by Tess Keeler
I recalled how tender he always was with me. Never pushing me to do anything, but I also had a hard time deciphering what he was thinking about me—about us. He was constantly turning red around me, but Mason made him blush too. I groaned aloud, not wanting it to be all I thought about now. I needed some fresh air—some nature.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park was the most enticing among the city limits. It was free to enter. I located a map and immediately headed for the trail that would lead me to the waterfalls. Waterfalls were my favorite. I parked as close as I could manage and grabbed my camera and phone. A trail and a boardwalk later, I was facing the roaring waters. I was located near the bottom of them, my camera going off constantly as I built up material for my next post.
There were a lot of visitors. At one point, I took a seat on a wooden bench and checked my notifications. Nixon had texted me around the time we had separated. My heart throbbed a little when I read his words:
Is it too soon to text you?
I chewed on my bottom lip as I typed back to him, hoping my guilt lessened some when he replied. I hadn’t meant to ignore him.
I’m finally done driving—for now. You can text me anytime.
A couple was leaning over the railing, looking at each other and laughing so freely. I picked up my camera and snapped a picture of them. I wasn’t a photographer by any means, but I enjoyed documenting.
My phone vibrated in my lap.
Thank you for not texting me while you were driving. Where are you?
What was the name of this place again?
I pulled off in a state park around Cleveland. Where are you?
Before he responded, I took a picture with my phone of the waterfalls and sent it to him with some text attached: So peaceful.
I opened up my blog post and read the comments from today’s post. They were asking where I was heading next. They asked about the guy or girl I was “swooning over”. I responded to a few of them, leading them to my northeastern landing. I also mentioned that I didn’t want to jinx anything just yet to those pressing for details about Nixon. I wouldn’t tell them that he was the first man that hadn’t let me know what he expected from me.
My days were a constant juggle of picture taking, detail memorization, writing, socializing, and driving. It wasn’t always glamorous, but it was my dream. It wasn’t for everyone.
Cameron, my most recent ex-boyfriend, had actually given up his crappy day job to come along with me. My parents double-dated with his parents so many times that it became an arranged sort of relationship. I told him that I didn’t have time for a relationship because I was always on the road. Cameron thought that our best option was to move in together, in my van, after only two months. We moved fast, but most people did.
He didn’t understand that my focus was going to be on my work and not his always erect penis. I was introduced to many drugs along our eight-month journey—the least proud I have ever been of myself. I almost lost everything I had worked for towards the end of our relationship. When Cameron’s attention drifted, I was desperate for it.
I had goosebumps from the awful memory of him and our life together, but thankfully, Nixon was there to distract me. He didn’t even know how good he was for me, no matter what this was.
I wish I was there, he said and I swear my heart flipped. Minneapolis. Boring.
You should visit the sidewalk harp! If you haven’t been, look it up. I think you’ll love it.
The sidewalk harp was an art masterpiece in Minneapolis. Pedestrians just had to move under the sensor, and it would produce sounds based off of the instrument’s own unique sounds, and I fell in love the first time I came across it. My favorite part about the city, no doubt.
Wow, I will. Thanks, honey.
With the natural commotion around me, I chose to focus on him and only him for a moment, clicking the small phone icon near his name. He picked up rather quickly. “Hey.”
“You can call me honey anytime. I like that.” My smile was painful as I heard him laugh on the other side.
“Would you like it more if I told you how red I was?” he asked.
“How did you know?”
I adored the sounds of the water crashing around me in combination with his voice, so smooth and all for me at the moment.
“You always have this adorable little smile when I’m blushing,” he said.
I hummed, agreeing with him. “What causes the blushing, exactly?
“It happens when I’m nervous or I like someone…”
There was silence between us for a few long seconds. I swallowed hard, preparing for an answer I was ready for, “Do you like me, Nixon?”
“Yes, I do,” he said, soft and quiet. Not that it didn’t sound confident—he sounded shy about it. My heart took off in my chest, knocking around my ribcage.
“I like you, too.”
“I want to take this slow, do it right…” he breathed before taking in a deep breath and blowing it out against his microphone.
“I’m okay with that,” I answered honestly, knowing that his life was hectic and he had his career to worry about.
“My career alone could affect you, and I’m worried about Blake.” He seemed to be thinking out loud.
“I’m a big girl. I can handle myself,” I said playfully, my eyes on the people passing me by.
“I’m sure you can, but all of that pressure can be tough.”
I pushed my tongue into the roof of my mouth and considered how I should respond. If only I knew what he was thinking exactly, what was causing him to think I was incapable of handling the stress of his fame. “I know that your ex struggled a lot with it, but I promise, I’m different. I know what I’m getting myself into.”
“I know you’re different. I can feel that already. I don’t want to rush this and risk losing you, that’s all.”
I had been overthinking everything, worried that he didn’t like me the way I liked him. That he wasn’t interested. I was completely wrong if his words were true, and I believed him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
1
Make You Mine
CHAPTER FIVE
Nixon
Bella’s name lit up my screen, and I smiled as I answered the call.
