Natalie's first date came on a weekend when winter was fading to spring. Leaves had just started to sprout on the trees that lined her street and it had finally warmed up enough for her to wear shorts instead of sweatpants.

It started with an ambush.

Now that Leon had officially gained her parents' approval, he was also officially allowed to pick her up from the front gates of her school. No more hiding around the block. Their relationship was out and in the open.

Well, it was still against school rules for strange boys to loiter at the gates, but as long as no one caught him, they'd be fine.

"Oh, my God," Nyra whispered as they walked towards the gates together. "I'm not saying I didn't believe you, but girl. You and Leon are really dating!"

Natalie smiled, lifting a hand towards Leon. His eyes were instantly on her, and he waved back.

Nyra watched the two with pursed lips. "Man, I really need to download some dating apps."

"I'll see you on Monday?" Natalie asked, turning towards her friend.

Nyra nodded, shooting her a wink. "Have fun with your man."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Oh, please. You were dying to tell someone. All lunch you were like 'Leon, Leon, Leon'!"

"So were you!"

"Can you blame me? My bestie is officially taken! I can barely contain my excitement," she replied.

"Hi Nyra." They turned to find Leon standing in front of them. He took Natalie's hand into his own. "Mind if I steal your friend here?"

"You mean your girlfriend?" Nyra said, her grin widening. "Of course. She's all yours. Bye, girl."

Natalie waved goodbye, letting Leon lead her out of school grounds.

Around them, people whispered, stared. She was sure Veronica was part of the scattered crowd, but she tried not to care.

She knew what they were thinking. Most were probably asking themselves who the hell Natalie was. The rest were wondering how someone like Natalie ended up with Leon.

Let them wonder, Natalie thought. Their story was theirs alone.

"How was school?" Leon asked, squeezing her fingers as they rounded the corner towards Sierra Grammar.

They didn't have much of a reason to hang around the nurse's office anymore. It had begun as an excuse—a reason for Natalie to see Leon, and a reason for Leon to speak to Natalie. But somewhere along the way, it had become something special.

And they only had a matter of weeks left before they graduated high school and would never see it again.

They were two blocks away when the ambush happened.

Leon stopped suddenly and Natalie paused in the middle of her rant about English class. He held a hand up and tilted his head, frowning. He must have heard something because in one swift move, he spun on his heels.

"I'm not sneaking up on you!" Lucas Morton shouted, holding his hands up in defence as he rounded the corner. His other friends, Ron and Alistair, stood with him, their hands also in the air.

"Guys," Leon said, groaning. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, come on," Ron said. "You guys are seriously dating now. Don't we deserve a proper introduction?"

"I already let you follow her on Instagram."

"Instagram is so not a proper introduction," Ron said.

"Yeah," Lucas piped up. "We need to know the real details. How did you meet? Who asked who out? Where was your first date?"

"Oh, well, we haven't really had a date," Natalie said, her face turning hot.

"You're kidding. Don't tell me you've never been on a date?"

Natalie exchanged a look with Leon. "I guess you could count that night at the Golden Ring?"

Leon sighed. His expression wavered between tired and extremely pissed off, before deciding on the latter. He spun towards his friends, settling them with a glare.

"Thanks a lot, guys," Leon snapped. "It was going to be a surprise."

"What?"

"Natalie," Leon said, turning slowly towards her. "Are you free this Saturday?"

Her heart pounded. It was silly. He was her boyfriend. Of course, he would ask her on a date. Secretly, she'd been classifying all of their private hangouts as 'dates' in her mind. But now that he was here, asking her out in front of all of his friends, she couldn't help but feel nervous, excited and everything in between.

"I don't know. I'd have to check my calendar," she said. When his face dropped, she released a nervous laugh. "That was a bad joke. Of course, I'm free."

Saturday came by quickly. Leon had planned it all. He'd be at her door at eleven. She should dress casually. Sneakers were fine. Eat a big breakfast.

She found herself nervously sitting on the bottom step of her staircase, eyes glued on the front door.

"Natalie," her mother shouted from the other room, "relax. He'll be here any minute."

"I know he will." When had Leon ever let her down? That wasn't what she was worried about. She smoothed her shirt, frowning. "Do you think I look okay?"

Her mother peaked her head around the corner. She sighed, walking towards her. She lifted a hand, smoothing out the wrinkles on her forehead.

"You look beautiful, honey. Stop worrying so much."

"You don't think the make-up's too much?"

"It looks amazing," she said. "Now, relax."

She nodded, releasing a tight breath as her mum left her to 'relax' on the staircase. Except, she couldn't relax. She couldn't help but check her phone every other minute, either to check the time, check her messages, or check her appearance.

Natalie didn't wear make-up often, but this felt like the right moment for it. She wanted to look good for Leon.

Her worries came to an end when a knock sounded at the door. She had no time to freak out. Intuition kicked in and she jumped to her feet, ripping the door open to find Leon and a bouquet of flowers.

"Too much?" Leon asked, lifting the bouquet.

