This chapter's dedicated to the lovely, Ella. (@Love_Your_Smile) She is honestly so sweet and I can't thank her enough for her support and the banner. :)

If you have banners or covers, please label your message with ARTWORK as the first word. Then I can separate it from personal messages or just your regular hello. Thank you again!

And play song at the play song signal, haha.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

In the car, I can almost feel the thick cloud of tension between Lee and I. And if I could, I'd take the tension and throw it out the window. I look at Lee. He is driving and his shirt is still buttoned wrong and his hair is more tangled and messed up than mine is. I don't even want to think about how bad I must look right now.

        The worst part?

        My bra is still undone and slipping every few seconds and I am trying to keep my arms by my side to keep it still, but I can't. I also can't just be like, "Oh, hey, Lee? Could you please ignore me as I put my hands under my shirt and fix the bra that you so beautifully unclasped? Yeah, thanks."

        Lee hasn't said one word to me and there is no way in hell I'm going to say anything because I'm still not done recovering from the holy greatness I unleashed when I let my hormones get the best of me and basically attacked him.

        "So," Lee says and then coughs, "we're almost there."

        "Oh...," I reply, looking out the window. "Cool."

        The hum of the engine and the sound of our car whizzing by is the only sound that lasts for a good thirty-minutes. Does Lee regret what we've done? I kind of gave him no choice as I pulled him onto me. Secretly I know that if we were given the choice to that again, I'd probably do it all over again and maybe ignore the honking car this time.

        Around one, the sun shines at its highest power down and the car rolls to a stop slowly. All I see are trees and for a minute, I'm confused.

        Lee wants to take me hiking?

        "Okay, we're here," Lee announces, breaking me out of my thoughts and possibilities of what this could possibly be. How could a bunch of trees be where we were headed all this time? I try not to let my disappointment show.

        Maybe this is Lee's hobby and he wants to show me a little part of him. I would love to hike for him and enter a day in his world, but I want today to be special though. I don't presume we'll be going on rendezvous dates any time soon again so it's kind of maybe our first and last real date. Not unless time stops, that is.

                "Wow, it's very...," I say, searching for vibrant words to describe this. "Green."

        "Are you up for some walking?" he says, trying to hold in a laugh as he presses his lips down into a line.

        "A walk?" I ask. I look down at my knock-off vans, plaid shirt, shorts, and say, "Sure, I'm up for a walk." I can't wait to see how many different species of insects will eat me.

        "Good," Lee replies, grinning. And I can't help grinning back and for a moment, it feels normal again like the whole car scenario thing didn't happen. But by realizing how normal we were almost acting, it reminds me of the very un-normal make out and I almost choke on air. "You okay?" he says, patting down my back as I cough lightly.

        "Oh, yeah, pfft, of course," I answer too quick.

        He stares at me for a while and then shrugs before getting out of the car. He walks over the trees and starts looking around. I don't get why, it's just a bunch of trees. If our date is supposed to be walking around and looking at trees, I am going to jump off the next cliff I see. Lee must have some idea on dating, right? He proved many times he did....

        I wait in the car because I want to savor sitting down for the last few seconds. I also need to fix my bra which I hastily clasp.

        He doesn't realize I'm still in the car and starts walking off without me.

        Oh, I think. Whatever happened to our one day of fun? Is he on a date with himself?

        Lee suddenly comes running back, looking sorry and I already know what I'm going to do. He comes around to my door and as he reaches the handle, I slam the door open on one very sensitive spot for men. Deja-vu.

        "Ivory!" he yells before he goes to grab the hood of the car from the pain. "That's the second time you've done that to me within the last few months!"

        "Lee? Oh, whoops, sorry. Kind of forgot you were there," I explain, "kind of like you forgot I existed and went running off. How silly of me." I get out of the car and close the door before tilting my head as I watch Lee. I cross my arms.

