Chapter 4: Twisted Games
The following day was like any other day, school prolonged and she couldn't wait to get out and she nearly did until Eli came running through the exit doors, the loud slam where his hands pushed against the metal that opened the doors, he darted through the other students swarming out and kept running until he found the brunette girl. "Running away from me, are you?"
"I've been walking this whole time, you're the one who was running."
He gave her a look, his breath not even slightly labored. Eli still looked perfectly handsome without a single bead of sweat implicating the physical activity he'd done. "Either way, date tonight. I'll pick you up at eight."
"You found my address?" Aspen's honey brown eyes peeked over at him, her brows furrowed at the proud expression on his features. "How the hell did you manage that?"
"Told the office I needed to find my emergency card, found yours, wrote the address down and viola."
By now teenage girls and boys were staring over at the duo in suspicion, very obviously talking about them and most likely trying to figure out why one of the most popular guys in school was paying any attention to her. "One date and if I don't like it you leave me alone."
"No promises, if you don't like the date—which it'll be very hard not to, just saying, then it'll only make me want to take you on more until you like it."
"What game are you playing at, Eli?" Aspen finally cut to the chase, his constant flirting and persistence making her wary of the relationship he was trying to form. "You're you and I'm as far off your radar as can be, why me?"
Eli felt his heart jump at the question, her words held so much weight and Aspen hadn't the slightest clue what game he was really playing and for a moment he felt remorse but he also wanted to keep going. She was different, she didn't throw herself on him and tell the whole school she was hanging out with him, her business didn't flow around the school and Eli enjoyed that. "There's something about you that I like and I want to figure out what."
"And what if you don't like what you find."
That grin pulled up on his face and it made Aspen angry at how gorgeous this boy before her was. Everything about him physically—and from what she could tell so far mentally too—was intoxicating. "That's doubtful, but I guess we'll start finding out tonight. Dress pretty, nothing too fancy though."
Aspen nodded at him, a smile of her own tugging across her face and it didn't come off until she'd gotten home, the front door shutting behind her. "Aspen, that you?" Her mother called out, her messy brown hair piled atop her head with some chopsticks. "What's with the grin?"
"I have a date tonight."
"Who with?" Daphne peeked her eyes over at her daughter, hands busy preparing a meal for herself.
Tucking her own brown hair behind her ear, Aspen answered while heading to the fridge, pulling out a water and slowly uncapping it. "Elliot James, well, Eli."
"Where's he taking you?"
"Not sure, he won't tell me."
Daphne hummed at the response, her shoulders still tense since the mentioning of the boy. "Aspen, you know I love you, right?"
"Mom—"
"No, just let me finish." Dusting her fingers off on a counter cloth, her mother turned to face her, a protectiveness shining through her chocolate brown irises. "I want you to be happy, I do, but I've seen you hurt before and it would kill me to see that happen to you again. Ethan, he crushed you, Honey and to this day you still won't even tell me what he did."
Aspen remained silent and looking elsewhere, not wanting to relive those memories, those vivid pictures in her mind that flopped so quickly it was like a motion picture, one opening and then the next until the whole story unfolded, forcing the teenage girl to see that again. "It's nothing, Mom, I'm fine. Can I go or no?"
Sighing, Daphne gave a nod, her plump lips pursed as she agreed with her daughters decisions. "But if something happens this time, anything Aspen, you tell me. I refuse to allow you to leave me in the dark any longer."
"Okay," Giving a little kiss on the cheek, the pretty brunette dashed up the stairs, her hair being tugged from its bun in the process.
Moments passed until she was in her room, her safe haven locked for her privacy as she moved to her closet and ripped it open. Clothes were hung up neatly and color coded, all of the hangers facing in the same direction, any other way being a pet-peeve for Aspen.
