"You look pretty, Pumpkin," he said. "Does what you need to 'talk to me about' have anything to do with this boy you've been seeing?"
I nodded bashfully, afraid to look up at him. Facing my dad and having to tell him about Colin was even worse than having to face Brody. My dad was the one man whose opinion mattered the most to me. I expected my brothers to be protective and hate the guy I was into, and it was even natural for my best friend to hate him, but when it came to my dad, things were totally different. If I was severely smitten with Colin and my dad didn't like him, all bets were off. I couldn't go through it and try to start a relationship with someone that my dad didn't like.
I was totally unhinged, falling apart at the seams as I watched my dad eat his sandwich wordlessly. I watched him chew for what felt like hours.
"Do you really like this boy, Kales?" he asked, squinting his eyes at me the way he always did.
I nodded.
I wasn't going to lie to my dad. I liked Colin so much. I liked him more than I should, and I knew that things were getting serious already. I wanted to be open with the people I loved, because I wanted them to take to Colin just like I had.
"Yes, Daddy," I said. "I like him very much." I wrung my hands nervously. "He's outside, actually, and he really wants to meet you."
My dad looked up, smiling widely.
“Really?" he asked. "That's a first. I don't even think I ever met that Kyle guy you liked so much. Bring him in, then."
I bolted out of my seat and raced outside. I walked coolly over to Colin's side of the car and he got out, leaning against his car and examining me.
Not for the first time, I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. His eyes slowly grazed my body, a small smile playing on his lips as he walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist.
"My goodness, Nickayla," he said, short of breath. "You're stunning."
I lowered my head, suddenly shy again. I turned to face him, taking in his appearance. He wore a pressed button down shirt in charcoal grey, and a pair of jeans that fit him to a T. That boy sure knew how to wear a pair of jeans. His Chucks were clean, and his hair was styled in that just-got-out-of-bed way that was so incredibly sexy to me.
"You clean up pretty well yourself," I said. "Now come on, my Daddy wants to meet you."
He took a deep breath, as I took his hand, walking him inside.
He stopped shortly in the hallway, pointing at a picture that was hanging on the mantel.
"Are those your nieces and nephew?" he asked.
I nodded, taking the picture of Kenzie, Callie, Christopher, and Emerson off the wall and handing it to him. He held it in his hand, stopping on one face in particular.
"That one looks a lot like you," he said, smiling.
I laughed, looking at it with him.
"She should," I said. "That's Nikkolas's baby."
He handed the picture back up, then followed me as I rounded the corner of the living room.
"She's a beautiful kid," he said. "She gets the eyes from her mother?"
I shook my head.
“My dad," I said. "The hazel eyes come from him. Sarah's got blue eyes."
We walked into the kitchen, and my dad stood up, standing tall as he watched me enter with Colin on my arm.
Colin let go of my hand and extended his to my father.
“Hello, Sir," he said, as my father took his hand and they shook. "My name is Colin Westwick."
I took a seat, watching the exchange. My dad was sizing Colin up and I knew it, but Colin didn't falter a single bit. If he was nervous at all, he sure as shit didn't show it.
"Jude Quinn," my dad said as he sat down. "Take a seat, son."
Colin took a seat beside me, placing his hand over mine on the table. Oh, he was nervous all right. I could tell from the clammy feeling of his hand on mine, the way that his knee shook, and the way that his fingers were restless above mine. I squeezed his hand, looking at him with a reassuring glance.
I had to admit, I was nervous as well, but I knew that my dad wouldn't burst into a full-fledged inquisition.
"So, Colin, you're new here?" Daddy asked. "In town, I mean."
Colin nodded nervously. I placed my other hand on his knee to quiet the shaking. His nervousness was rubbing off on me. I needed desperately for him to calm down.
"Yes, Sir," Colin replied. "I just moved back from Raleigh with my parents and younger sister. I attend Valley with Nickayla, Naomi, and Nikkolas."
