In the Open

"You love me?"

*** Steamy Content Warning***

Nick and I walk into Walmart at around six. Alyssa's parent's said she had to be home to go to church early tomorrow morning, so we had to drop her off early. I know, it's insane. Alyssa and church aren't exactly the best duo.

"Do you want me to come with you babe?" Nick asks, and I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from screeching 'no' at him.

I have to be calm, he can't know what's happening. I kiss him on the cheek and then give him a quick peck on the lips, but I want nothing more than to kiss him forever. I don't know if I'll ever be able to after tomorrow.

"Actually babe, can you go get us some snacks? You know I'm a sucker for sour gummy worms, and I think they came out with a new one. Sloths, I think?" I ask him sweetly, and he laughs at me, the kind that makes warmth bubble up in my chest. I never want to stop hearing him laugh.

"You have an addiction sweetheart. Eating too much sour candy is bad luck!" He tells me and walks off in the candy direction. I almost want to laugh at what he said. I seem to be having all the bad luck in the world, and I've had at least six bags of sour gummy worms in the past three weeks. Oh well, if I'm dying tomorrow it should be with something I love in my stomach.

Wow, that's not funny at all.

I shake my head at my own thoughts and go over to the printers. I plug my phone in and select the screenshots I want to print, and I'm all done within ten minutes. I slide the envelope into my back pocket, and it feels like I'm hiding a bomb. I'm reminded of the Tell Tale Heart and how in this moment I feel like I'm living in the story. Although instead of hiding a dead person and hearing the heartbeat, I'm hiding my potential murderer, and I feel my guilt grow with every step I take. I turn the corner, and Nick is right in my path with his hands full of different candies, even with a bag between his teeth.

I can't help put laugh at him as one of the bags fall out of his arms, but he catches it with his foot. Only Nick Simmons, I swear.

"What, did you grab the whole aisle?" I tease, earning a playful glare from him. I take some of the bags out of his hands and we walk to self check out.

"How did the pictures go?" He asks me as we start scanning the items. I see at least four bags of different types of sour gummy candies. I don't deserve this boy at all, but somehow I got lucky.

I hand him another bag, and take a deep breath. "It went well, they printed out just fine."

"That's good, I'm glad. Hey, I didn't know which kind you wanted so I got a bag of every Trolli candy I saw," he says and smiles at me as we scan the last item and he wordlessly slides his credit card in. That reminds me that I need to get a job. Or at least... I would've needed one.

"You're positively insane Nick Simmons. But I wouldn't have it any other way," I say to him, and we both grab a bag as we head outside.

"So.... Sonic time? I think I'm going to get a cookie dough blast. And you'll have two pretzels with the cheese sauce, along with a Butterfinger blast," Nick says definitely as we hop in the car and drive off, heading to Sonic.

"How did you know what I wanted before me?" I laugh at him, astonishment in my tone. Seriously, is he a mind reader? We don't go to Sonic very much, so the fact that he knows my order is a little strange.

"The first time we went to Sonic you tried the pretzel and then cried about how you should've gotten two because the one would be 'lonely in your belly'. You also got an Oreo blast that day and mumbled under your breath 'I knew I should have stuck with Butterfinger'. So yes I know your order."