“Yeah, she’s alright, I guess.”
We head to my car. I become acutely aware that this is the first time we’ll be alone since yesterday morning. As I drive towards the national park, I start to feel anxious. Should I apologize again for the party? Or maybe ask if she sees this outing as a date? Or if she wants to veto the whole thing altogether.
“Sloane, if you nibble your lip any more it’s gonna fall off.”
Shit, she’s right. Ouch.
Eden tentatively reaches over and places her hand on my knee. “Are you…um, are you having second thoughts? About the date?”
Oh, thank God. “No, I was worried you were!”
Eden snorts. “Christ this is dumb. Okay, let’s start again. Sloane, do you want to date me?”
I smile. “Yes, I do.”
“Great. Do you still harbor the desire to get me to exercise?”
My turn to snort. “Absolutely.”
“Bugger,” she mumbles. “Alright, so this is our first date?”
“Um, it can be. Honestly, I chose a hike in case you’d changed your mind, and I could pass it off as part of our exercise schedule.”
Eden turns in her seat. “Sloane. You can’t honestly think I’d change my mind. I mean, to be frank, I’m still in shock that you like me.”
“Eden, I’ve liked you for nearly three years.”
Her shock is evident, which blows my mind. Eden Sawyer definitely doesn’t know how desirable she is.
“That’s…really?”
“Yep.”
She throws her hands up. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?”
“Oh, like you did?”
“Of courseIdidn’t. You’re way out of my league, Sloane. You’ve got half the school wanting to ask you out.”
Cutting my hand through the air, I stop her talking. “That’s the last time you ever say I’m out of your league.”
“Fine. But seriously. Three years?”
I shrug. “I was nervous.”
She opens and closes her mouth several times. “Well, shit.”
“Okay, okay. How about we move on from the shock and awe of our mutual attraction, and get this date started.”
“Agreed. But on our second date I’m not planning on doing anything remotely strenuous. You better be ready to do some serious sitting on your bum, eating junk food.”
“Sounds so romantic,” I jest. Actually it sounds perfect. I like that we’re opposites. It means our dates will be diverse. Plus, I don’t hate the idea of snuggling up to Eden.
“I’ve never dated before. You should probably know that going in,” she blurts.
“I’ve only dated a couple of times, so I’m not exactly an expert. Anyway, I don’t want to compare us to anyone else.”
The parking lot is empty when we arrive. The route I plan to take her on is only a couple of miles. There are a few uphill sections that will get our heart rates up. The sceneryis the main pull, though. Perfect for a picnic and maybe a first kiss.
