly. “Walking in on your mom kissing your dad’s neck or your dad grabbing your mom’s—” He paused and scowled, obviously mentally pushing away the visual. “Ugh, I can’t even say it, but you get the idea.”
“Your dad still grabs your mom’s”—I floundered for a word that wasn’t offensive—“derrierre?”
“Sure,” he said, “if that’s what you want to call it.”
“I think that’s nice.”
He shook his head and shot me a comically forlorn look. “You wouldn’t think it was nice if you had to witness it all the time.”
He might have a point.
“What are your parents like, other than strict?” he asked.
“We get along really well for the most part,” I said. “To be honest, we’re pretty close.”
Leo checked the timer on the breadsticks. “I should go look at the steaks. And a head’s up… For dessert, I got a cheesecake from Common Grounds.”
Mmm, dessert. I could hardly wait.
…
Dinner was perfect, despite the steaks being a smidge overcooked. We cleared the table, leaving the dishes in the sink because he said he’d rather deal with them when I was gone.
It was dark out by the time w
e’d finished eating, cleaning, and talking about anything and everything.
“Can you stay for a while longer?” he asked.
I checked the time on my phone. “I have a while before I need to get Allie.”
“Perfect. I thought of something else for your list. Wait right here.” I stayed planted in the kitchen while he jogged upstairs. He came back with a folded quilt tucked under his arm.
I followed him onto the back patio. Two lounge chairs were reclined all the way, then scooted together so they were side by side.
“Have a seat,” Leo said.
I did, and he spread the blanket over me, then settled in on the empty chair. He squirmed his way under the quilt, too. Cocooned in like this, with our combined body heat, the chilly night had turned cozy.
I squinted, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness. In moments, they did. The sky was clear tonight. An ebony expanse shimmering with light. It looked as if someone had sprinkled glitter across a sheet of black velvet.
Stargazing.
So simple. Why hadn’t I ever done this before? I’d glanced at the sky, of course. But I’d never spread out beneath the stars so I could completely take them in.
“It’s hard to grasp, isn’t it?” Leo asked as he squeezed my hand. “It just goes on and on without end.”
“It hurts my head if I think about it too hard.” The unending vastness was simply too impossible to comprehend.
We spent some time pointing out the stars and the constellations we knew. Neither of us had much background in astronomy, so it didn’t take long.
Eventually, Leo said, “I need to ask you something. But first I want you to promise not to get mad.”
“Okay,” I said hesitantly, though I couldn’t think of a single thing this boy could say or do that would ever make me mad at him.