Her eyes skimmed over everything, taking into mind Eli's instructions to wear something pretty but nothing over the top, so she opted for a nice pair of tight black jeans and a cute flowy top. She curled her hair a little bit and applied mascara and a little bit of concealer to brighten her face up, applying lip gloss after brushing her teeth.
Waiting on his arrival, Aspen killed time with a few television shows, nearly not wanting to leave once she heard the doorbell ring. The door was opened when she got there, her mother just staring at Eli, not speaking. "Mom, that's Eli, we should leave."
"Curfew's eleven."
"Curfew? You've never given me a curfew."
"Midnight and not a moment later. No funny business either Aspen, don't do anything unsafe."
Picking up her keys and wallet, Aspen had already started walking down the porch steps. "Can't do anything unsafe if I'm still here. Goodbye, Mom."
Eli followed close behind, his car keys jingling between his fingers. "She doesn't like me very much, does she?"
"She doesn't like any of the guys I bring home."
"How come?"
"Got hurt once, it was pretty bad. It screwed with my head and my mom is really cautious now when it comes to the guys I involve myself with."
Eli turned the keys in the ignition, his nimble fingers moving to curl around the wheel after switching the gears. In his chest, his heart clenched and remorse surfaced, the guilt beginning to eat away at him. This girl beside him had already been hurt and he's about to do the same thing and he knows it. "Are you better now?"
"Than I was? So much better."
"Enough sad talk, you're about to have the time of your life on this date with me and I want every moment of it to be spent with a smile on your face."
Aspen rolled her eyes at him but she couldn't even stop the grin that pulled across her pale skin. "Still think there's going to be a second?"
"There's going to be hundreds of them. You and I, we've got something, I can feel it."
Trees passed by in a blur, him driving past buildings and restaurants for at least fifteen minutes until they pulled up to a small little restaurant with so many flowers surrounding it. Some were pink and small, others were a blinding yellow, it's petals so large she could see its detailing from far away. "Eli, it's beautiful."
"You like it?"
"You have no idea." Stepping ahead, Aspen naturally gravitated to the pretty flowers, gently pushing long stems away to sit down on the little bench, her legs crossed and she looked up at Eli with a smile on her face, teeth and all. "Take a picture of me."
Without another word, he pulled his phone out, snapping multiple pictures of her, chuckling to himself once she started chancing her poses from simple things to some more dramatic. "Beautiful," He finally stopped once she stood, his dark eyes skimming across her phones happily, Aspen was gorgeous. "Let's go eat."
"I want to see them," She leaned over his shoulder, one delicate hand holding onto him for support as she was on her tip-toes. She smelled pretty too, her scent light and fresh like lavender and honey. "Not bad, who would've know you could take a decent photo."
Eli scoffed, the two walking in tandem into the restaurant, him pausing to hold the door and let her in. "I know all about the angles and lighting."
Aspen responded to him with a grin thrown over her shoulder, waiting patiently at the desk to be seated. "Can we sit by a window?"
The waitress nodded, grabbing two menus and guiding them to their requested seats. It was cute and home-y, but decorated well enough to be deemed fancy. "My dad used to take my mom here when they were dating, said he fell in love with her in these chairs."
"That's cute," She responds, her fingers skimming the menus edges as she looked around the room. "I don't see my parents together often, my dad's stationed off in Afghanistan, has been for eight months now."
Eli's mouth dropped a little. "Your dad's in the military?"
"Yeah, he was at an Air Base in Bagram last time he called." Aspen answers calmly, her eye catching something in the menu, a spicy chicken wrap with avocado and fries. "His names Ashton Kennedy."
"He named you?"
Nodding at him, Aspen looked over at the waitress who set down drinks before them, the duo placing their order and giving back the menus before getting back to their conversation. "My mom wanted to name me Daniella, but I think Aspen is so much better."
"Daniella is such a nice girl name."
"Exactly, I'm not a nice girl."
Eli leaned closer to her, completely taken by her presence. "What kind of girl are you?"
"Stick around and maybe you'll find out."