"So, what are your plans after high school?" Jack asks, taking a sip of his chocolate milkshake.
"I've applied to a few colleges, but I want to stay close," I stir my straw inside my own milkshake. "Downfield Community is probably my best bet."
"That's my plan, too," Jack grins, and I smile. "I didn't want to go too far, for Nick." I nod.
"That's sweet of you," Jack chuckles, cheeks turning slightly red as he rubs the back of his neck.
"I just don't think he'd understand why I'd be gone for so long," he says, shaking his head. "He gets upset when I'm just gone for a school day. Imagine if I was away at college."
"I'm sure he'd get used to it." Jack shrugs.
"Maybe, but it's more for my parents than for me,"
"Oh, yeah, your dad wants you to take over the company, right?" Jack nods.
"Essentially, yeah, and technically it doesn't require a college degree, but," he shrugs. "He thinks it'll be good for me." I smile.
"I think it will be, too," Jack smiles at me. "It might teach you some things about people that you don't already know."
"All I know," Jack reaches across the table, taking my hand in his and kissing my knuckles. "Is that if you're there, then there's no place I'd rather be." My cheeks feel hot, and I smile, his eyes dilating slightly.
"So," I start to say, then shake my head. Jack squeezes my hand, urging me to speak my mind. I bit my lip in hesitation.
"What is it?" He asks, and I shrug.
"Nothing," Jack raises a skeptical eyebrow at me. "Just... I mean, I know you like me, and I like you too, and I know you kissed me, and we went on a date and..." I trail off, face heating up more as I spew nonsense. Jack smiles, kissing my knuckles again, his eyes on me.
"Are you trying to ask if you're my girlfriend now?" He muses.
"N-No! I mean... I don't know!" Jack laughs, and I nervously take a sip of my milkshake, wanting to be buried alive. How can I just assume that he's my boyfriend now just because he kissed me and we went on a date? Kissing and dating don't always mean anything.
"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" I remain silent, watching him carefully. Of course, I wanted to be his girlfriend! How could I not? How could anyone not want to be? Logically, it made some sense knowing that he's outright said he wanted me and asked me out on a date, but some part of me doesn't believe it. As if it's all a ruse and it's all going to fall through the floor the moment it gets good.
"Do you want me to be?" I ask softly, and his smile is warm.
"I do," he says genuinely, and my heart skips a beat. "But if you don't want to be, that's okay." I shake my head.
"It isn't that I don't want to be," I sigh, taking my hand back and rubbing my hands over my face, trying to figure out what to say. "I just... Have doubts." His head turns to the side in confusion.
"What are your doubts?" I meet his gaze, and he's open, nonjudgmental. My tongue wants to spew all my worries, but all I do is shrug. Jack gives me a look, and I hate that he can see right through me. I sigh and continue.
"Like... How long are you going to like me? What am I going to eventually do to make you not want to be with me anymore?" Panic rises in my throat, and I shut myself up. I swallow it away, looking at my hands and avoiding his gaze. I feel vulnerable and exposed. He could take these insecurities and run with them, using them against me if he wanted. Jack gets up and sits beside me. I look at him, confused, but all he does is take my face in his hands and make me meet his determined blue gaze.
"I'm never going to stop liking you. There is nothing I hate about you, but like I said the other day, I feel like I've known you forever," he smiles at me. "And I meant that. You aren't a nobody to me, and I want to have you in my life for as long as possible." My eyes burn, and he kisses me softly and gently, right there in the booth at Beverly's. My worries sweep away as my eyes close, letting his kiss wash away my doubts. His thumbs brush away the stray tears, and he pulls his lips away and tugs me into an embrace. I take a deep breath and nod as he grins, kissing my head again before leading me out of the booth. He pays for our meals and takes me back the truck, opening my door for me.
"About the girlfriend/boyfriend thing," I say nervously. "I... I don't know why I'm so hesitant." I sigh, and he squeezes my hand.
"Because it's new," he says gently. "You want to make sure you're making the right decision for yourself, and that's hard to do when you can't see into the future." I nod.
"But," he continues. "If you don't try, how will you know?" I meet his gaze, and he smiles at me.
"I'm afraid that I'll just waste your time," I mutter, and he lifts my chin so he can look me right in the eyes.