        After he recovers, he finally looks up and smiles at me. "Don't be mad," Lee says, using a soft voice to lure me in. He walks closer to me and scoops me into a bear hug. I can't move my crossed arms. "I didn't forget you. I was just...really excited because I've always wanted to show someone this and now I have you and I guess I'm so overwhelmed I nearly forgot the most important part of this—you."

        My heart crumbles—damn, I'm so easy—and I feel apologetic in an instant. "Really?"

        "Yes," he replies and then kisses my forehead and pulls back. "Still angry at me?"

        I kiss his shoulder because it's the only stupid part I can reach while I'm held captive in his arms. "I'm sorry for ruining your chances of children."

        Lee laughs and then grins. "All is forgiven." He lets me go and extends a hand. "Ready to go?"

        "Always," I answer. I take his hand and grasp it firmly.

        Lee takes me along through the trees and he moves them away specifically in a way so they won't scrape my skin and I smile as he does. He gets scraped in the face twice but doesn't complain and only makes sure that it doesn't happen to me. For some reason, this gesture is so heartwarming to me and I can't help but smile the whole walk, even if I hate hiking and going outside in general.

        I've never been on an actual date-date, and this is probably my first time with Lee holding hands and doing couple things in the public eye. Well, not that there's anyone around for miles, but actually going out and doing couple things.

        And when our feelings are real.

        That's the best and most amazing part. That this guy—Lee frickin' Richardson—has the same feelings for me as I do for him and I don't think I will ever forget even when my hair is gray and my back is broken.

        I hold his hand tighter and he turns back to look at me. We smile at each other as we walk but stop when he gets hit in the face with a branch.

        "Ow, shit," he says, rubbing his face as I start laughing. He glares at me. "Wow, thanks for worrying, Ivory, but really, I'm fine. Don't worry at all, nope."

        "Sorry," I say, giggling. "You should watch where you're going, smarty pants."

        Lee glares at me before pouting. "I hate you."

        "I lo—" I stop. I almost said the word. My eyes are wide and look for Lee's.

        He's staring at me, his eyes shining. He's grinning and he is waiting for me to finish my sentence. My heart drops. When all I can manage is a nervous smile, his grin shrinks to a small, sad smile and he nods before we take off again.

        It hurts to not give it my one-hundred-percent but I can't be like Lee who throws around the L word and whisks me away on one day dates when he has a fiance. I have to be the reasonable in this relationship. I am saving us both from falling too far.

        "We're here," he says, breaking me away from my thoughts that get darker by the second. We've stopped in front of a tree with lots of leaves and I stare at it. I expect something to be there of some sort. I don't know. What am I expecting? A pinata to pop up and for Lee to throw a fiesta?

        "Wow," I say, grinning but secretly wondering if Lee's mental. "It's...um...really one nice sturdy tree. Must be old."

        He laughs and I'm glad he's not caught up on my hesitation from before. "Not that, silly. That." His hand reaches for leaves of the tree and moves them aside and I catch a glimpse of the scene behind it.

        I gasp.

        It's a city. It must be New York City. It has to be. In the distance, there are lines of skyscrapers and buildings on the horizon. We're very far from it but it's so amazing to think that all of the skyline that I can see are manmade and it makes me wonder how great and horrible humans can be at the same time. I have no idea where we are but it I know we're far from New York City but close enough to see the city from afar.

        There's no word to describe it's beauty.

        "It's..."

        "Majestic?" Lee says. His arms are crossed and he's staring at me like I'm some investigation file. His mouth is set on a grin and his eyes are light with amusement.

        "Yeah," I agree. I close my mouth and set my eyes again. "This is so cool."

        He laughs. "I thought you might like it." Lee walks over to in front of the tree where the view is even better. We're on some sort of cliff somewhere. I don't want to even know how high up we must be but I just walk next to him. He takes a seat on the grass that's under our feet and says, "Sit with me?"

        I nod and bend down to sit. I am ecstatic right now. "This is so great, Lee."

        "You like it?"

        "I love it."

        "I do, too," he says. His eyes move from my eyes to the landscape. "This place is my getaway when the office gets too busy and the suffocation gets to me."

