by Bella Emy
Fuck, this wasn’t supposed to make her sad. She was supposed to be happy once she saw this. She was supposed to be happier than before. But instead, she’s tearing up softly beside me.
I swallow hard. “Adelyn, I’m sorry. I—”
“Don’t you do that, Maddox,” she says, cutting me off.
I stare at her confused, but I let her continue.
“Don’t you dare apologize for anything you did. This is breathtaking.”
I’m confused. If she likes it, then why the hell is she crying? “I don’t understand.”
I’ll never understand women.
She breaks into a small smile and whips her head around once more to the candles lining the beach down to the spot where I had set up two beach chairs and blankets near the shore. The reflection of their illuminating glow catches against the waves.
She smirks, tilting her head to the left. “You didn’t accidentally lose your phone, did you? You had this all planned… telling me to go on with them and that you’d meet us in the parking lot so you could have time to set all of this up for me, didn’t you?”
I can’t hide my smile. She’s one smart cookie. “It may have been something like that.”
She playfully nudges me on the arm. “Something like that, my ass.”
She turns her head back to the beach. “It looks so pretty.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Adelyn turns back around and meets my gaze. “I love it.”
I nod, and the nerves in the pit of my stomach go rampant as I reach out to grab her hand. It’s something that I’ve done a million times before, yet all of this is causing my emotions and feelings for her to run wild. “Good, now come. Let’s get going.”
She allows me to lead her down the beach leading to the chairs. I move in front of her and grab the blanket off the back of it.
“Here, have a seat.”
She does as I instruct, and once she’s comfortable, I drape the blanket over her bare shoulders. “There you are.”
“Thank you.”
I nod twice. “I’ve refilled the cooler to your right as well, so you should find water bottles and some more wine in there.”
She chuckles. “How the hell did you fit a bottle of wine in the cooler?”
I flash her a smile. “I picked up mini wine bottles this morning. Got some Chardonnay and Pinot in there.”
“Maddox Martinelli, you have thought of everything.”
“I tried.”
I take a seat beside her and place my blanket on my lap. We sit in silence for a few minutes, but I’m just content taking in her expression as she watches the waves crashing against the shore. I know this is her happy place, and on a night like tonight when there’s no one around and it’s so peaceful, she’s honestly the happiest I’ve seen in a very long time.
Adelyn picks up a bottle of water from the cooler and takes a swig. I study her every move as she places the bottle down beside her and then looks back at me with a beautiful smile.
The glistening light of the moon reflects off her dark hair. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. I want to tell her that, I want to tell her everything I’m feeling inside for her, but this is not the place or the time. I’m here to make her feel better, or at least to help her get through this time in our lives when everything has been so hard to deal with. I don’t need to burden her with my emotions and possibly ruin the evening.
She lets out a breath and then faces me. Our eyes lock and I swear I feel like I’m getting lost in hers.
“You know what I’m totally dreading right now?” She asks through a smile.
I furrow my brows. “What’s that?”
She closes her eyes and sucks in another breath before responding. “Going through Rick’s stuff.”
I raise an eyebrow. “It’s time?”
She shrugs and picks up the bottle to bring it to her lips. “Christa’s been hounding me.” She takes a sip.
Christa Hemmings. I should have known.
“Rick’s mom wants you to go through it already? It hasn’t been that long since—”
“I know. I’m really not looking forward to going through all his stuff and reliving the memories.”
I nod. “Yeah, I bet. Can I help?”
She giggles. “Are you sure you want to do that? It’s not going to be fun.”
What’s better than spending another day with her? Granted, I’m sure seeing Rick’s things would bring up some memories even for me, but if I’m not there helping her through it, who will be?
“I’m positive,” I reply.
She chuckles again. “Okay, thanks. I’ll let you know when I’m actually going to be doing it, because right now, I’m planning on procrastinating as long as possible.”
I laugh. “Okay, Ad.”
“By the way,” she says, “you don’t know how much all of this means to me, Maddox. Thank you.”
I smile back at her and nod, not saying another word. I would do anything for this girl. No questions asked.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After a long day of work, I head home to get showered and changed. It’s been a few weeks since the beach outing with Adelyn, and we’ve done nothing fun like that since. I’ve been seeing her all the time; if not every day, it’s every other day. I think it’s time for me to take her out again tonight.
Once I’m dressed and ready to head over to her place, I buckle my seat belt and text her before starting the ignition.
Me: Hey, Ad. I’m on my way over. I hope you’re hungry.
Not waiting for her response, I start my car and drive over. I packed snacks along with sandwiches and some juice boxes. I chuckle to myself thinking of my food choice for this evening, but I think she’s going to really appreciate it. If it goes well, it’ll bring her the sense of nostalgia I’m hoping for.
As soon as I’m parked in front of her place, I beep the horn twice. Typically, when I text her that I’m on my way over, I just park my car and walk to her door. Then, she’d greet me with her pretty smile.
I slam my palm on the horn once more and then hop out of the car. As I walk over to the passenger’s side of the car and lean against it, I look up at her building just in time to see her pulling back the curtains. She meets my gaze and I wave, smiling.
