When you fall

Chapter 7

On the way to the mall, I can't help but be aware of Wes sitting next to me. My eyes catch glimpses of him driving and how he holds the steering wheel. We stay silent for the first few minutes. And I suddenly wish I had the nerves to put the radio louder.

"You wanna listen to some music?" Wes breaks the silence.

"Oh thank goodness yes!" I say and reach for the radio, but Wes stops me.

"Take my phone. I have the bluetooth on." Wes says.

I reach for his phone next to me in the cup holder alongside his house keys. I hold up his phone wanting him to put in his passcode.

"3237." Wes says.
I look at him. Confused. I guess I didn't expect that.
He smiles at me, not even looking at me. Knowing what my expression holds.

I type in the passcode and find Spotify. I open the app and immediately start laughing.

"Something wrong?" Wes asks concerned.

"Why do you have so many Olivia Rodrigo songs?" And still, I continue laughing and smiling since I really like her songs.

Wes smiles, yet moves uncomfortably in his seat. "I just like her okay?"

"Sure you do." I laugh. I end up searching one of my favourite song and blast it. Wes smiles in approval when he hears 'Sunroof' start to play.

For a few minutes we jam to the song that with the setting sun, it sets a mood I don't ever want to forget. I look at Wes and smile. Extremely happy in this moment. A moment I am sure to take a mental picture of.

"Is there something on my face?" Wes asks playfully.
My smile doesn't fade, neither does his. And I don't care if Wes sees it.

I don't answer him though. So he looks at me. Smiling back.
We come to a stop at the red light and Wes leans in to my side of the car. The air around us feel thick. I'm still smiling, and Sunroof continues to play on. Wes looks at me. Still grinning. He puts a strand of my hair behind my ear and takes my chin in his hand. His thumb traces my cheek and part of my lower lip. His eyes keeps dipping to my mouth and I'm suddenly warm with expectation. We lean in, inches from one another's face.

Wes smiles, but he doesn't close the distance. And I desperately want to, but am also compelled to not do so.

I lean in a bit closer but Wes pulls away instantly and the car is set back into motion.

I feel the sudden rush of air between us. And sit back into my seat. Feeling both relieved and disappointed.

The song comes to an end and the next plays, but Wes turns the radio down and says, "Honey, is something wrong?"
I say nothing. Still contemplating the to kiss or not to kiss moment.

"You can stop calling me that." I say, acting natural.
"Honey? Nah, it's funny." Wes says grinning.

I can see how it's funny, but I don't want him calling me that unless we're actually dating, which I guess we're not.
"It's not like we're dating, and that was just a shirt okay?" I defend my fashion choice.

"Well we are going on a date right? So I guess I can call you whatever I want."

I laugh at Wes, "It's one date. We'll see if you can handle me."

Wes just shakes his head. "Okay, relax, I am sure this will be okay." He says, acting playfully nervous.

A few moments later, after going back and forth between what we actually are. We pull into the parking lot and settle on, that we're just friends watching a movie together. Even if everything in me is contemplating that choice of words. Because clearly I can't see us as just friends, but I keep quiet.

Wes opens my door and we head to the bookstore, as he promised.

"You look really pretty tonight, by the way." Wes whispers over my shoulder into my ear. I smile. But try to keep calm on the fact that he called me pretty. It's just a word.

"You don't have to whisper, Archer." I say, leading us through the hundreds of books on the shelves around us.
"This isn't a library, it's a bookstore." I say giggling like a ten year old.

I keep walking down the isle until I find the young adult romance section. I get completely lost in the books in-front of me. I take a few books out I have been eyeing since their releases. I smile when I see the book, Better than the movies, on the shelf just above my reaching level. I reach for the book trying to stand on tippy toes.

I realise I might need assistance. I turn around, seeing Wes behind me scanning through some fiction books. He turns around and sees me with a few books in my hand, stacked and balanced on top of each other.

"Can you maybe grab me that book, please?" I ask, pointing to the yellow cover above me. I turn my face back to Wes to only find him standing really close to me and I can't step back because I'm already almost against the wall shelf.
I look up at Wes's face and at how he effortlessly grabs the book above me. My gaze follows his hand and the book he holds. I trace with my eyes the veins in his vore arm.

He takes a step back and hands me the book with a slight self satisfied smile. Before I take it, he grabs the books in my hand and asks, "Anything else?"
I do a quick scan around the shelves and decide that 5 books might be enough, and far to little.

I look back at Wes and my eyes meet his blue-green eyes. "I think that'll be all." I say.

I grab a book from the pile he's carrying and walk to the counter to pay. I reach for my wallet when Wes takes out his card. I frown.

"You can't." I say.
"My date, my rules." Wes says and hands the card to cashier. She looks at me and smiles.
"Keep him." She says as she rings up the books.
I turn to Wes. "Thank you." I say. Really not knowing what else to say. Wes smiles. And my heart does a 360 spin.

When we get to the car, I make sure to sneak one or two of the few dollar bills my dad gave me into Wes's cup holder, hiding it with his water bottle.

Wes takes my hand and we walk to the cinema. We get our snacks and drinks and head to where we're supposed to sit.

Through the entire movie, I feel Wes move next to me. He never gets close to me or touches me. But I am aware of him.

As the romcom comes to an end and everyone leaves the theatre. The end credits keep playing and Wes stands up.

He looks around the room. Seeing if anyone is still around. I sit there, watching his every gaze until it rests on mine. My heart skips a beat, but only momentarily. His smile does things to my stomach.

He raises his brows and points at me. I sheepishly smile back, fully knowing I'm blushing.
"You're going to dance with me." Wes says as the end credit music plays.

At first I shake my head. I was not about to dance with him in his arms. But somehow I knew I had to.
I stand up, knowing I have two left feet. I take his hand, knowing I'm going to laugh at myself.

When we reach the open space beneath the big screen. Everything suddenly feels like slow motion as he steps closer to me and rests his hand on my lower back.

Every inch of his smell fills my nose. He takes my right hand and smiles down at me as he slightly smirks. Knowing I might be paralysed by him holding me like this.

We move across the floor, so effortlessly, yet I'm struggling to keep up and remember how to breathe.
He spins me around. And we laugh, because our hands slipped loose, we were grabbing for air, when he catches my hand again and pulls me in, as-if scared to let go of me.

His blue-green eyes follows my smile for a second. We glide across the floor. He starts singing along with the lyrics, because somehow he knew every word. And I could listen to him forever. I would.

I'll always remember his smile in this moment, our laughing, but right now, I always want to remember the way he dances.