My dad, chuckled, and then stood up, grabbing a soda out of the refrigerator. He set it down in front of Colin, sitting back down.
"Son, you seem nervous," he said. "There's no need to be." He paused as he regarded mine and Colin's hands intertwined. "So you've been seeing Nickayla for a little over a month, yes?"
I nodded, and so did Colin. My heart was racing as I waited for my dad's next question.
"And you like her?" he asked.
"Very much, sir," Colin replied, his voice suddenly strong and confident again. "Nickayla makes me very happy."
Daddy smiled at that.
Wow. Things were going swimmingly if Colin got a smile out of the ever-serious Jude Quinn. I couldn't believe how great they were getting along, even if Colin was still shaking under my hands.
"And you're not her boyfriend?" Daddy asked.
"No, sir," Colin said. "I actually wanted to meet you so that I could ask your permission to be. My grandfather always taught me it was proper to ask the father's permission to court his daughter. I would love to have Nickayla as my girlfriend, sir. If she'll have me, that is."
My dad sat back, his lips pressed into a thin line. I tried desperately to put myself in my father's mind. I needed to know what he was thinking, but more than anything in the world, I needed him to approve of Colin.
"Well, I'll tell you what, Colin," Daddy said. "I have two little girls, and they've both been dating for at least two years. Not once in those two years have I met any of their suitors. You have my utmost respect for coming here and asking to meet me." He paused, standing up. "If Nickayla will have you, you have my permission to date her." I sighed with relief as I watched my dad shake hands with Colin again. "You have my girl back by midnight, and not a minute later."
I stared at my father in shock.
Ever since Ben's party, my curfew had been 9 p.m. on school nights, and 10 p.m. on weekends. I was surprised that not only did my dad give Colin permission to date me, but he was also extending my curfew. What? Thank you, Colin!
"Yes, sir," Colin said, taking my hand as we stood up together, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I'll take good care of her, I promise."
"Colin, where are we?" I asked, my hands out at my side as Colin led me this way and that.
We had driven for twenty minutes before he pulled over and put a blindfold on me. I knew that he was keen on surprises, but I didn't like going into things blind. The only saving grace about all this was that Colin's hand never left mine, and his voice kept me calm when all I wanted to do was freak out.
"We're almost here," Colin said, chuckling at my side.
I huffed, impatient. I had been waiting since school let out to find what Colin's surprise for me was, and I honestly didn't want to wait a moment more.
"Okay," Colin said, letting go of my hand and getting behind me to untie the blindfold.
When he released it and pulled it off my eyes, I was amazed by what I saw. In front of me was a black pickup truck, all decked out in white Christmas lights with blankets and pillows strewn across the bed of the truck. There was a traditional wicker picnic basket in the center, along with about four bottles of sparkling cider and two flute wine glasses. There were flower petals lacing the ground at my feet, and music was playing from inside the cab.
Colin kicked the dirt in front of him, his hands in his pocket.
"I know this looks like something right out of a country music video, but I thought it'd be special to have some time just you and me in private," he said. "This w
as my grandfather's truck; he willed it to me, and well, since you can't exactly meet him, I figured I'd let you meet the only thing he loved almost as much as he loved his family--Lyla."
I ran my hand across the smooth finish of the truck and smiled, admiring it.
"Hello, Lyla," I said. "Pleasure to meet you."
Colin's head snapped up, his eyes wide.
I could tell that he had been nervous about this surprise, but honestly, it made my heart melt to know that he put so much thought into this date, into this night, into this moment just for me. I could tell that he wanted it to be perfect, and he wanted me to see that his heart was all in. Something deep in my soul told me that I needed to do something equally as amazing to let him know that I was feeling the same. I wasn't good at expressing my feelings out loud, but I knew how I was going to give Colin a big piece of my heart in a way that would stun him into silence.
"You really like it?" Colin asked, eyeing me in anticipation.
I nodded.
"I really do," I said. "Help me up?"