“Hey, Juniper,” I greeted, and I heard her groan. I pushed on anyway, “How was your day?”
Her voice was soft and sweet, but also very excited, “I miss you. When will you be home?”
“Way to jump right in there, Bells. I’ll be home for a few days in exactly a month and two weeks.” I reassured her, “Not too much longer now.” Home shows always made me super nervous, and I put so much pressure on myself to do my best. The good thing was, I had three days off in my city— two days before, then the day after— after my month long tour overseas. I was ready to see my family, especially Bella, and my best friend, Asher. It had been a long time.
I heard her sigh, and she moved on, finally answering my initial question, “School is fine. I’m making straight As.” I leaned against a nearby wall. Mason asked me to join him on the terrace of our hotel so he could hide out and do some photo editing. It was a nice day in Omaha, Nebraska and we were off today. I might as well keep him company and enjoy the fresh air.
Looking over, I saw my friend hunched over his MacBook and I smiled to myself. “I’m not surprised, Bells. You’ve always been the smartest kid in class.”
“Bubba, stop.” She was modest and always hated when I gushed over how great she was. I couldn’t help it; I was a proud big brother. “How are you? How’s traveling? Meet anyone cool?”
“Actually,” I paused, trying to decide if I should tell my baby sister, who was also my best friend, about Harper. “I met a girl.”
“Oooooohhhh…” she teased me, laughing a little. “Tell me all about her. I hope she’s nicer to you than Rosie was.”
I cringed. Bella did not like Rosie, for good reason. She had seen all the warning signs before I had. My eleven-year-old sister was more mature and rea
d people better than most adults I know.
“How long have you known her?” The questions came faster than I could respond. I laughed as she asked another. “Do you like her?”
“I’ve known her about a month, and yes, I do like her.”
“Does she like you?”
“I think so.”
She paused a moment. “What’s her name?”
“Her name is Harper.”
“That’s a pretty name.”
“I agree.”
Mason’s voice chimed in, “Speaking of Harper, you should look at this mate.”
My heart dropped, and my thoughts took me somewhere negative.
“Nix, can I call you later? I have a science project to finish, and my partner is here.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me, as I made my way over to Mason. “Of course. I love you, Juni.”
“I love you, Nix. I still want more details about this Harper girl. And I want to meet her soon!”
I laughed and agreed, “Okay, okay. Get to your homework.” We exchanged another set of I love yous before I hung up my phone.
“Alright, I’m ready,” I respond to Mason, finally. With a hand on the back of his chair, I leaned forward to look at his laptop. My eyes focused on a beautiful picture starting a blog post.
“I found her blog, bruv,” he began, scooting his laptop to the seat next to him so he could light up a cigarette. “Actually, I found her Instagram first.”
I heard him, but my eyes were already reading her posts. I got through the entirety of the most recent one, then I scrolled a second until I saw her Chicago pictures. I stopped, smiling at the photos she had taken to document her recent visit to one of her favorite cities. The curiosity got the best of me and I began reading that particular post as Mason pulled a long drag from his cigarette. It was adorable and attention-grabbing the way she spoke to her readers. My heart was throbbing in my chest as she described the details of her time in her hometown. That’s when I read the words I wasn’t sure she expected me to ever see.
Guys, you know how fascinated I am by the night sky and all of the twinkling beauty. I barely paid attention to it when my eyes found him. He was captivating, original, and dare I say it, breathtakingly handsome.
I didn’t realize how sucked into the conversation I was until we were torn apart too soon. It was an adventure within an adventure.
Keep your hearts open, loves.
I sucked in a breath, Mason’s eyes watching me when I finally looked away from the screen. I had reread her words three times before I snapped out of the trance she had inadvertently put me in. His brown eyes were questioning me, maybe because of my parted lips and blotchy skin.
“Where is she?” he asked me, simple and to the point.
Pulling out my phone, I noticed her name on my screen and I licked my lips. Did she know we were talking about her? I had told her to be safe as she drove to her next destination.
I forgot to tell you that I had a sponsor reach out to me, and I have to head to the west coast now. I’m in Nebraska, at a rest stop. I hope you don’t work too hard today.
I bypassed texting her and called instead. I wanted— no, needed— to see her. It had only been a few days since I saw her, but we had been talking non-stop. We agreed to take it slow and explore this budding relationship between us. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t ask to see her, right?
She answered the phone, her beautiful voice greeting me. Instantly, I felt weightless. It was funny how she had that effect on me.
“Hey, so, you know I’m in Omaha right now, right?”
“Uh, no you’re not? Seriously?” I heard her take in a breath. “I passed the last Omaha exit five miles ago.”
I laughed, enjoying how flustered she seemed to be in that moment. “I am, actually. Do you have a deadline for your sponsor, or can you spend a little bit of time with me tonight?”
“I do have a deadline, but I’m already days ahead of meeting it. I guess I could squeeze you in.” Her tone was playful, and it caused pressure to build between my hipbones. It was so easy for her to get me riled up, but I had self-control and right now, all I wanted to do was be close to her.