                "You feel suffocated?" Lee's usually really suave and under the control. Maybe that just proves the theory that everyone's not as they appear.

        He smiles in a remorseful way. "All the time." His eyes return to me where I am watching him now, trying to figure him out. "Except when I met you. It's kind of ironic. You've made my life...quite the mess, Ivory. I'm supposed to feel more suffocated with you in my life, but...."

        I try not to feel hurt. "But?"

        "But, I don't," he whispers, looking down. Lee looks back up at me and has a nervous smile. "In fact, it's almost like you're my oxygen tank."

        My eyes widen. Okay, maybe, Lee is more romantic than I let him on to be. I can feel my face exploding because he can't just spurt out random things that make my chest hurt—it's uncalled for. "Oh...."

        Lee gets closer and my heart reaches the moon. He holds my face gently. "I told you. Even though you're insane as a bat, you're the most normal thing that's ever happened to me since...ever."

        "I don't think that's true," I whisper. My eyes are looking at places on his face that are forbidden to look at. His lips are inching towards me and I feel my blood pressure raising through the sky. "And if I'm insane, then you're fucking crazy."

        He laughs and I feel his breath and it smells like peppermint. I remember the first time I smelt his peppermint breath and wondered why boring businessmen like him smelled like peppermint. He is intoxicating my thoughts.

        "You and your horrible language," he says. His eyes look down to my lips. "Can we make out now?"

        "Um, I don't think you're supposed to as—"

        I don't get a chance to finish of course. Lee loves interrupting me and I love interrupting him and I don't think I—what was I saying? His lips are warm on mine and nice and I can't think straight. Where am I? My hands grip his plaid shirt and it's the only thing holding me down to the ground right now.

        He pulls away, grinning. "You don't think I'm supposed to what?"

        "Uh, that, uh, um, fuck—fuck you," I mutter, looking at my hands on his shirt. "You did that just to mess me up. Quit it, Lee. I really—"

        My hair has his fingers woven into it and he's ushering me closer and he's kissing me again and peppermint is exploding in my mouth. I grip his shirt harder. I'm going to lose my mind before he's done with me.

        "You really what?" Lee murmurs against my lips and I try to speak.

        "I really...I really...um," I say, searching for words. School and education and everything I've ever learned is gone. I'm the equivalent to a dumb rock as I open and close my mouth for words that won't appear. "I can't think—"

        I'm going to rip his shirt if I grip it any harder as his lips touch mine again. He's soft and so wonderful. If I had known kissing was as great as this before, I don't think I would've wasted so much of my time before. Lee makes everything seem holy and I kiss him with everything I have.

        I pull away first. "We should stop."

        "Why?" he whines, getting closer as I talk already.

        "This could end up like the car. You're still not even dressed properly," I say, skimming my hands to the top of his shirt where his buttons are all disarranged.

        Lee looks at me. His hands go to my hands and he gives them a squeeze. He stares at me with playful eyes and they crinkle in the corner when he grins. "So?"

❧

The feeling of falling wakes me up with a jolt. My eyes are open and I look around, confused and disorientated in that way you are when you wake up.

        I'm in Brent's car and it's parked in front of the New York City view. For a second, I'm panicking because when and how and why is his car here? And what if it falls over the cliff? And where's Lee? How did I get here?

        I look around and he's not in the car and I look outside the window and he's not there. Lee is not here. The feeling of worry and terror courses through me because I start imagining worst case scenarios. What if he fell down the cliff? What if he walked through the trees and a wild animal got him? What if he fell and he's laying unconscious? Or worse, he left me realizing how we could go nowhere.

        I jump out of the car, screaming, "Lee! Lee!"

        Tears are threatening to fall out of my eyes when I see him nowhere. Did he really leave me or is he in trouble? I have nothing, no evidence, for both theories.

        "What? What's wrong?" For the good love of god, I've never been so happier to hear him speak. I follow his voice and he's behind me. He's on top of the car—on its hood—and he looks like he's just woken up himself. He's holding himself up on his elbows as the rest of his body is in a horizontal position over the roof of the car.

