Channel

41| You Taught Me How To Love

I look out of the jeeps window and see Kenna's flower shop first. My eyes move over to the left when I see another building that definitely wasn't there the last time I was here.

The 'Carter's Surfs' sign is plastered across the top of the building and to say my jaw is on the floor of the car right nowhere, is under playing it.

"No you didn't." I say in awe

"Yes I did." Kenna replies giggling.

"Oh. My. God." I whisper. I take the shop keys she's holding in her hand, and spring out of the truck. The shop is only a few feet away from Kenna's and I can't get over how perfect it is.

I unlock the doors to the shop and surf boards, shelves, and pictures fill the space. The place looks almost identical to the one in Channel which makes me feel right at home.

I walk closer to the walls and see a bunch of pictures of Kenna and I, all six of our friend group, and other moments that I didn't even know she captured.

I turn towards her and see her standing in the doorway of the shop.

"Come here." I say holding out my arms. Kenna runs towards me and I wrap my arms around her.

"You didn't have to do this." I whisper into her hair.

"You deserve this and so much more." Kenna whispers back.

"This is more than anything I could've ever asked for, love. I'm so grateful." I take another look around and everywhere I look there is something I didn't see before. Bandanas tied to door handles, license plates from different states fill the back wall. So many small details that truly make me feel so loved and in awe.

"I get to spend the rest of my life paying you back for everything you've done for me." Kenna says pulling her face from my chest and looking up at me.

"I like those words."

"What words?" Kenna says giggling, repeating our conversation from a few months ago.

"The words 'rest of my life' and you' being in the same sentence." A tear rolls down my cheek and Kenna swipes it away smiling.

"You are my life, Wesley Carter." She whispers.

*

After Kenna gave me an in depth tour of the shop and explained the meaning behind every picture and detail added to the shop, the day has flown by.

Finding out her and my Dad worked together to open a new Carter's made me fall in love with her even more. Having the two things I love the most being next to each other is the best thing I could've asked for.

"What should we do next birthday boy?" Kenna asks while I lock up the new shop.

"Well, you don't have school for another weeks, we could stay for a little." I reply looking over at her. Kenna smiles and nods.

We book the same hotel we did the last time we stayed here and Kenna runs through the door and throws herself on the bed.

I lay beside her and roll her on top of me.

"Thank you for today Kenny." I say moving her hair out of my face.

"Please don't thank me. You deserve it and that's all that matters."

I don't say anything and nod instead. As much as she doesn't like getting recognition for the things she does for me, I make it evident how much I appreciate them. Kenna and I's relationship is like an endless amount of giving and love, and everything about it is so perfect.

"I wouldn't want to have spent my summer with any other person-" Kenna whispers breaking the silence, "Seriously. Every laugh, every smile, was because of you. You taught me how to love."

Her words channel through my body and coat over my heart. Kennedy was the most unexpected thing to have occurred in my life. I came to this town strictly focused on Carter's, but it's like the second I saw her, I knew.

Kennedy taught me patience and how to put my self first, even when she didn't know how to. She taught me the true meaning of a relationship and healed my heart, even though hers was broken.

The risks and milestones we have experienced together is like no other feeling in the world, she truly is the best part of my day. Every day.

I loved her then, I love her now, and you better believe I'll love this girl with my entire existence- every lifetime after.