It was a small bouquet of baby breath amongst other white flowers, wrapped in brown paper. Natalie had never received flowers before, not even during her stint in the hospital, but she was sure nothing would have ever topped this.

"Way too much," Natalie replied, and pulled him into a tight hug. When they parted, she checked the flowers to make sure she hadn't crushed them. "I thought you said this would be casual?"

"It is. But I was driving here, and I passed this florist—I just couldn't help it."

"Driving?" Natalie repeated, glancing over his shoulder. Just behind him, Lucas Morton's car was parked in front of her house, with Lucas Morton nowhere to be seen.

"Surprise," Leon said, shrugging. "I borrowed Luke's car. Finally got my P's, you know."

"What!" she exclaimed. His smile grew at her reaction.

"It's going to be a bit of a long drive, so I figured a car would be more comfortable."

"Only if you're a good driver," she teased.

Lucas' car was fancy. Of course, it was fancy. If the parents at Sierra Grammar could afford a five-digit school fee every year, they could afford a fancy car for their teenage kids to tear up. And Lucas Morton was no stranger to spending daddy's money.

She slid into the passenger's seat, placing the flowers delicately on her lap.

"You didn't have to do all this, you know?" Natalie said as Leon started the car—with a button. "I would've been happy with anything."

"I wanted to," he said. "I've always wanted to buy flowers for someone. It's not cringey, is it?"

"Cringey? Why would you think that?"

"It's our first date," he replied. "The florist kind of side-eyed me, but I think she was just happy to make a sale."

Natalie laughed. She could imagine Leon pulling up to a florist, asking the owner for a bouquet of flowers for a first date. Him, with his leather jacket and bruised knuckles.

"It's not cringey. I love them," she said, resting a hand on his.

He smiled, glancing at her before focusing on the road again. "Good. I'll buy you a million more."

"Leon!" She laughed. "A million is not necessary."

"It is if it'll make you happy."

"Leon," she said. "You don't have to buy me flowers to make me happy. I'm happy just being with you."

"Okay, fine. To make me happy. Okay?"

She rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "So, where exactly are we going?"

"That's a surprise," Leon said. He glanced at his watch and smiled. "We're right on schedule."

"Schedule? For?"

"It's a surprise, Natalie," he repeated. "Stop trying to get more information out of me. It's not going to happen."

"Fine," Natalie said, settling into her seat. "But if you're luring me into the woods to murder me, this is going to be a really crappy first date."

He laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Leon had not been exaggerating when he said it was a bit of a long drive. Almost two hours later, Natalie was officially squirming in her seat.

The suburbs had transformed into the city and eventually into the quiet scenery of a small town. They passed tiny cafes and boutiques, empty streets, wide verdant plains, until Leon slowed down, his eyes scanning the footpaths.

"We're almost there," Leon said. Natalie perked up at his words, eager to get out and stretch her legs.

"Almost where?"

"Nice try." He paused, eyes narrowing, before a smile split across his face. "There!"

Natalie spun, craning her neck to look out the window as Leon parked the car.

It was a bookshop.

A small bookshop that seemed to encompass the spirit of the small town. The front of the shop was all cobblestone and vines, and more people seemed to go in and out of this shop than all the others they'd passed so far.

"A bookshop!" Natalie exclaimed, excitement blossoming in her chest. "Are we going inside?"

"Definitely," Leon said, chuckling. He turned the engine off and the pair stepped out into the cold air.

"How did you find this place?" she asked, practically bouncing on her toes.

"You'll see."

"I'll see?"

He gave her a mysterious smirk. "You'll see."

"Suspicious," she said, as they approached the bookshop.

She gasped as she took in the window display. It was absolutely stacked to the top with books—ones she recognised and ones she didn't. Just beyond the display, she could see the warm orange lighting of the shop. She felt like she'd been transported into Gilmore Girls or Harry Potter. It was the coziest bookshop she'd ever seen.

"Let's go inside," Natalie said, grabbing Leon's hand and dragging him through the doors.

She inhaled deeply, taking in the magnificent sight of books, and books, and books.

"Hello," the shopkeeper greeted. She was young, probably just a bit older than Natalie, with purple-dyed hair. "Are you here for the book signing?"

Natalie opened her mouth to say no when Leon interrupted.

"Yes, we are," he said, smiling.

"It's right through that doorway," she replied.

Leon thanked her as Natalie gaped at him with wide eyes. "Book signing?"

"What, you thought I drove us two hours away for a bookshop? Come on, Natalie. Loved your enthusiasm, though."

Natalie's face grew hot, but she shrugged it off. What could she say? She loved a good bookshop.

Leon's arm wrapped around her waist as he led her through the doorway and into a smaller, brighter room. Large windows covered one end of the wall, letting bright sunlight flood the bookshelves. And there, in the centre of the room, sat a woman with a table stacked with books.

A sign hung off the table with big, bold letters: 'Meet the Author of the Ophelia Series!'

Natalie slapped a hand over her mouth and turned towards Leon.

"You brought me to meet Debbie Ledbetter?" she exclaimed.

"Surprise," he said, grinning. "She's here to promote the newest book in the series. Ophelia and the Ghost of Cheshire."

