by Judy Corry
She nodded, grinning mischievously. "As in, major hottie who can use a British accent anytime you want to go weak at the knees."
I rolled my eyes and gently shoved her arm. But before going into the entryway, I checked myself using my phone's camera app real quick to make sure I looked okay, especially because I'd just gotten home from my dance practice. Why didn’t he come over yesterday instead, when I'd been looking more alluring? But there was no time to fix that now, so I took a deep breath and walked to the front door.
He was leaning against the railing when I spotted him through the opening in the doorway. And I wanted to run up the stairs and get an instant makeover, because he looked amazing. Like, take-my-breath-away good. He stood tall when he heard my footsteps.
"Hey, Luke." I waved, hoping I could play off how nervous and intimidated I was to see him. Things hadn't exactly gone well the last few times we'd seen each other. Part of me hoped that maybe his concussion had magically made him forget all the stupid things I'd said and done over the past weeks.
He held up the stainless-steel stock pot I'd taken to his house on Saturday. "I thought your mom might want this back."
I took it from him, our hands touching in the exchange, warmth flickering to where our fingers had met. "Thank you." I felt my cheeks heat.
He nodded. "The soup was great."
We stood there staring at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before my brain kicked in. "D-do you want to come in?"
He rocked forward on his toes. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to go on a walk with me."
"A walk?" I’d never been asked to go on a walk with a guy in my entire life. My pulse raced with anticipation as I thought of all the reasons why he'd want to go for a walk.
When I was quiet for too long, he said, "I want to talk to you, if you’re not too busy."
"I'm not too busy," I blurted out.
He smiled, and my blush deepened. I'd missed his smile so much!
"Let me put this in the kitchen and grab a jacket. I'll be right back."
"Okay." He leaned back against the railing, making himself comfortable.
I zoomed into the kitchen and set the pot on the counter. I could put it away later. Then I rushed up the stairs, taking two at a time, and sped straight to my bathroom.
I inspected my hair in the mirror. My messy bun would not do for a walk—an evening stroll—with Luke. I ran my brush through it a few times until it was smooth, and then quickly brushed my teeth, just in case.
Once I was more presentable and had lightly spritzed myself with my "special date" perfume, I grabbed my pink jacket and hurried back downstairs.
Luke grinned when he saw me, and I could be wrong but there was a hint of admiration in his gaze.
"Which way do you want to go?" I asked, somewhat breathless, and not just because I'd sprinted around the house.
"Let's go that way." He pointed in the direction of the park.
He buttoned up his letterman jacket and started down the path. The sun was beginning to set, and there was a slight breeze in the crisp fall air.
"Did you go watch the competition on Saturday?" he asked when we turned onto the main sidewalk.
I nodded. "Yeah. It was really good. Kelsie and Stan won, of course."
"Of course," he said. "But that's probably only because we had to drop out. I'm still sorry about that, by the way. I know how much you love dancing."
"It's okay. I'm just glad you seem to be doing better. How are you feeling, anyway?"
He shrugged. "Much better. My headaches stopped a couple of days ago, and I don't think my brain got messed up too much."
"That's good." I looked down, watching my feet, one foot stepping in front of the other. "I was really worried about you. I was so relieved when I overheard your dad tell that red-headed woman that you were going to be okay."
"When were you around Amy and my dad?"
I tucked some hair behind my ear. "I followed the ambulance to the hospital." I watched him carefully, gauging his reaction to see how much that freaked him out.
His eyes widened for a second, but then he smiled gently. As if he liked that I'd gone there. "You were at the hospital?"
"I had to know that you were okay. I was so worried." Visions of him being hauled into an ambulance and driving away pushed themselves into my mind.
His gaze softened, and I knew that he understood the depth of my feelings. They had to be written all over my face.
"I'm glad I'm okay, too. And it means a lot that you came to the hospital. I definitely didn't deserve it after everything I'd done."
We walked in silence for a while, each lost in our own thoughts. A couple of cars drove past, the only distractions on this quiet evening.
It was so strange that things could change so quickly. At the beginning of the school year, we barely knew each other. Our only interactions had been in a stupid pranking war. And now, I couldn't think of another human on the entire planet that I'd rather be with. I liked him so much. Maybe was even starting to fall in love with him… Could I hope that he might be feeling the same things? After everything?
We made it to the park, and he turned onto the sidewalk that led to the old, white gazebo. We stepped into it and leaned against the railing, taking in our surroundings. The park was all but deserted on this autumn evening. The leaves had changed colors and were starting to fall from their branches, leaving the grass covered with splashes of yellow, brown, and red. I loved that we had seasons to remind us that the world was still spinning and time kept moving on. Nothing ever stayed the same, but maybe that was a good thing. I would hate to be the same person I was before getting to know Luke.
I'd learned a lot about myself in the past few weeks, and one was that I didn't forgive as easily as I should. I'd let anger and past hurts drive my life way too much. Holding a grudge was like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It was stupid and did nothing to help me get into a better spot. I didn't need to stay forever mad at Noah for how he'd treated me. Yes, he hadn't been a very good boyfriend, and I was glad I'd gotten out when I had, but he was dealing with demons of his own. I really hoped he could get past them and be happy.