"You could never waste my time, Riley," he says. "I want to be with you, and I want to see where it goes."
"And if it ends in burning flames?" I ask, and his thumb smoothes over my skin.
"And what if it ends in paradise?" I search his eyes. Could I take that leap? The 'what if's' plague my mind and send my anxiety skyrocketing. I hate being wrong and if I'm wrong about this? About him? I'd be a fool, but I'd be an even bigger fool not to try. How would I know I made the right decision if I didn't try?
"Just promise me something?" I ask gently.
"Of course," he brushes my hair back, and I take a deep breath.
"If you fall in love with me, that you'll tell me? As soon as you know?" He smiles and nods.
"I think I can do that, but only if you promise to do the same." I search his gaze. Could I fall in love with him? Fear captures my heart, but also a strike of hopefulness. I could see myself being with him. It felt as natural and normal as anything else.
"Okay," he smiles at me and kisses me softly on the lips.
"Do, girlfriend," my face heats up as he chuckles at my reaction. "What do you want to do now?" He checks his watch. "We have a few hours before your curfew."
"Do you think we could hang out for a little while longer? I don't want to go home yet," I ask shyly, and Jack grins.
"What did you have in mind?" I shrug, and he thinks about it for a little while before he's grinning at me.
"What?" I ask hesitantly, suspicious of his mischievous look.
"Do you trust me?" I blink at him and laugh.
"I guess?" He grins and closes my door, heading around to the driver's side and getting in. "Jack, where are we going?" He winks at me and puts the truck in reverse.
"You'll see."
~•~
"You're not secretly an ax murderer, are you?" I cautiously ask as he leads me through the woods behind his house. He bursts out a laugh.
"Oh, if I was a murderer, you'd be dead already," I roll my eyes but smile.
"Then, where are you taking me?"
"There's a clearing not too much farther ahead," he explains. "When the night is clear like tonight, I like to come out here and look at the stars."
"Jack, it's pitch blackout," I point out, surprised I haven't fallen on my face yet. "How do you know we aren't lost?" He laughs.
"I've lived in these woods since I was a kid," he explains. "I know them like the back of my hand."
"What, do you have a pair of night-vision goggles on too? Not even the moon is helping," I point out, and he doesn't answer right away.
"As I said," he reiterated. "I know them like the back of my hand." I can tell he isn't being completely honest, though I don't have enough proof to call him a liar.
He leads me further into the trees until I see the clearing in sight. Once we get to the edge of the tree line, I immediately look up, and my breath is taken away. Through the dense leaves of the trees, you wouldn't have been able to see how magnificent the stars are. The moon shines brightly into the clearing, bringing a new kind of glow to the world around me.
"Wow," I breathe as Jack leads me to the center of the clearing.
"Right?" He chuckles. "I told you." I look back down, and he's smiling at me. He takes a seat in the middle of the grass and pats the spot next to him. I plop down and laugh as he lays down, arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose, letting it out slowly.
"I love coming here," he sighs. "It's so quiet." I listen intently, and all I can hear are the insects and owls of the forest. I look back up at the stars to try and find any familiar constellations.
"Hey," I look down, and Jack is smiling at me. "Come here." My face heats up, and I hesitate. He chuckles and sits up, cupping one of my cheeks, and our eyes meet. His eyes soften, and he leans in, brushing his lips against mine. My eyes close and I stop fighting myself to not give in, but with Jack, it's just so easy. He kisses me gently, and I can feel it through my entire body.
He pulls away and rests his head against mine, his free hand holding mine. We sit in silence for a while, soaking up each other's company. I can't find the will to look away from him, his eyes drawing me in and taking me somewhere else. Jack kisses me again, and my heart flutters. His kiss deepens, and my mind glides up to cloud nine again. His hands cup my face as his kiss intensifies, and I feel myself sighing against him. He pulls away, lips crossing my cheek and then to my neck.
"W-wait," I whisper as my body shivers with goosebumps. Jack pulls away, but not too far. He looks at me expectantly, and I lick my throbbing lips.
"Can... Can we slow down? Please?" My face burns, and I'm expecting him to laugh it off, but all he does it smile and nod. He pulls me into his side, kissing my forehead.
"Sorry," he says softly. "I just got carried away."