The surprised look on her face is priceless; I love it. I hope she will love what I have planned for her tonight just as much.
I watch her as she opens the window and then sticks her head out.
“What the heck are you doing? Aren’t you going to come in?”
I hold back a chuckle. “Nope, come down.”
She smirks. “Maddox Martinelli, what do you have up your sleeve this time?”
She knows me all too well. I certainly do have something up my sleeve that she doesn’t know about.
Trying to play it cool, I shrug and repeat, “Come down. I’ll be waiting.”
Adelyn rolls her eyes with a smile from ear to ear. She can say what she wants, but I know she loves surprises.
As she swings open the door, I’m mesmerized by her beauty. God damn. She’s wearing a light pink shirt over tight black jeans. Nothing out of the ordinary; she’s in casual attire. But something about the way she carries herself, the way she moves, is just breathtaking. Her smile alone could win a beauty contest. Her eyes shimmer in the evening light. Curls come cascading out of a high ponytail, bouncing with each step she takes, inching closer to me.
Finally reaching me, she asks, “You wanna tell me what this is all about, Maddox?”
I hide my mischievous grin, but I can’t stop smiling. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She slants her head to the right. “Sure you don’t.”
I push off from the car, still smiling, and walk to the driver’s side. “Get in.”
Adelyn lets out a deep sigh and follows my instructions, hopping into the car. I get in behind the wheel and adjust my mirrors, but I can feel her eyes on me. She’s watching my every move.
; I want to slam a kiss onto her lips, but instead, I just turn and face her. “Ready?”
Smirking, she asks, “Not really… you wanna tell me where we’re going first?”
I give her half a smile. I want to tell her, but at the same time, I enjoy seeing her all worked up, wanting to know my little secret. “No, I’ll do you one better.” Oh, I’d do her alright… “I’ll show you. Hold on to your seat.”
I pull out of the parking spot and turn onto the main road until we hit the entrance to the highway. The place we’re going isn’t far from here, and we should be there in about ten minutes.
I’m relaxed and cool, taking the exit coming up on my right. I’m just really looking forward to seeing her expression once we get there. Still, I can’t deny the fact that I’m anxious as well.
We make a left onto Sycamore Street, which is probably a dead giveaway. My lips pull into a wide grin I can’t hide. All the times we came here long ago… there’s no way she won’t figure this out before she sees it.
Adelyn fidgets in her seat for a few moments before saying, “You know, this road looks oddly familiar.”
I chuckle to myself. “Uh huh. So you know where we are then?”
She giggles, looking out of her window, taking in the scenery. “Maddox…” She gasps.
“Hmm?”
“You didn’t…” She turns her head and faces me as I turn into the parking lot. “You did!” She shrieks, grabbing my arm.
Her touch sends bolts of fire within me, but I can’t control my laughter. “I did.”
The sign up ahead for Westley Drive-In finally comes into view as I find a spot next to a couple of other cars. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been here, but I’m pretty sure it was with her and Rick a long time ago.
Her face lights up like a damn Christmas tree, which is the exact reaction I was expecting from her. “Oh, my God! I’m so excited! I can’t believe we’re here! I haven’t been here in ages!”
“Me neither,” I agree.
An attendant walks up to my car, and I roll down my window.
She’s a spunky kid, maybe about sixteen or so, with red hair. Her cheeks match her hair. Her name tag over her left chest pocket reads Gina. “Good evening, folks! Welcome to Westley Drive-In Theaters.”
Do people still say folks? Maybe it was one of the drive-in’s policies to make the customers feel like it was still back in the day. I can’t even recall if they used to greet us like this when we were younger.
Gina holds up a scanner which I hadn’t seen before. “May I please see your tickets?”
“Certainly,” I answer, pulling them out of my pocket. I hold them up for her to scan them.
She smiles. “10 Things I Hate About You? Great choice.” She scans both of our tickets and from the corner of my eye I see Adelyn’s face lighting up. This happens to be one of her favorite movies of all time.
Gina speaks again. “Okay, you’re all set. Refreshments and restrooms can be found to your left, near the entrance.”
I nod. That much, I remember.
“Any questions?” she asks.
I smile. “No, thanks. I think we’re all good.”
“Great, then. Enjoy the show!” Gina waves and heads off to the next car.
Since it’s not a secret anymore, I place the tickets near the gear stick. If I had placed them here before, there would have been no way she wouldn’t have figured it out. The bright orange logo on them would have totally given it away.
Adelyn unbuckles her seat belt. “I’m so excited! I wasn’t expecting this at all! I actually thought when you texted me we were going out to dinner.”
“Because I said I was hoping you’re hungry?”
“Uh huh.” She nods.
I chuckle, pointing behind her. “Oh, well, that’s because I’ve packed us some food.” A basket filled with tons of goodies sits on the floor, including our main course.
She flips around, placing her knees on the seat and leans over, checking out the back. I can’t help it when my eyes land on her scrumptious ass. Mmmm. Damn. Her perfectly round ass is just inches away from my face. And these jeans? Goddamn these jeans. They look painted on her body.