And if I could forgive Noah, there was absolutely no reason why I should have been so upset at Luke. It was embarrassing to think about how badly I'd overreacted.
"I'm sorry that I got so mad when I found out you were British Boy." I sighed, turning around so I was facing him. "I pretty much proved you right in why you didn't want to tell me."
He shook his head. "Don't be. I shouldn't have started it in the first place. It just sort of happened, and then before I knew it, it was out of control."
"I'm surprised at how well you managed it. You must be a genius to have come up with it all."
He laughed. "Genius or imbecile. Pretty sure it's one of those."
"Did you know it was me from the very first day?"
He nodded, his brown eyes meeting mine in the filtered sunlight, making my heart stutter. "I didn't know from the moment you tripped over my huge feet and we bonked heads, but, yeah, once I heard you laugh, I knew it was you. I might have had a tiny crush on you last year."
"Really?" My jaw dropped. Luke had liked me that long ago? I felt breathless at the thought.
"Yeah, why else do you think I picked you for my pranks? I was totally flirting with you."
I leaned my head back and laughed. "You have an interesting way of showing that you like someone."
He tilted his head to the side and shrugged. "Then how would you suggest I let a certain person know that I like her?"
My cheeks heated. I'd walked right into that, hadn't I?
I bit my lip as I thought about it. "I can think of a couple of ways."
"You can?" He arched an eyebrow and stepped closer. "And what's one of those ways?"
"Holding hands is usually a good sign."
He immediately reached over and clasped my hand in his, interlocking our fingers. Warmth spread
its way up my arm. I'd missed being so close to him. Touching him.
"Like this?" he asked, lifting our hands and kissing the back of mine.
I couldn't keep from smiling wider as I watched him. "That's one way to do it."
He squeezed my hand, and I returned the gesture. I would be completely content just holding his hand forever.
"What's another way to let a girl know that I'm into her?"
Into her. He made those two words sound way too good.
Maybe holding his hand wasn't quite enough after all.
"Hugs are usually good." I shrugged, hoping to come off nonchalant.
"Yeah?" He stepped closer, tilting his head low so I could look straight into his eyes. The way he was studying me made my stomach flip. His gaze seemed to trace over my face. He was sooo attractive. I couldn't handle it.
I swallowed. "Yep. Hugs are the best."
"Well then," he said in a low, provocative voice. "I think I might just have to hug you."
He closed the distance between us and pulled me into his arms. I melted into him, letting his strong embrace envelop me with warmth. I sighed. Luke's hugs were the best. I nuzzled my face into his neck, breathing in his fresh, clean scent.
"You smell much better than you did as British Boy that first time we kissed," I said, breathing him in again.
His chest rumbled as he chuckled. "I'm glad you think so. That 'old-man' scent you accused me of having was my dad's cologne. I had to disguise myself somehow."
I slapped his shoulder gently and pulled away so I could see his face. "I can't believe you did that!"
He grinned, his eyes smiling. "Like we established earlier, I was out of my mind desperate not to get caught."
"Well, I'm happy to know that all the things I liked about British Boy are part of you. Knowing the whole Luke is pretty incredible."
"It sounds like we'd make a great couple then, since you’re the most amazing girl I've ever met."
My heart thudded in my chest at his words. No one had ever made me feel this way before. I felt light, like I could float into the air and touch the sun.
He leaned his forehead against mine and spoke in a quiet voice. "Are there any other things a guy should do to let a girl know that he likes her?"
"How about you try figuring the last one out yourself?"
And with those words, he didn't hesitate to close the gap between our lips. His mouth pressed against mine, starting out slow and searching, like he had all the time in the world. He leaned his tall body against me, trapping me between him and the gazebo's railing. I reveled in the feeling. I loved being so close to him—my body craved it. I didn't want there to be any space between us. We'd already had too much of that over the past weeks.
"I think I more than like you, Ashlyn." His voice was low and seductive against my lips, sending shivers tingling down my spine. "Is this what I'm supposed to do when I more than like you?"
"Yes." I sighed, and he captured my lips between his again. Time stopped. It was like the earth stopped spinning, the moon stopped rising, and the leaves stopped falling. I wanted to bottle up this moment and keep it with me forever. Nothing could top this.
I let my hands travel from where they rested around his waist, feeling his strong muscular torso, moving up until my fingers tangled in his soft hair. He let out a low growl, causing me to smile against his lips.
"I like you so much," I told him, my heart beating so fast and hard in my chest I was sure he could feel it. "Probably more than like you."
His arms tightened around my waist and I let myself get lost in the moment. Being with Luke was magical, and I couldn't wait to let our "more than like" turn into love. In all my life, no moment had ever felt as perfect as this. Luke was mine and I was his, and everything was right in my world.
