Firsts & Lasts

Last Night.

Christian

After the Ferris wheel, Nova and I decide to call it a night. It was about eleven already and she has an early class, while I have morning practice. We walk towards my car and she stops my strides by walking in front of me. "Thanks for coming out tonight." She smiles. I tilt my head slightly and shake my head. "No, thank you for inviting me out. You were right, I needed something like this."

These past couple of weeks I've been in my head about everything. School, football, my dad. This was a much-needed night out. I have as much fun with Novalee as I have with the boys. Maybe even a little more since I trust this girl completely. We can be doing absolutely anything and I know I'll have fun if she's around.

"You did. You were becoming a little too broody for me." She crinkles her nose, leaning back against the car. I laugh and nod. Ever since Nova came back into my life, I've changed a bit. I think it's because I knew the version of me that she didn't like and that was still very much me. It's like I aged, but kind of stayed the same in most aspects. My attitude. She hated it and I still had it till the day I ran into her again. For some reason, I had an idea that that wouldn't be the last time I saw her again.

It's like she was always destined to be in my life despite how cheesy that fucking sounds.

I'd never want to change for a person completely, but it's not like I changed any of the good things about me. If there even is any good things about me. Even when we were younger, she never left. Throughout the good and the bad, she stayed. When I was being the biggest dick in the world, treating her like nothing, she stayed. I should've realized how good I had it with her.

I also know that everything we went through led us back here. Together again. Only this time, we're better than we were. More me, than her. She's always been perfect.

"I'm sorry," I say and not about the fact that I've been more broody than usual, even if that's true. She picks up on what I mean, luckily. "For what?" She asks, crossing her arms across her chest. I inch toward her a bit, still leaving a distance between our bodies. "You know, high school," she rolls her eyes playfully "No, no, no. I mean it. Don't roll your eyes." I point a finger at her. She grabs it and places my hand back by my side. "You've apologized for that a long time ago Christian, I said it was fine." She replies.

The way my name rolls of her tongue lights a fire in me. She's one of the only people who uses my first name and that means something more to me. It's always a little reminder of when we first met and she refused to call me Valdez.

"I know, I know, but," I trail "I was a little shit and even all these years later I still am. You didn't have to take a chance on being my friend again, but you did. That means something to me." I admit. She tilts her head a bit and raises her brows. "Well, that's just who I am, I guess. I give second chances to people who don't deserve it," she says. I frown. "Not that you don't deserve it, because you do! You've shown me that you do, but I was kind of referring to my ex-boyfriend." She covers her face with her hands.

"I just mean, I give second chances to everyone and I don't think I'll ever stop. Just don't.. mess it up." She pokes a finger into my chest. "I won't," I say truthfully. She smiles, a little flushed. "Good." I'm too entranced at this moment to even flinch at the acknowledgment of her ex-boyfriend. He doesn't even deserve to be a thought in her head anymore. She deserves better than that.

"What are we doing?" She says, her voice catching me off guard. I think I was staring at her for a little too long. "Hm?" I ask, confused. She shakes her head and stutters. "This," she points her finger between the both of us "what is this, Valdez?" I furrow my brows slightly at the name choice. I'm not an idiot. She's finally had enough of the stares, the compliments, the kisses. The tension, which is very much there. I just never thought she'd be confident enough to talk about it.