He stood behind me, and grabbed me by the waist, lifting me up with ease and placing me in the truck. I took off my shoes and scrambled toward the nearest pillow as Colin joined me. He sat across from me, opening the cider and filling both our flutes nearly to the brim. He handed me one and then smiled at me.
"To us," I said.
Colin's eyebrows rose in excitement as he raised his glass and clinked his to mine.
"To us," he replied.
I watched as he opened up the picnic basket and pulled out a small Pyrex bowl. He removed the foil from the top of the bowl and handed it to me. I looked closely and regarded the smell. It smelled divine. I wanted to dig into the dish immediately, but I wanted to know what it was first.
"It's lemon and basil marinated chicken over penne pasta with a dried tomato and basil pasta sauce," he said, as he grabbed a couple of forks and used one to pick up a small forkful of the food. "Close your eyes."
Oh, dear God this man is going to feed me, I swooned internally. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth slightly as I felt the fork slide its way past my lips and into my mouth.
"Don't open them yet," he said. "Let the flavors hit you. The lemon and tomato sound like an odd combination, but they complement each other, don't they?"
I nodded, the combination of tastes erupting like a volcano on my tongue. I chewed softly as I opened my eyes and looked up at Colin. His eyes were watching me intently like always, and I could see nothing but adoration in his eyes when they did.
"Colin," I said, after I had swallowed my first bite of the delicious dinner, "did you cook this for me?"
"Yes, I did," he said, smiling. "But, I can't take credit for the cake that we're having for dessert later; my mom made that."
I sighed in contentment. I really liked this guy. He was sweet, caring, funny, and the most amazing person I had ever met. I just wanted to wrap myself up in this moment and never let it go.
"You are so amazing," I said. "You treat me better than I deserve."
Colin scoffed, clearly amused by my statement.
"You deserve this and so much more, Nickayla," he replied simply. "I just have one question for you."
I gulped, once again afraid of what he might ask of me. He was full of surprises, and they were always good ones. I couldn't deny that I was skeptical about him at first, but I was under his spell, and I didn't ever want to break free of it.
"Okay? Shoot," I said.
"Nickayla, you've made me see something in myself that I never thought I'd see," he said. "I see a potential for happiness, and a potential for love. I love being this close to you. I love being able to know that you're here with me and I get to spend time with you. I love being in your presence. You make me a better person." He gestured for me to come to him, and as I did, he wrapped an arm around me. I noted that his expression was unreadable; it was as though he were trying to protect himself from anything I might say or do. "This...this is what I love most about being with you."
I sighed, leaning into his embrace.
"I have never been this close to a guy before," I said. "After what Kyle did to me, I'm actually kind of afraid to be here alone with you."
I watched his expression morph from guarded to wounded. His face turned blank, his mouth pressed into a thin line and I felt his heartbeat hasten under my touch. I'd hurt him, and I didn't mean to.
"You're scared because you think I'll hurt you like he did," he said, matter-of-factly.
I shook my head.
"No," I said. "I'm afraid because there's this feeling in my soul that knows you won't. To be honest, Colin, it freaks me out in the most intense way, because I'm getting this feeling that I might fall for you, and hard."
He stared at me intently, his green eyes meeting mine, seeing me like no eyes ever have.
"I've already fallen for you, Nickayla," he said. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Without hesitation, without a question, I leapt. Head first, I leapt into the pool of happiness I knew was awaiting me with this boy. I had no fears, no reservations. I knew that if I let myself, I could love Colin. I knew that I could have it all: love, security, happiness, something that I had too long deprived myself of. I wanted all of it, and I wanted all of it with Colin Westwick.
"Yes," I said. "Of course I will."
Eight.
I lay in Colin's arms, closing my eyes as he gave me a bite of his mom's red velvet cake. The date had been more than amazing so far, between finally agreeing to be his girlfriend, him feeding me a home-cooked meal, him arranging the most romantic date I'd ever been on, and the fact that by his own admission, the surprises weren't over, I knew that it would be a night I'd remember for years to come.