I have to look away. I can’t keep staring because if I do, I’m going to do something completely inappropriate. And that cannot fucking happen.
I hold my breath until her amazing ass—fuck, listen to me. This is not good. But as I was saying, I hold my breath until her behind is back on the seat. I gaze over at her, analyzing the sandwiches and drinks in her hands.
“Maddox! Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Capri Suns? This is epic!” She laughs, throwing her head back.
I can’t hold back my smile. “I thought you might like those.”
She puts them down onto her lap. “Like these? Oh, my God! Do you know how many memories are going through my mind right now? This is so awesome!”
“I’m glad you’re loving it. I didn’t know if this was going to be a hit or miss.” And that’s the truth. She could have totally hated the idea of it. But I had hoped that she would have these exact reactions.
She looks at me through hooded eyes with a smirk. “I totally love it. I’m so excited to watch 10 Things I Hate About You, which is one of my all-time favorite movies, hell-o!, eat these sandwiches and drink juice,” she laughs and the sound of it melts my heart.
Once the movie starts and we’re comfortable and situated, we dive into our sandwiches and enjoy our dinner. Throughout the whole movie, she watches intently, laughing at the appropriate times and reciting some of her favorite parts. She’s totally captivated by it, but me? I’m gazing at her the entire time through the corner of my eyes.
Maybe this wasn’t an expensive dinner reservation at some fancy restaurant, but I think this is worth way more and I’ve totally won tonight. Seeing her this excited, just like this… it’s priceless.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It’s been eight months since we lost Rick, and it hasn’t been easy. Sure, there are days when everything seems better and that she’s okay, but that doesn’t fool me. I know for every good day, there are two or three bad days right behind it.
Today, I’m heading over to meet Adelyn at Rick’s apartment to box his belongings and take some of them with her. The lease on the apartment is up, and we waited for the last possible minute before deciding it was time. There’s no need to mention Mrs. Hemmings has been hounding Adelyn left and right to clear things out. Tomorrow his mother is going to stop by and figure out the rest of his things. If it were up to me or Adelyn, we would have waited a bit longer, but time is up and his mother wants to get through with it. It hurts, but she claims she needs to do this now. I’m going to see if he has anything I can take with me to keep as a reminder of him and our friendship, but it’s not as if I can ever forget him. Patrick Hemmings will always be a part of me and our childhood.
I make a right onto his block and go to park in front of his house, but I stop, instantly recognizing the car parked there instead. No, it’s not Adelyn’s. She doesn’t appear to be here yet. The red one parked directly in front of Rick’s building belongs to Mrs. Hemmings. What the hell is she doing here now? She wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow.
Fuck it. I’ll just park somewhere else. I was expecting Adelyn to be here already, but her car is nowhere to be found. I pull up in the spot in front of Mrs. Hemmings’ and then kill the engine. I hop out of the car and lock up, then start the walk up to his drive. As I take two steps forward, Rick’s mother comes out carrying two large boxes. Mrs. Hemmings is a petite woman; these boxes could probably take her out. Not to mention she’s in heels as she always is.
I race up to aide her. “Hey, Mrs. Hemmings, hang on. Let me help you with that.”
She peers her head over to the left of the boxes and meets my gaze. “Maddox. What are you doing here?”
I take the boxes from her and walk with her to her car. “I’m supposed to be meeting Adelyn here. She texted me about an hour ago s
aying she’d be here by now.”
She pops the trunk open, and I place the boxes into it. As I do so, my phone notification goes off. Low and behold, it’s a text from Adelyn.
I chuckle. “This is her. She just said she’s running late, but she’s on the way.”
I quickly compose a reply back to Ad and then tuck my phone away. I look up just in time to see Mrs. Hemmings eyeing me conspicuously before placing a pair of sunglasses on her face.
I’m about to ask her what’s the matter when she locks the trunk and speaks before I have a chance to say anything at all.
“I don’t need to stay here, do I, Maddox?”
I furrow my brows. “I’m sorry, I’m not following. Why would you need to stay?”
She leans against the back of her car, adjusting the bottom portion of her black pencil skirt. “It’s only been eight months.” Through her sunglasses, I can see she’s tearing up.
I swallow thickly. “I know.”
“You wouldn’t do anything to ruin your character, would you?”
I raise an eyebrow. Ruin my character? I know damn well what she’s referring to, but the fact that she can stand here and say things like this to me is really working my last nerve. I have no intention of doing anything inappropriate with Adelyn—as much as I would like to. But I’ve got more respect for Rick than that.
I take a step back. “Mrs. Hemmings, I can reassure you I miss Rick as much as the next person. These past couple of months have been difficult for all of us. Me, included. He was my best friend, my brother. I would never imagine doing something that would betray Rick. Even now that he’s no longer here with us… especially now.”
She nods and dabs at the corner of her eye with her ring finger. “Good. Then I’ll just be on my way. Remember, even though Patrick is no longer here in the flesh, he’s always with us in our hearts… and he’ll know.” She pushes off of the car and as she does so, I see Adelyn coming down the road.
Adelyn waves at us, and we wave back.