        I walk over and use the front of the car to climb up to him. Instantly, I fall onto him and wrap my arms around him. I don't know if I'm crying but it feels like it.

        He stiffens and he sits up immediately, thrown off by my strange behavior. His arms are around me and I'm between his knees, hugging him as tight as possible. He probably can't breathe but he doesn't complain. Lee soothes my hair. "What's wrong, baby?"

        "I thought you left. I thought you ditched me because—I just, I just thought you decided to leave," I say fast and quick. My arms hug him tighter.

        Lee's chin is on my head and his hand is soothing my hair. The other is rubbing my back in circles. He sounds confused. "What do you mean?"

        "I-sorry"—I pull back immediately—"I guess I'm overreacting." I sit on my legs and immediately feel stupid and ridiculous. I need to calm down. He was just taking a nap of his own, jeez. My hands furiously wipe at my face for any tears.

        His hands drop to his sides and then he stares at me, confused again. He tilts his head and tries to see what's bothering me. Like tilting his head a couple degrees is going to help him find the answers to life. Lee doesn't care suddenly why I'm crying because he takes my wrist and pulls me back to his chest.

                "I...," he says, "I don't know why you're upset. But I'm here."

        I don't say anything but just relinquish under his arms and just take a breath. A long breath. My tears stop and my heart returns to it's normal drum. His heart is still frantically beating and I have no idea why but he just holds me and we don't have to say anything at all. It's enough for him just to hold me-whether he wants to leave me or not.

        After a few minutes of holding me, he asks, "You okay?"

         I play with buttons on his shirt, my cheek still on his heart. "Yes."

        "You want to move?"

        "No."

        "Okay."

        No words are exchanged for the next ten minutes and he just holds me. He rests his cheek on my head and I imagine him holding me and staring at the skyline of the city. The sun is beginning to set—I must've slept for a while. The sky turns to a soft pink and there are dips of orange in between. I feel at peace.

        "Hey," he whispers. "Ivory?"

        Lee must think I've fallen asleep again but I think I've slept enough. "Yeah?"

        "I think you should see this," he replies, his voice still low and quiet. I can feel his lips move in my hair and I slowly back away from his chest. He points his chin to behind me. "Look."

        I turn slowly and Lee pulls me back into his arms. My back is to his chest and our knees bend together. My eyes wander over to the horizon and it's truly breathtaking. Really. I feel my breath stop because the whole city is outlined by the sunset and it makes the city look more beautiful than it already is. There are a few twinkling lights from some skyscrapers and it looks as if the stars had spilled into the buildings instead of the sky. The whole thing is incredible.

        "Wow," is all I can think of to say. If I began describing the scene, I'd end up with a thirty-thousand page novel.

        "Yeah," he says and his voice vibrates against his chest to my back. His face is planted on the crook of my neck and he's staring at me.

        "Isn't it beautiful?" I say, turning my face to him but he's too close and I feel my lungs stop working. I turn away quickly, my face warming.

        "Yeah, you are," he whispers so softly I almost don't hear it.

        I hear it anyway and my heart halts in my body. I push closer to his body and he holds me tightly. I would give anything to be able to keep this boy as my own. He's the most imperfect being I've ever met and yet he's still the most dazzling. He's everything and more to me and I do. I love him.

        I fucking love this fucker.

        I don't know why it's such a big surprise to me. I'm sure I loved him when he called me the first time I talked to him. I'm sure I loved him when when he yelled at me. I'm sure I loved him when he helped me, though it only hurt him. I'm sure I loved him when I held him for the first time. When he got sick. When he got angry. When he looked at me with his intense blue eyes. When he told me loved me.

        He's so selfless and doesn't expect anything from me.

        "I love you," I whisper by accident. My eyes widen. Shit.

        He didn't hear it. He didn't hear it. Please hear it. He didn't—

        "What?"

        Oh shit. Now what?

