𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | 𝐣. 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬

𝟓 | 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 & 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐯

What. A. Joke. Jack and I have played at least 4 different games in the last hour we've been here and in every game I've lost. It's almost laughable how much I suck at this. I know I said I was going to try my best at kicking Jack's ass, but my definition of trying is non-existent. "You want to try shooting some hoops next?" I just shrug my shoulders since at this point I'm frustrated with how much I suck at these games. Jack just laughs at my lack of response and grabs my hand to lead me to the area where the basketball games are.

In the moment that Jack grabbed my hand to lead me over to the game, all I felt was electricity move through my body and I can only wonder if he feels the same. Once we make it there we stand side by side and he takes the player one side while I take player two. As I turn towards the game to press the button, Jack stops me holds both of my shoulders, and turns me to face him. "Lotte, you got this. Let's just have a good time okay?" He looks into my eyes with what looks like an endless amount of care. I can only nod my head and give him a soft smile, slightly embarrassed for getting frustrated over stupid arcade games.

I'm in no way athletic whatsoever. Throughout my time in school, I've never once played a sport unless it was required in gym class. My only tactic to try to win this is to just shoot the basketballs as best as I can and hope that it goes into the hoop. Turns out my tactic was enough to help me outscore Jack by some sort of miracle. "Yes! I won! Woooo." I can't help but jump up and down at my single victory in just one of the many games we've played so far. Something takes over me and I go straight up to Jack and hug him. "Jack I won! I won!" Jack hugs me back and I feel his breath near my ear, "See Lotte I knew you could do it." Shivers shot through my spine once I realized what we were doing.

Once I came back to my senses I took a step back from the hug. I shoot Jack a sheepish smile and he shoots one right back at me. "Uh... you wanna go try air hockey?" He lifts his arm to scratch behind his neck trying to move past our hug. "Yeah sure, let's do it." He starts to walk over to the nearest air hockey table and I follow. God everything was going so well and I just had to catch him off guard with my stupid excited hug.

𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐨𝐯

After about two hours at Dave & Busters, Lotte and I agree that it's time for me to take her back to her house. Hanging out with Lotte today went way better than I could've ever imagined. When we further talked about the idea of hanging out over text, Lotte said that she might be a little shy at first, but asked that I give her some time to open up and be her usual self. From the moment we left her house it didn't even seem like she had a hard time opening up.

When she opened her front door this morning I just couldn't help but look at her. She was absolutely beautiful, just as she did when I spotted her at the game. I couldn't help, but look into her eyes every time she looked back at me with the biggest smile plastering her face. Whenever she laughed or won any of the games we played her eyes shined brighter than any star I've seen at night, it was almost hypnotic. If only Luke and Quinn could hear me now. They'd say I was whipped and I probably wouldn't even have been able to deny it without heat rushing to my cheeks.

The whole drive back to her house consists of Lotte and I doing some Taylor Swift karaoke singing to the entirety of her discography. Once 'Out of the Woods' came on, it was almost like Lotte became a completely different person. "Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in the hospital room when you started crying, baby I do too..." The whole time this verse is on, she's screaming at the top of her lungs pointing over at me. I can't help, but laugh at her passionate delivery of the lyrics. One thing I know is to never stand between a woman and her passion for Taylor Swift.

About ten minutes later I pull onto her driveway and turn off my car to go walk her to the front door. I quickly hop out of my seat and jog over to her door and open it waiting for her to hop out before we start our walk to the door. Walking behind her, I can't help but think of how I wouldn't mind spending time with her again. It was a much-needed change from my usual rotation of going out with Luke and hockey.