Epilogue
Luke
THREE MONTHS LATER
"Did you see that they put the posters up for the Sweethearts Ball?" Ashlyn asked me as we walked to her locker before school one morning. We'd been dating for three spectacular months, and I had never been happier than I was now. Ashlyn had changed me. Before her, I had been a lost soul, wandering through life not knowing where to go. But meeting her that one day in the Chemistry lab had changed everything for me. My life had new purpose. She had catapulted me toward a future that I was excited about, instead of dreading.
"Yeah, I saw the posters. They look pretty good, huh?" I asked, pretending like I didn't know what she was trying to hint at.
"They do look nice. The dance sounds like it’ll be fun."
I shrugged. "I guess, if you're into that whole dancing thing."
"Which I obviously am." She shook her head. "I'm really hoping to go with this year's All-State Linebacker. Did you hear that he got a scholarship to play football at Cortland State next year?"
I gasped, feigning surprise. I loved how proud she was of me. "He must be a pretty big deal."
"He totally is. Anyway, I can't imagine a better dance partner. In fact, if I went with him, I'd probably try to request our favorite waltz, A Thousand Years."
"Don't let him hear you say that. You might scare him away."
She smiled, and I wanted to kiss her. She was breathtaking when she was smiling at me.
We made it to her locker, and I held my breath as she opened it.
"When did you put this here?" she asked, taking out the note I'd hid in there while she was in drill practice this morning.
"Open it," I said.
She unfolded the paper and read the words "Meet me there at lunch" written in permanent marker in my own messy scrawl.
"Meet you where?" She looked up at me with question and anticipation in her eyes.
"You'll figure it out." I winked and kissed her on the cheek. "But for now, we better get to class."
I left class early so I could make it to the Chemistry lab before Ashlyn did. I knew I shouldn't be nervous, since she'd practically told me she wanted me to do this, but my stomach was still twisted up in knots because I wanted this to be perfect.
I stepped into the dark lab room, opting to leave the lights off for tradition's sake. Ashlyn could turn them on when she got here.
The door creaked open a few minutes later, light streaming in through the small crack in the door.
"Is anyone in here?" Ashlyn's voice cut through the air.
I smiled, remembering all the times she'd done that very thing before. "Yes. I'm in here." My palms started to sweat. I really hoped she'd like this.
She stepped inside and shut the door behind her, the room instantly going pitch black.
"You can turn on the light," I said, using my British accent.
She laughed. "Okay. Good."
I heard her feel around the wall for a moment before the lights flicked on.
I watched her face for the reaction I'd hoped she'd have. She didn't disappoint. Her mouth hung open, and she gasped at the poster I'd stuck on the wall.
DATE WANTED!
For: Luke Davenport at the Sweethearts Ball.
Who: You, Ashlyn Brooks, of course!
Why: I'll list a few of the many, many reasons, below.
"I can't believe you did this." Ashlyn turned to me, the joy in her face making my heart swell.
She moved closer to the poster, running her fingers over the photo I'd put on it—a selfie of us together at the Football State Championship game.
"I see your neighbor was too busy to draw a picture for you this time. How did you do this?" she asked, stepping back to take in the whole thing.
"I've been planning it for months." I moved to stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her against my chest. "I know you can read it yourself, but is it okay if I read my reasons to you?"
She pressed her lips into a huge grin and nodded. "I'd love that."
I leaned my chin on her shoulder and read the words I'd written on the flyer, using my own voice instead of my British accent. "Number ten: I love how obsessed you are with dance. Y
ou almost make me like it, too."
She laughed, and my chest felt light.
"Number nine: You make life exciting and always keep me on my toes. Number eight: When I'm with you, I can handle anything."
"The feeling is mutual," she interrupted.
I gave her a squeeze before continuing. "Number seven: You make me laugh all the time. Number six: You love me despite my imperfections."
"What imperfections?"
I shook my head and continued, "Number five: You make me happier than I've ever been. Number four: Your hugs are amazing. Number three: You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. Inside and out. Number two: You make me want to be a better man. And number one…"
"You left number one blank?" She turned in my arms to face me.
"Noticed that, did you?"
"Couldn't think of a number one?" She raised her eyebrows, challenging me in the way that I loved.
"I wanted to tell it to you instead of reading it."
She bit her lip, and the urge to kiss her almost beat out my resolve to tell her my number one thing. But no, I needed to hold off. I could kiss her afterward. I would kiss her afterward.
I lowered my voice and leaned my forehead against hers as I said my next words. "The number one reason why I want to go to the dance with you is because I love you, Ashlyn. And I love us."
She looked at me through her lashes, a contented smile on her lips. “I love you, too, Luke. And of course, I'll go with you," she whispered before taking my face in her hands and pulling my lips to hers.
She kissed me, and I knew I could never grow tired of this. When we separated, she looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes of hers. "Did you mean all those things you said?"
I nodded and kissed her once more. "Every single word."
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed MEET ME THERE, please review it on Amazon—even if it’s just a sentence or two. It makes a huge difference and is very much appreciated.
