“‘We had to get rid of Citrus Scholar altogether because the competition got too intense.’”
“All because you sent me flowers.”
“That’ll teach me.” He sighs into his phone. “Man, it’s great to hear your voice.”
I smile at his words. I couldn’t agree more. It’s amazing how just hearing him over the phone is enough to make me feel better. And teasing him is almost enough to take the ache in my chest away. “The flowers are so amazing. I’msorry I didn’t respond right away. There was…a bit of a delivery problem.”
“Seriously? I knew I should have asked Lily about your address, but I was afraid she would ruin the surprise.”
I get up off my bed and pull one of the flowers out of the bouquet. I lift it to my nose and breathe in. I can’t believe he did this for me. “It was a surprise. Definitely my favorite birthday present.”
“Really?” He sounds like he doesn’t believe me.
“Really.” I try to put the flower back where it came from. “The only thing that could make it better would be if you were here. You’re not hiding any other surprise up your sleeve, are you?”
“I wish.” There’s some yelling in the background. “Sorry. I’m not supposed to be on my phone, but I wanted to make sure you were okay. See you soon?”
“Of course.”
We hang up, and I’m faced with my reality once again. At least I get to go back to school in two more days.
18
MOST CONFLICTED
I’m sonervous for my date with Ella that I forget to tell her I’m on my way. I shoot her a quick text at a red light and hope I can get it together before I get to her house.
I’ll be there in ten minutes. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes.
Casual, right?
Yep!
I’ve never had a girlfriend on Valentine’s Day—not because I’m some jerk who strategically plans his relationships out because he doesn’t want to put in the effort to do something nice for a girl—but because I’ve never had a girlfriend. I’ve always been careful to keep an arm’s length between me and the girls at Citrus Prep. I’vetaken dates to dances, and I’ve done my decent share of flirting, but no one was ever special enough to make me want to commit to being their boyfriend—not until I got to know Ella.
Now, I have someone I want to do nice things for all the time. She seemed to like the flowers I sent for her birthday, but those felt so generic. I want to do something special for her for Valentine’s Day, so I skip the reservations at a fancy restaurant and come up with a plan to take her on a scavenger hunt around town. I have written out little clues on pieces of paper and have a surprise waiting at each stop.
It’s super cheesy, but I hope she likes it anyway.
I pull up to her apartment complex just over the ten-minute warning I gave her. Ella doesn’t like it when I come to her door, so I step out of my truck and send another text.
I’m downstairs.
Coming!!
Thankfully, she doesn’t make me wait long. She comes down the steps in red shorts and a shirt with hearts all over it. Her blonde hair is pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head, and she’s wearing the biggest smile on her face.
When she spots me, she comes running over. I pick her up and spin her around in a circle. When I start to get dizzy, I set her down. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“You know that Valentine’s Day is just another commercialized holiday created by greeting card companies to feed on our capitalistic tendencies, right?”
My stomach plummets. Wait. Is this really what she thinks about Valentine’s Day? I just assumed every girl liked romantic gestures, but maybe I’m wrong. I'm going to feel like a total idiot for going over the top for the day if she’s against it. “Seriously?”
She rolls her eyes. “Not at all. I can’t wait to see what you have planned. It better be good.”
I laugh, relieved. “Didn’t realize you were so high maintenance.”
She looks down at her nails. “Oh, Connor. I am the highest of maintenance. If I don’t like what you planned out for me today, you can kiss our relationship good-bye.”
