a/n: now this book is #7 in teen fiction! i have never been so high up in that genre either; i'm so speechless. here's a longer chapter as a thank you! back to the story—
They went on their first official date that weekend.
He had suggested a fancy restaurant at first, thinking that was the most socially acceptable option, but she kindly shot him down. To his surprise, she wanted to have a simple picnic in the park instead, now that it was growing warmer. He, of course, went along without a second thought; as long as they were together, he didn't care where they went.
She was in charge of bringing the meal, while he brought the dessert and drinks. He had spent an hour googling potential picnic foods, and he hoped he wouldn't disappoint her.
They walked hand in hand as they searched for a good spot in the park. She held a wicker basket in her other hand, while he carried a small cooler.
A bright smile lept onto her face as she pointed towards a comfortable spot near a large tree. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, and she peered up at him, raising an eyebrow. "What, you didn't bring the blanket?"
"A blanket?" Sawyer blinked. "No, I didn't know I was supposed to. I can go buy one really quickly—"
"I'm kidding, Sawyer. I brought one," Ali chuckled as she pulled out the checkered picnic blanket from her basket. Relief washed over him, and he realized how nervous he suddenly was around her.
While she stretched out the blanket perfectly, he looked around the nearly empty park, with only a few people jogging or walking their dogs. The weather was cool and refreshing with the occasional breeze that made the tree leaves rustle above them.
"Okay, come on, sit," she said excitedly, plopping down on the blanket with her legs crossed. He sat across from her, setting his cooler down beside him, and watched her enthusiasm practically spill from her pores. "Time for the reveal! Are you excited?"
He smiled in amusement. "Very."
Her eyes gleamed at his response. She began pulling out each of the entrees, organizing them across the blanket, while he listened intently as she explained. "So since we're not posh 40 year olds or epicures, I thought it was better to keep it simple. Hence the BLT sandwiches that I know you love, the pretzels, and the small fruit platter. What do you think?"
"It's perfect," he said honestly, and she grinned.
"What did you bring?"
Sawyer hesitated, anxiety gnawing at his insides, but he forcibly swallowed down the foreign feeling. Slowly and wordlessly, he opened up the cooler and placed everything in front of him, keeping his eyes down.
Once he was done, he briefly glanced up at her, then quickly averted his gaze. She noticed his unwonted shyness, feeling a sense of déjà vu, and smiled tenderly at the memory.
She looked down at what he brought, her eyes floating over the green sparkling apple cider bottle, to the macaroons, to the chocolate covered strawberries. She cocked her head curiously. "Did you make the strawberries yourself?"
He nodded. She beamed as she imagined him working away in the kitchen with chocolate all over his fingers.
"Do you like it?" he asked reluctantly.
Ali's face softened upon hearing the faint insecurity in his tone, and she carefully leaned over the food to cup his cheeks. Her hands gently traced his jawline until his stormy eyes met her hazel ones. She smiled, the type of smile that made the colors in her irises dance like flames.
His shoulders fell as he felt himself drown in her gaze. Then, ever so slowly, she tilted her head and leaned down to meet his lips. He almost felt the need to sigh dreamily as she kissed him with the most passion and affection he had ever experienced. It was like a supernova exploded between their mouths, bursting with astronomically strong emotion. When they parted, he almost thought he saw colors that were yet to be discovered.
"I love it," Ali whispered softly, her eyes glistening with intensity. "Thank you, Sawyer. You make me feel so special."
Sawyer gave her a small smile, lifting his hand to touch her cheek lovingly. His voice was quiet, but she heard him loud and clear. "You make me feel normal."
Her eyes watered slightly at his words, knowing how much that meant to him, and she pressed a sweet kiss to his lips in response.
"We should probably start eating this food now, huh?" she remarked, and he chuckled lightly.
"I was starting to think it was all for decoration."
Ali laughed brightly before she handed him a sandwich. They ate most of the food as they chatted about anything that came to mind. By the time the sun was setting, they were sprawled across the blanket together with full stomachs.
She snuggled closer to him, leaning her head on his chest as he gently played with her caramel-colored hair. She tilted her head to look at him while he stared up at the sky in thought.
"Sawyer, is this too much for you?" she suddenly asked, drawing his attention as easily as gravity pulled a ball down. "All this hugging and kissing and being so close, is it too much? Do you need us to slow down? I don't mind if you do."
He gazed down at her for a moment, taking the time to genuinely consider the question. His fingers continued combing through her hair, which made her heart hammer wildly, before he reached a decision.
"No," he answered simply.
Ali couldn't resist the amused smile that surfaced on her lips. "No?"
"No," Sawyer repeated, glancing at his finger as he curled a strand of her hair. "This isn't too much for me. I thought it would be too, but it's not."
"Why's that?"
He shifted his gaze back to her face—a face he had grown so inexplicably attached to, that he didn't want to waste another second not looking directly at her ever again.
"I don't know," he finally replied, and she tossed him a kind smile.
"That's okay."
"Yeah," he breathed out before a calm sigh escaped from his lips. She shifted her body, then rested her head on the middle of his chest. She listened to his heartbeat as she grabbed his other hand and traced random shapes on his palm. When his heartbeat began to quicken, she grinned and pressed a small kiss on the palm of his hand.
Sawyer turned to the side and stared into her sparkling eyes. He pecked her nose, then watched as she scrunched her nose and smiled. He loved every little thing she did.
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and gifted her a smile of his own. "Let's do this again soon."