        He's stopped hugging me and he stills, pulling his hands away. His hands rest on his knees and I can't feel him breathing so I turn around, panicked. Lee's eyes are hazed and it's like he's not here even though he physically is. He's still as a statue.

        "Lee?" I shake his leg slightly. "Lee? Hello?"

        He keeps on staring into whatever the hell is so interesting. "What did you say?"

        My eyes almost fall out. So he definitely heard me. Well now that there's no going back, I'm going to have to work around it. I'm scared of his reaction. Yes, he said he loved me but what if I say it? Will he finally realize how stupid we are being and run? I do want him to realize the truth but I don't want him to run. Not from me.

        What could I say to rewind? Do I lie?

        "Nothing, nothing," I say, waving my hand in the air as if it could move away and erase my words and his dull trance. "I just said...The city looks like poo."

        He doesn't move an inch. Or breathe. "Tell me."

        "Tell you what?"

        "What you said. Don't lie to me."

        I'm stuck. I can't lie my way around this. Not with Lee—he knows my lies and how stupid they really are. I can't take back my words. There's only one direction left to go; forward.

        "I...." My shoulders loosen and I let my guard down. I can't run away from him either. What could possibly happen with three little stupid words? "I...I love you."

        "Really?" He's still as dull as a black hole.

        "Uh...," I say, scratching the back of my head. "I guess."

        And now I'm scared because he hasn't moved. His hands are still on his knees, away from me. He's refraining from touching me or even breathing near me. Have I scared him off for good? It's good I have because this will end in two broken hearts anyways. I sigh. The end is here.

        "Really?" Slowly but surely, his eyes skim over to mine shortly.

        I feel my heart restart as if it's been electrocuted. I whisper, "Really."

        I don't know why we're whispering. There's only him and I and only us for miles to go. The only other thing that's alive is the city behind me. Maybe it's because I don't need the whole world to hear how much I love him. If he knows, that's the world enough for me.

        "Really?" he repeats, his voice soft on the ears.

        "Really," I snap. This is getting annoying. Am I going to have to say really for the rest of our hours together? I cross my arms. "Really, Lee. Really! I love you! Jeez."

        "Really?" This time, his whole face transforms. Color returns to his cheeks and his eyes that were so lifelessly staring at nothing fire up into the blue that I've known. His lips twitch. "Really?" I want to punch him. He grabs my hands. "Really, Ivory Grace Flores?"

        I knew I regretted telling him my middle name. I sigh, feigning boredom. "Yes. Really. I love you, Lee Daniel Richardson. What more do you—"

        I could see why Lee had gotten pissed at the diner for me interrupting him countless times because right now I wanted nothing more to punch him to Mars. But I can't let my thoughts or actions process because suddenly I'm yanked into his arms and he's holding me so tight I can barely breathe.

        Lee keeps on laughing and saying, "Really? Really? Really?"

        This is the most crazy I've ever seen him. He won't shut up as he holds me, trying to pull me as close as possible to him. Of course, I don't mind his idiocy and just smile into his shoulder and hug him back, slipping my hands around his waist.

        "Your words...they make me so insanely happy," Lee confesses, hugging me close and tight still. "You have no idea, baby."

        "I'm sorry it took so long," I say, my voice muffled by his shoulder. "I hope you didn't wait long."

        "Nope." He's quiet for a stretch of time. "Really?"

        "I'm going to punch you."

        "Okay." I can almost imagine him grinning as he says it. "It's just...before, you dodged it a lot and I thought for sure I was going too fast and you didn't like me to the extent of love and I was ready to go home with just the memory of today. This day alone was enough for me."

        I feel my lower lip trembling. "I...I didn't want to get hurt. And I don't want to end up hurting you either, Lee." I bury my face into him. "I don't care anymore. If you hurt me, if you run, I don't care. I'm happy enough for today, too. I won't ask for any more, I promise."

        Lee brings one hand up and plays with the ends of my hair as I lean into him. "I know this won't be easy. Loving each other is going to be rough and may take a while but, can you believe in me? I will fight for you, I swear, Ivory Flores."