"It's okay," I say, looking up at him. I smile reassuringly at him, and he smiles back.
"I just really, really like kissing you," he chuckles, and my face heats up.
"I can see that," he brushes the hair out of my face. He leans back down to kiss me again when suddenly, there's a loud howl, causing me to jump. Jack tenses up, and after a minute, he jumps to his feet.
"What was that?" I ask cautiously, but Jack doesn't answer, his eyes scanning the trees. He suddenly stops before grabbing my arms and hoisting me up.
"We need to go," he says seriously, and fear slips up my spine.
"What's going on? What was that noise?" He pulls on my arm but not before we hear a growl at the edge of the trees. It's close, and I cling to Jack in fear. Jack sighs, before turning to me.
"I didn't want you to find out like this," he states, tone low and dark.
"What? What are you talking about?" He kisses my forehead, long and hard.
"Just stay right here, okay?" I gape up at him as he squeezes my arms. "And don't run. They love a good chase."
"What?" He gives me a sad smile before he turns towards the trees. I jump as the growl echoes again, but louder.
"Just stay right there," he begins to walk away from me and towards the sound of the growl. My heart jumps into my throat. What the hell is he doing?! He suddenly takes his shirt off and slips his belt off, dropping them onto the ground. What the hell? He kicks off his shoes, and the growl echoes again. Jack takes a deep breath and then starts sprinting towards the trees.
"Jack!" I yell, taking a step towards him, but then I remember what he said. He told me to stay, but why? I gasp as Jack disappears into the trees, but not before I hear a much louder and more dominant growl echo from the trees. I hear branches breaking, and I wonder what sized animal is in the trees and what the hell Jack is doing. He didn't have any weapons. He just ran into the trees!
My heart is racing in my chest, and I take a step back, gasping as I feel something rough against me. I spin around, gasping as I look up into the eyes of a monster. It growls at me, it's yellow eyes look angry and hungry. It's at least two feet taller than me and absolutely massive. It's as if it's a wolf, but four times as big. I scream and turn to run, Jack's warning completely fleeing my mind. My fight or flight kicks in, and since I obviously am no match for this beast, my instincts tell me to run.
I jump through the trees, running around them as I hear a howl and growl from behind me. I force my legs to run as fast as I can and try my best to see through the dark. I hear the monster behind me breaking trees and crunching logs. I cry out as I trip over something on the forest floor, and I skid along the ground. I try to get up, but the beast is on me. I scream in pain as he grabs my arm with his powerful jaws, forcing me to the ground. I hear my bones break between his razor-sharp teeth, and I sob in fear, panic, and pain. I turn my body, hoisting my feet up and kicking the beast right in the nose, forcing it to let go with a yelp. I cry out in pain as it grabs my injured arm and drags me back.
It's yellow eyes narrow at me, and I squeeze mine shut, hoping for a quick and painless death. Suddenly, there's a vicious growl, and the beast in front of me is tackled to the floor. There's two?! I scramble away from them, holding my broken arm to my chest as I sob, backing away as quickly as I can from them. My back hits a tree and knocks the air out of me.
Wheezing, I cling to the tree, watching through blurry eyes. It's too dark to really see anything other than their large shadows. Black dots dance across my vision, and I look at my arm, feeling my stomach flip with nausea. Blood covers my arm, and anywhere it's touched. It's even dripping onto the ground. I feel lightheaded.
"J-Jack," I call out, but there's no response, but a whimper of pain and a crunch. Then it's silent. I'm breathing hard as panic continues to run through my veins. I feel my body beginning to get weaker, and I wonder if this is the end for me.
Even in the dark and through my blurry vision, I can make out a pair of familiar ocean blue eyes. They're close to me, and I don't even react when it's large nose brushes across my cheek. If I was to die here, let it be now. This beast whimpers, and I cry out in pain when it pushes its large head against my arm. It whimpers again, lowering to the floor and resting it's head between my legs, watching me with regretful eyes.
Something about this monster is different. I don't feel threatened. I don't know if it's the loss of blood or the shock and trauma of what just happened, but I find myself reaching towards the beast. Its fur is soft between my fingers, and a wave of comfort washes through me. It whines and moves closer to me. I feel myself lean against it as everything fades, and my body slips into oblivion.