Safety Net {l.r.h}

31) Date

ELLIE ABNER

I smoothed down the smooth black dress I decided to wear before plopping down on my bed to put on some over-the-knee boots that are suede material. Once I zipped them up, I slid on a jean jacket to match and looked over my appearance. My hair was lightly curled to produce a wavy effect and my makeup was a natural look paired with false lashes. A knock on the door caused my heart to pound and I shakily walked over to it, taking a deep breath. I twisted the knob and opened the door to reveal Luke.

Instantly, my breathing became shallow as I looked him over. He wore a black button-down with the top buttons undone to expose his chest and had a cross pendant hanging from his neck. His legs were covered in black dress pants and Chelsea boots to match. As if we were both thinking the same thing, we both started speaking.

"You look good," we said simultaneously. Luke let out a breathy laugh as I giggled, tucking my hair behind my ear. In a smooth motion, he brought his hands out from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of red roses. My eyes widened in surprise, and I reached out to take the beautiful flowers from his grasp.

Though I knew we had a physical attraction towards one another, I would've never guessed he'd be emotionally involved.

I was willing to let myself get hurt to be near him, just because I liked him that much. The only people who knew of this were Michael and Dayna.

"You didn't have to get me anything," I say quietly, suddenly feeling shy. Truth be told, I've never been on a date before. Besides with Tristan, but we don't talk about that.

Luke showed a look of disapproval before stepping past me inside my dorm. "Don't be dismissive, El. I wanted to."

If he wanted to, he would.

Smiling, I followed him and watched as he grabbed a red solo cup from a cheap pack, I got at a dollar store a while ago. He filled it up with water in my bathroom and grabbed the bouquet of roses from me to place in the cup. They fit awkwardly in the small cup, but it worked.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," he says cheekily, grabbing my hand with his large one to lead me out the door.

-

After letting Luke drive my car, we ended up at a nice restaurant in the heart of Seattle. He had hurriedly exited the driver's side and opened my door for me, which I adored. Then as if that wasn't enough, he guided me in the restaurant with his arm around my waist. We were sat at a table near the center of the dining area and instantly given a basket of rolls with water. I hesitantly grabbed a roll and brought it up to my mouth and took a bite only to find Luke staring at me.

I narrowed my gaze at the boy, "what?" I asked, covering my mouth that had bread stuffed in it.

"You're so pretty."

I swallowed my food and took a sip of my drink, a pink tint on my cheeks. "Even with a mouthful?"

Luke smirked, "oh, I'll give you a mouthful." As if I forgot how to breathe properly, I choked on my water.

"Jar!" I exclaimed, laughing.

The blonde boy smiles, chuckling, "totally worth it."

The waiter came by our table and took our order. We both settled for the steak dinner with two additional sides along with coke for the drink. I twirled my hair around my finger, looking over the boy in front of me. I felt so lucky to be on a date with him and he had no idea.

"When did you first realize you liked me? More than a friend that is." I blurted out the words before I could stop myself. The question had killed me all day and I had to know. Luke scratched the side of his head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Let me think," he trailed off, seemingly going deep in thought. "I thought you were gorgeous from the day I saw you in psych class."

I rolled my eyes. "You weren't even paying attention to me." He smirks.

"So, you think," he snickers, leaning forward on his elbows. "I think I realized I started to like you when I saw you wearing my jersey, but you caught my eye the first day. What about you?"

My mouth ran dry, and I bit the inside of my cheek, "I kind of became interested when you started flirting with me after psych class every day."

"See, you complain about my flirting but then go and confess this to me." His tone was playful.

I giggled, reminiscing over the last two and half months. "I'm glad I met you."

A soft smile replaced the mischievous smirk on Luke's face, and he grabbed my hand over the table. "I'm glad I met you too."

We quickly finished our meal after the blonde had checked the time and realized we were running out of it. How? I didn't know, but I was sure to find out. He dragged me out of the restaurant and to the car just to start driving further away. The sun was setting, and the clouds were low in the sky which produced a beautiful sky. I kept my eyes focused on the moving trees outside the window and watched as our surroundings continued to become unfamiliar to me. I hadn't been on this side of town.

The car soon slowed to a stop on the outskirts of a brightly lit street festival. Fall decorations and pumpkins were littered about to give it the autumn feel. My eyes widened and I turned to Luke. He had a knowing smirk on his face, and I knew that this was our destination.

"I know how much you like fall, so voila, a fall festival."

His words struck me in the chest. No one had ever done anything for me based on my interests except for Luke. Instead of responding to him in words, I swiftly grabbed the sides of his face and pressed my lips to his. He was surprised by the gesture, but kissed me back anyways, laughing against me.

I pulled away and reached for the door handle as he stared at me in a daze. "Well, are you coming or not?" Within seconds, Luke stumbled out of the car and immediately rushed to my side to open my door before I could. I stepped out into the cool Seattle air, tugging my jean jacket closer to my body as my wide eyes scanned the yellow and orange lights strung along the street. Small food kiosks were set up with baked goods and harvested vegetables, then some tents had handmade jewelry and clothes, a small band of older men played in the distance. The whole thing screamed fall.

I felt a warmth in my palm and looked down to see that Luke had intertwined our hands together. Smiling softly, I laced my fingers with his as we walked into the busy festival. We made sure to walk by every tent to see what they had to offer. I wasn't planning on buying anything until my eyes landed on the caramel apple booth. Biting the inside of my cheek, I tried to resist the urge to ask Luke to get one, but he was already heading in that direction.

"Don't think I didn't see you drooling over these things," he chuckles, pulling out his wallet.

"You don't have to " Holding his hand up, I was silenced. Handing over a few dollars to the person running the booth, they gratefully took the money and handed over a caramel apple on a stick. I hesitantly took it in my grasp and bit into the sweet fruit. A satisfied hum left my lips as I did so.

We walked in a comfortable silence through the brightly lit street, watching how happy everyone around us looked. My heart was skipping a beat every few minutes at the thought of the boy next to me. He made life feel so surreal and let me experience new things, knowing he was always there to steady me when things got crazy. I'd always have him to fall back on... like a safety net.

The sound of the small band got louder as we walked by. Their instruments played the tune of an Elvis Presley song. Caught up looking around, I was taken by surprise when I was spun out by my hand into a fast twirl. I held on tightly to the stick my apple was impaled with, hoping it didn't fall. Luke spun me back towards him and it was then I realized that he was trying to dance. I softly bumped into his chest, and I looked up at him with wide eyes.

Moving the apple to my mouth again, I took another bite before tossing the core in the nearest trashcan. Luke spun me again, switching hands, which caused me to squeal with laughter. I twirled back into his chest once more, resorting to a slow sway. My hands rested behind his head as my arms were draped over his shoulders. Luke's hands were planted on my waist in order to guide us with the music.

I couldn't have asked for a better date.