If there wasn't a line of people and the Debbie Ledbetter just a few metres in front of her, Natalie probably would have let out a guttural squeal. Instead, a massive smile broke out on her face, and she practically sprinted to join the line.

"Hello," Debbie said once they reached the front. "Who should I make this out to?"

"One for Natalie," Leon said. "And one for Leon."

Natalie held in a laugh, remembering Leon's recently found love for the books. She pictured Leon from Debbie's perspective: a tall, muscular boy with purple knuckles and scars dotting his face, asking for a signed copy of a teen-fic romance novel.

Debbie didn't seem to think much of it, though. She signed two copies and handed them over.

"I love your books," Natalie blurted, her face hot.

"Oh, thank you."

"I've seriously read them, like, a million times," she added. "Thank you so much for writing them."

"Thank you for reading them," Debbie said, smiling. "Do you have a favourite one?"

"The Opal Necklace, for sure," she said without missing a beat. "I just love how badass Ophelia is, and then the one bed—Oh, my God. It's so good."

"I love that one too." Debbie laughed.

Leon stepped forward. "Actually, speaking of that..."

He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, pulling out the weathered copy of Ophelia and the Disappearance of the Opal Necklace that Natalie had let him borrow all those weeks ago.

"Would you be willing to sign this?"

"Oh, wow!" Debbie exclaimed, delicately taking the book from him. "This is a well-loved copy!"

"I've had it since I was twelve," Natalie said shyly.

"Well then I just have to sign it, don't I?" She scribbled her signature just inside the cover and passed it back to Natalie with a smile. "I hope you like the new one just as much."

"Oh, I will." Natalie nodded eagerly. So eagerly that she thought her head might snap off. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Laughing, Debbie bid the pair a goodbye and Natalie practically skipped to the cash register. She couldn't find the words to describe her feelings until they'd stepped back outside into the cool spring air.

"Oh, my God," Natalie breathed, spinning to face Leon. "I don't even know what to say."

"I take it that you liked the surprise?"

"Liked it?" she echoed in disbelief. "Leon, I loved it!"

She threw herself into his arms and he caught her, laughing, in a hug.

"We don't have to leave now, you know," Leon said, squeezing her waist. "We can look around inside."

"No. I don't think I can focus on anything else right now," she said, shaking her head. "I just—I can't believe you planned all this."

"Was it a good first date?"

"The best. The best ever."

Leon smiled down at her. Natalie's stomach stirred. Her heart felt so full. She couldn't believe that a person had gone and planned all this for her. That someone on this earth knew her so well that they'd bring her here for a first date. And they'd be so willing, so happy to go here with her.

Natalie reached up, cupping the side of his face with her hand for a moment before sliding her hand behind his neck. She slid up onto her toes and pressed her lips against his.

There was something about kissing Leon on the street in the broad daylight that sent shivers through Natalie's whole body. How long had they kept their friendship a secret? And now here they were, on their first date, kissing in the street.

His arms snaked around her waist, and he pulled her body up and into his. His lips parted and his tongue found its way into her mouth.

When they parted, Natalie was out of breath. She panted for air, looking up into Leon's dark eyes. His lips were swollen. His gaze slid between her eyes and her mouth, and he leaned closer, as if about to kiss her again.

"Leon?" she said before he could press their lips together.

His brow twitched, only slightly. His eyes focused on her mouth for a second longer before moving haggardly to her eyes. "Yeah?"

"I had a lot of fun today," she whispered.

His lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. "Me too."

"I really like you."

He chuckled. "I really like you too."

"Like, really, really like you." She swallowed hard, mustering the courage to murmur, "I think I might love you."

Leon paused. Natalie's heart stuttered to a stop. She couldn't believe the words that had escaped her lips.

She frowned up at Leon, searching his eyes, looking for a hint of something—rejection? Reciprocation?

He blinked slowly. She watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. And then he was pulling her mouth against his again—hard. Quick.

"Natalie," he muttered between kisses, "I love you too."

Her chest swelled. If her heart wasn't full earlier, she was certain it was full now.

His lips traced a path from her mouth to her jaw before his nose nuzzled against her neck and his teeth grazed the skin there. She shuddered under his touch, arching her body towards him.

"I can't believe you said it first," Leon groaned against her skin. "I was meant to say it first."

"You were too slow," Natalie said, her voice like a sigh.

"Always too slow," he murmured, his lips refusing to leave her skin.

The sound of a bell had them pulling apart.

Natalie's face flushed and she staggered backwards, her head whipping to the side to find two women leaving the bookshop, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, my God," Natalie groaned once they were out of earshot.

Leon laughed, running a hand over his face. "I don't know how to act when I'm around you."

"Well," Natalie said, stepping towards him with a sly grin. "I wasn't complaining."

"Neither am I," he said, leaning over her. She tilted her head up, letting their lips brush, before pulling back with a grin.

"So," she said. "Do I get to plan the next date?"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

I can just imagine Leon spending hours planning the perfect date for Natalie. I hope you liked this chapter, as always! Only one to go!!!