✓ [18+] WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL

XX. It Is Not A Date-Date

When I pull up in front of her house to take her on our not-a-date, I notice that Bex's car is here. I ring the doorbell and the tiny, wild-eyed short stack answers. She smiles up at me and pulls me in for her signature warm hugs.

"So are you ready for your not-a-date-but-we-all-know-it-is-one outing with Heather?" she laughs and I return the laugh, finding amusement in her code name for it.

"Yeah I am. I wish she'd just accept it for what it is already," I chuckle and shove my hands in my pockets.

"Well I will say she's dressed nice for something that is suppose to be just for friends," she informs me and I glance at the stairs just in time to see Heather walk down them casually, like this isn't a big deal at all.

I'm in complete awe of her as she's dressed in a yellow sundress that stops at the middle of her thighs. As she walks down the stairs, she's sliding her arms into the sleeves of a navy blue jean jacket. She's wearing brown boots that go up to the middle of her calves, looking absolutely beautiful. Grabbing her curly hair, she pulls it up into a ponytail and checks herself in the mirror above the entryway table before turning to me with smile.

"Ready?" she beams and gives Bex a quick hug before walking out the front door, leaving me stunned in the doorway.

I'm awestruck right now at how she's acting. She's not nervous at all and to her, this is like any other day. I guess that's what's to be expected when you're treating this as just friends hanging out.

"Good luck," Bex grins at me as she walks towards the kitchen where it smells like she's baking cookies. Interesting. I close the front door and make my way to Heather as she leans back against the passenger side door, waiting for me. She smiles up at me as I approach her and it can't be helped when I lean over and kiss her lips while opening the door for her so she can slide in.

"Where are we going?" she asks and bites her bottom lip as I drive down the main road of Clinton Hills.

"How do you feel about pizza?" I smirk at her.

"I love it. It's one of my favorite things to eat," she smiles excitedly and leans back in the seat comfortably.

Of course it's her favorite, who doesn't love pizza? I grin as I get another tally mark on the board of Heather for doing something right to prove myself to her. We enjoy our time at Jay's Pizza and by the way Heather is acting, I know she's happy. She walks out of the pizza place and grabs my hand, taking me back at first but I don't dare ask why she's holding my hand and decide to run with it.

Instead of going to my car, we walk down Main Street hand in hand as she asks me questions about my career and what I did in college. She is thoroughly surprised when I tell her I graduated with a bachelors degree in business. Even gives me a laughs when I tell her I use to work in an accounting office wearing a suit and tie for four years after I graduated college.

"So why did you give it up? What made Carter Allen go from wearing a suit and tie, which I'm having a hard time seeing, to being Mr. Sexy Firefighter?" she laughs.

"First of all, I don't look as bad as you'd think. Second, I gave it up because I felt like I wasn't doing anything with my life. I wanted to make a difference for actual people, not the numbers on a spread sheet. Third, Mr. Sexy Firefighter huh?" I smirk at her and wrap my arm around her shoulders.

"Well you'll need to try a suit on so I can see that," she bites her bottom lip and blushes, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"So what did you do in college? Let me guess? Went to every Frat party you could?" I laugh.