Chapter 15:
First Date Jitters
The following weekend, Alexander arrived at Charlotte’s house with a small bouquet of wildflowers.“For you,” he said, handing them over with a shy smile.
Charlotte’s cheeks warmed.“They’re beautiful… thank you.”
He grinned.“You deserve them.”
They decided to take a stroll through the village and the surrounding meadows, enjoying the crisp air and the quiet escape from the busy cricket season. Charlotte couldn’t help but notice how easy it was to walk beside him, how natural the conversation felt, and how her heart fluttered with every smile he shot her way.
“I’m glad we’re finally… doing this,” Alexander said, glancing at her.
“You mean… a proper date?” Charlotte asked, teasingly.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice earnest.“No cricket, no team, just… us.”
They laughed, sharing stories and little jokes, finding comfort in each other’s presence. At one point, Alexander picked a small daisy from the meadow and tucked it behind Charlotte’s ear.
“You’re ridiculous,” she said softly, though her smile betrayed her delight.
“You love it,” he teased.
She shook her head, but her fingers brushed his hand as she laughed.“Maybe I do.”
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink, Alexander took Charlotte’s hand in his.“Charlotte… I don’t want this day to end.”
“Me neither,” she admitted, squeezing his hand.
For a few quiet moments, they simply stood there, watching the sun dip below the horizon, feeling the warmth of each other’s hands, and knowing that this was the start of something special—a romance that had begun on the cricket pitch but would extend far beyond it.
And in that golden glow, Charlotte realized that life, like cricket, was full of unexpected victories—and that she had just won the most important one of all.
Chapter 16:
Misunderstood Messages
The morning after their first date, Charlotte scrolled through her phone with a smile still lingering from yesterday’s walk. A message notification popped up—it was from Alexander:“Can’t wait to see you later :)”
Charlotte’s heart fluttered, but then another message appeared:“Sorry, something came up. Rain check?”
Confused, she reread it. Did he mean later today or later this week? She felt a flicker of disappointment and hesitation.
At practice that afternoon, Alexander was cheerful and teasing as usual, but Charlotte found herself distracted. Every glance, every joke, seemed tinged with uncertainty.
“Hey, are you even paying attention?” Alexander asked, tossing her a ball.
“I… yeah, of course,” she replied, though her mind raced.
Finally, after practice, Charlotte decided to confront the uncertainty.“Alex… about your messages this morning—what did you mean?”
Alexander’s face lit up in confusion, then realization.“Oh! Charlotte, I didn’t mean to confuse you. My second message was for Emily—we had to adjust our plans for the team. I didn’t mean you. I’m sorry if it worried you.”
Charlotte exhaled, relief washing over her.“Ah… that makes more sense.”
He took her hand gently.“I would never… you know, leave you guessing like that on purpose. I like you too much for that.”
Charlotte felt her heart swell.“I know… I guess I just… overthought it.”