“Oh, well, thank you, honey,” I said it as sweetly as I could muster. “I’m at the Hilton downtown, and I’m off today. I’m yours tonight, if you want me.”
“Nixon…” The way she shakily breathed out my name was hotter than I could ever process. “Don’t tease me.”
Feeling playful, I continued, “You can dish it out, but can’t take it?” I was so comfortable with her, and only getting more so by the day.
“It’s sexier when you do it.”
“I disagree.” I gave her a moment to dispute me, but all I heard was the road noise. “Are you in?”
“I’m already heading that way.”
The courage I had after reading her blog made me feel almost invincible. “Perfect. Me and my breathtakingly handsome self will be ready when you get here.”
There was a long pause before she said anything, clearly trying to figure out what I had said.
“…What did you just say?”
With a soft laugh, I speak again, “I said I’m going to go get ready for you. See you soon.”
“Oh,” I had never heard her fumble until this moment. “Okay. Bye, Nix.”
I felt like I was on cloud nine, especially as Mason gave me a proud smile.
“Go get her, mate.”
I had wet my hair first, just enough to get it to cooperate. It was getting longer, and my curls were getting thicker. With a few swipes of my fingers, I had it perfectly messy— or James Dean-esque, as Mason would say. After tucking my cream colored, long sleeved henley shirt into my tight black skinny jeans, I slipped on my boots and looked at my phone. Typing out a text, I wanted to make sure I was ready for her.
How long do I have until I get to see your beautiful face?
Her response was quick, and I smiled as I read it. Two minutes.
Grabbing my hotel key, I tucked it into my wallet and turned out all the lights but left my television on for light when I returned.
I’ll be waiting in the lobby for you. ;)
I had just stepped out of the elevator when I heard the ding of her response, and I made sure to survey the area before I moved out of the front doors of my home for the night. No fans. I got lucky. Maybe they didn’t know I was there yet.
It wasn’t long before I saw her van, and I made my way over to her.
I was close to her vehicle when she stood up to greet me. Her long, wavy hair falling over her chest, and the dress she was wearing showed off her shoulders and perfect cleavage. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to ignore the pulsing in my center as I got close enough to pull her into a hug.
The vanilla on her skin was overwhelming, intoxicating me as I held her. The heels she was wearing helped get her closer to my height, but all I could think about was her head on my shoulder and how beautiful she looked.
When we finally pulled away, I could feel my skin warming up as I looked her over again. I noticed the high slip traveling up her thigh, and I sucked in a breath.“You look beautiful, Harps.” The smile covering my lips was wide and happy. “You always do.”
“Thank you, Nixon.” She pushed a long strand of her hair behind her ear, and she blushed when she realized my hands were still resting on her lower back. “I may have changed on the way,” she whispered, winking at me as her smile started to mirror mine.
My hands finally fell, and I rested my left hand on the corner of her open door. “How would you feel about me driving?”
“I don’t mind. Jump on in.”
Before I did, I walked her to the passenger side and opened her door for her. After she was safely inside, I closed the door and moved to the driver’s side. Adjusting the seat before attempting to climb in, I made sure I could fit before I closed the door behind me. Sometimes it was annoying to be so tall.
“Have you eaten?” I asked, br
inging her van to life and looking around at the controls to make sure I knew where everything was.
She thought about it a moment, “I don’t think I have, actually.”
“Dinner first, then.” I offered her a smile as I brought up the place I had decided to take her to. There was plenty of food options, which is why I chose it. The other option was over an hour away with traffic, so I decided to stay close.
After trying out a local Italian restaurant in the Old Market area—where the manager was gracious enough to tuck us away in a dimly lit section for privacy— we headed to the destination I had planned. It wasn’t far, but I parked in a nearby lot and watched her eyes take in the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian bridge. It was dark enough to be lit up, the sun setting in the distance made the atmosphere perfect.
“Have you ever been here before?” I asked her quietly, holding her door and offering her my hand as she climbed out.
“Never. It’s gorgeous. How did you find it?” Her eyes were memorizing the details, and I knew it was a side effect of her job. Or maybe it was all the feelings brewing between us. Either way, I admired her curious eyes before they shifted back to me.
I ran my fingers through my hair as we walked towards the large suspension bridge waiting for us. “I wanted to check it out the last time I was in Omaha. I’m glad it didn’t work out so I could experience it with you.”
The smile that pulled at her lips made my heart do a flip in my chest. Her fingers slipped between mine, and butterflies scattered through my stomach at the contact. With our fingers tangled, she parted her lips to speak, “Thank you for sharing this with me. I’ve never taken the time to appreciate Nebraska.” Her eyes were dancing all over my face, and my cheeks were sore from the unfaltering smile I was wearing. “It’ll be a special place for me now.”
Lifting our hands to my lips, I kissed her knuckles and met her eyes with mine. “It’s special for me, too. And,” I paused as we made our way up the steeper side of the bridge. “I thought it would be cool for you to write about in your blog.” I pointed towards the middle and added, “There’s a specific spot on this bridge where you can be in Nebraska and Iowa at the same time.”
