The Burning Rose

46 | Shakespeare

I rubbed my face with my hands. A fuzzy memory popped into my head. Gray seated on my bed, telling me he was taking me somewhere by six in the morning. I grabbed my phone to check the time again.

"Shit!" I hissed, flinging the covers off me and jumping out of bed.

I slipped into a hectic frenzy, rushing into the bathroom to take a shower. I didn't wait for the water to reach the right temperature, impatiently stepping under the cold spray that instantly woke me up.

Where the hell were we going so early in the morning?

Wrapping a towel around my body, I moved over to the sink to brush my teeth and wash my face. Once I finished, I stumbled out of the bathroom toward my dresser, pulling the drawers open. I grabbed a matching pair of underwear and slipped into them before going through my closet. I took out a mustard yellow floral print dress and pulled it on, the garment reaching my ankles. Then I blew dried my hair, put on light makeup, and sprayed perfume.

Checking the time on the clock, I gritted my teeth when I saw that it was already ten minutes past six. I grabbed a pair of socks and my chocolate-colored combat boots from the shoe rack, hurriedly slipping them on. Then I sneaked a swift look out the window.

Gray was leaning against a black SUV with his arms crossed.

I grabbed my bag, then sprinted out of the room. Once I exited the building, Gray removed his sunglasses and placed them at the top of his head. He was wearing his signature outfit; a white dress shirt with the two buttons left undone and sleeves rolled up, a pair of black jeans, and black combat boots.

He smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

He opened the passenger's seat door, and I stepped inside. He shut the door and moved over to the driver's seat while I placed my bag down next to my feet. Once we were both settled, he drove out of Brickfields.

"Where are we going?" I asked, gazing at him expectantly.

"It's a place I love and a three-hour drive from here."

I nodded and stared through the windshield. Calmness surged through me as a faint yellow lined the horizon. The sun slowly emerged, brightening the earth with its glow.

"A new day," Gray murmured.

"A new day," I echoed.

With Gray's insane driving skills, we arrived at his special place twenty minutes earlier than expected. We were somewhere up the mountain, in the middle of nowhere, really, really far from the city.

He stepped out of the car and went straight to the boot, and I followed.

"What are you doing?" I asked, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

Gray looked at me smugly as he popped the trunk open, revealing a picnic basket. "Care to join me for a picnic?" he asked, his voice velvet soft.

I couldn't help but smile. "Don't mind if I do."

He took the picnic basket and closed the trunk. Then he guided me as we walked down a rock staircase with our hands twined together. When we reached the final step, I raised my chin, and my mouth dropped open at the beautiful scenery. I didn't realize how high up we were. I could see the whole city and stretch of the sea from where we stood.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured.

"Very," I replied, awestruck.

He tugged on my hand, and we carried on, walking through a narrow path with vines hanging loosely from the trees. Ten minutes into our stroll, we made it past a fringe of ferns, and my jaw dropped in wonderment. The meadow flowed like a sea of green, flecked with a cacophony of color; purple thistles, blue cornflowers, and petite daisies with their yellow centers. I wandered through the grass that waved in the August breeze, the sun directly overhead as it filled the meadow with its brilliance that kissed my skin. The butterflies flitted around the fragrant flowers while the gentle breeze ruffled their petals.