Don't You Dare

Chapter Twenty-Five:

"So...." I began, but Tanner stopped me.
"Just hush, you know I ain't gonna' tell you." He said smiling.
"What if I was going to ask about your truck?" I raised an eyebrow.
"You weren't." he said confidentially. He was right, I wasn't. I was going to now, I mean I remember seeing his truck totally destroyed in the woods.

"So how did you get your truck back?" He looked at me and smiled, "Its not my truck. My truck was towed and probably destroyed. This a new truck, same make and model." I thought for a second. Wow, it really was the exact same truck; or so I thought.

"It'll never be the same though, it doesn't have all of those memories." He seemed like he was being sincere but I had to go and ruin it. "Your only saying that because you can only think of one memory..." I turned away from him and stared out of the window.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You know what I'm talking about." I said to him coldly.

A look of realization washed over his face. "Oh, right." he chuckled. "That was fun."

My face turned bright red, "I can't believe you."
He leaned up against my shoulder, keeping his eyes on the road, "You know you liked it." he whispered.

My heart pounded so hard, I thought it cracked my ribs. I wasn't able to look at him, nor could I deny what he said. As embarrassed as I was by that, I had a strange sense of pleasure creep up on me. A shiver ran up my spine at the thought.

"So, fiancé?" He prodded, pulling into a gravel driveway. "You ready to eat some crawfish?" I whipped around to look at him. Fiancé...I think I like that.

Once I stepped down I noticed he had taken me to Tunk's Cypress Inn. I was so excited, crawfish....My mouth watered. I think Tanner noticed because he shuffled closer. I felt a wetness on my cheek and I pushed him away. "Eww! Don't lick me you perv'!" I yelled at him. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked backwards in front of me, "Why not?" I shoved him and he stumbled, almost smashing his face into a wooden pole.

I giggled and joked with him as we walked down to the oyster bar. "You know I'm glad you asked me to take you to dinner, I was gonna' ask anyway."

"Is that what the roses where for?" I smirked. He laughed as he held the door open for me. Once I walked in I noticed the building was pitch black.

"Um, Tanner, I think they are close-"

The lights flicked on and the whole room erupted in a cheer, "Happy birthday!"

I moved my hand away from my face and I saw all of my friends and family piled into the restaurant. I smiled as my heart beat calmed.

Looking at Tanner, I grinned, "How'd you know?" I said plainly.

"Your momma." he winked at my mother who jumped up and down in the front of the crowd. Alyssa pushed through the people with her 'beloved' Jacob. "Happy birthday Shel'!" She gave me a hug, "Ready to eat?" She gestured at the crowd, which parted to show an enormous pile of crawfish on a bunch of combined tables.

I cracked into the first crawfish as the crowd anticipated my every move. Even the cook towered over me as I sucked the juicy guts from the head of the crustacean. They were so spicy and just flat out delicious.

About an hour passed and the whole place was filled with our laughter. "Tanner, how'd you put all this together anyway?" I looked up at the man who had his arm around my neck. He opened his eyes and smiled at me, "I know some people." He smiled at the waitress that took our trays of crawfish shells. "She's the manger's daughter."

I leaned onto his shoulder and sighed. "So we are the same age now, yeah?" I nodded without getting up from his shoulder, "Nineteen, yes." The crowd erupted in a loud 'Awww'.

I blushed and pushed off of him.
Alyssa must've noticed how awkward I felt, "Time for presents!" she announced loudly.

"Y'all didn't have to..." Tanner stood up and walked around a corner. He came back out with some kind of gift bag and sat down next to me, putting the gift in front of me. I looked at him like he was crazy. He nodded towards the bag, "Open it stupid." he laughed.

I played around it until I could tell Tanner was about to open my own present for me. I giggled and opened the bag. I pulled out camouflage hoodie. "There's more, keep diggin'." He told me. I did as he said and I pulled out a big box. "Tanner! You didn't!" I squeezed as I opened the box to reveal a beautiful pair of square-toe leather boots. They were a deep brown with light blue crosses and designs.

"I thought you would like them." I was totally speechless as he wrapped his arm around my neck. I could do nothing but stare blankly at the shoes. "How...where did you get the money..? These must've been crazy expensive." He shook his head, "Naah, 'sides, that don't matter right now. Your momma's got somethin' for you."

My mother looked at my father who handed her a camo fishing pole from behind his back."Momma!" I exclaimed and shot out of my seat.

***

The night went by quickly and before I knew it, my parents were leaving and it was just me and Tanner.

"Did you have fun?" He hung his arm around my shoulders.
I snuggled into him, "Yeah..."
"Alright then, let's go home."
I looked up, "Are you going to drop me off at my house?" I asked sleepily.
I heard his husky laugh, "You could say that..."