It was amazing how quickly I'd been overcome by happiness. Ever since our first date, I had been waiting for Colin to ask me out officially, and when he did, I felt like I was walking on clouds.
So this is what it felt like to feel complete.
I knew that in his arms was where I belonged. I felt a sense of completeness when I was around him--he was the missing piece of me.
We sat in silence, wrapped up in each other under the night sky, and I knew that there was no place I'd rather be. Wanted by Hunter Hayes came on the radio from the inside of the truck, and I looked up as Colin looked down at me with a smile in his eyes.
"Can I have this dance?" he asked.
"Of course," I replied, eagerly.
He sat up, reaching for my hands as he pulled me to my feet. I hopped off the truck ahead of Colin, and he was at my side in an instant. Without a beat, I laced my arms around his neck and nestled my head on his shoulder. His hands found the small of my back and we danced slowly under the moonlight.
I closed my eyes as we swayed to the music, losing myself in the words of the song. I inhaled the succulent scent of the boy I felt myself falling for and immediately went weak in the knees. His arms tightened around me as he kissed the top of my head, leading me in an intimate dance.
"This song is so romantic," I said as I lifted my head.
His eyes met mine in eager anticipation and he pulled me in for an Eskimo kiss.
"Then this is our song," he said smoothly.
I honestly couldn't have asked for a more perfect night. He dipped me slowly, and when I came up to meet his face, all Hell broke loose. His face was mere inches from mine, and I could feel the heat coming off both our bodies. I laced my fingers in his hair and pulled him closer, closer still. I could feel his sweet breath on my lips, and I was yearning, aching for a taste of him. I wanted his lips on mine more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. I inched closer to him, gazing into his eyes, never wanting to look away from him. I kept my gaze locked on his as our lips touched, finally.
It was sweet, soft, slow...his lips met mine in a dance of raw, pure emotion. His hands grasped at my waist, tugging me toward him. I pulled on his hair gently as I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue entrance. The hunger in both of u
s was unfathomable. It was all I could do to keep my knees from going weak. He placed his hands on my thighs, grasping them tightly as he lifted me off the ground. I wrapped my legs around him as he turned us around and set me down gently on the back of the truck. I nibbled on his lip, causing him to groan with intense pleasure. He found the spot on the nape of my neck that could garner a reaction only from his touch. He cradled my head and kissed me deeper, deeper still until I knew that I had fallen completely under his spell. The kiss became increasingly passionate as his hand gripped at my waist, holding me so that we were not two, but one. I lost my breath, but found it again when our tongues intertwined. It was feverishly intense as I ran my hands along the ridges of his sculpted chest. He was gentle, but he was passionate in a way that I couldn't possibly describe. I pulled away from him gently, laying my head on his chest as I smiled under the moonlight.
"Well," I gasped, "as first kisses go, that's the best thing I've felt in my life."
I looked up at Colin, but his eyes were closed, a reverent smile etched on his face. He shook his head, then opened his eyes as he gazed up at the stars. His gaze lowered until he was looking into my eyes, his green ones alight with a passion and an emotion I had never seen.
"I knew it," he said, as he leaned forward to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Kissing you is just like kissing an angel."
I was stunned into silence. There was something about the moment, something about feeling alive when I was with Colin...it made me feel as though I were walking on air. His touch set my soul ablaze. Under his gaze, my brain turned to mush. I couldn't see straight, I couldn't think straight. I was Colin's, he was mine, and together I knew that we had something that was unexplainable.
"Yeah, you're not so bad yourself," I said, gasping for air.
I reached for his hand, gesturing for him to join me once again in the bed of the truck. He leapt up with a grace that only Colin had, and I gently pushed him so that he was lying on his back. I crawled over to him, laying my head on his chest. His arm wrapped around me in a cool embrace. I ran my fingers along his chest, smiling down at him.
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