        I kiss his chest. "I already believe in you, Lee."

        He lets out a long breath as if to process everything. Slowly, he says, "Really?"

        I pull away and push his chest away before I'm tempted to crawl back into his arms. I smack his forearm playfully. "No. I changed my mind."

        He frowns and pretends to be hurt. "Cruel."

        "So is you repeating that word. I've begun to hate that word," I say, crossing my arms as I sit criss cross across from him. "And you."

        "Okay, I'll stop," Lee says, a big grin plastered onto his face. I could get used to staring at that huge smile all day. It makes me feel warm and like I'm as radiant as the sun. "But Ivory...really?" He looks serious this time.

        I look down at my shoes and my shirt and at his shirt and his matching shoes and I stare at him, no humor in my face. My cheeks redden as I whisper, "Really."

        He leans in as quick as the wind and plants a kiss on my lips. Lee moves away quickly and stares. One. Two. Three. And then he's back and kisses me too quick again and I can't even move because he's backed away again.

        "I am in love with a girl that's too good for me," he whispers.

        "And I'm in love with a stupid idiot that bugs me to the ends of this earth," I say. He looks up, surprised at my words either because I said I loved him or because I called him stupid but I lean and kiss him before he speaks. "I love him nonetheless."

        "He loves you too," Lee says, smiling down at me as I stay leaned in close to his face. He squishes my face in his hands like at the diner. "He loves you so much." And then we're kissing again, lost in our own little world.

        After who knows how long, he backs away from me and sits back in his spot. He takes my hands in his and he tells me, "Close your eyes."

        "Why?" I don't want to close my eyes. I want to stare at this wonderful, amazing, sweet, tender, nice, cute, funny, adorable, crazy—more than me, kiss-stealing interruption-expert forever.

        "Please," he says and it's the magic word so I close my eyes. "Don't open or I will not kiss you for the rest of our evening," he threatens and I would hit him if it weren't for the fact that I could not see. I hear him jump off the hood of the car and go open one of the car doors. There's a shuffle of plastic bags—the groceries. I hear soft clanks and the trunk opening and then he's back on the hood again.

        "Not yet," he says when I try opening my eyes and I sigh. My arms cross and I wonder what he's doing. Is he going to arrange the food? Why would I need to close my eyes for that? I don't understand.

        "Not yet," he repeats but he's closer this time. I can practically feel his breath brush my face and his lips touch mine for one second. "Not yet." And then he retreats and I hear things being taken out of the bags.

        Seconds later, he says, "Okay. You can open your lovely eyes."

        On the hood of Brent's car is Lee, holding a guitar on his lap. He's leaning his chin and arms on it, staring at me with a goofy grin on his face. Like he can't help but laugh and smile. Where did he even get that guitar? In front of me, there are crackers and cheese dips and salsa. There is a bag of barbecue chips and plastic cups with pink liquid inside. It's probably lemonade. But then I see the bottle of wine and I'm wondering where the hell did all of this come from?

        "Wow," I say, running my eyes over the small sandwiches he's probably made. Again, when and how? And everything's set up so cutely. I grab a barbecue chip and plop it in my mouth and chew. "Very romantic," I say, holding up an okay sign with my hand.

        "Yeah?" Lee's gazing at me softly, still resting his chin on the guitar.

        "Yeah." I giggle and stare at the convenient store bought food and the plastic cups and plates. It may not be a five star restaurant but it's more than enough to make me the happiest girl on the planet. "I don't understand why I had to close my eyes for this. And where'd you get all this? The wine? The guitar?"

        He's still staring at me and I have to look away because I'm going to fall off the car if he stares at me like he is doing at the moment.

        "Well, after we kissed," —my eyes are the size of Jupiter— "you fell asleep on me as you seem to be doing today. Remind me never to wake you up early and take you out on a date."

        My insides coil at the word 'date' and I grin. "I won't." I eat another chip. "Continue."

        "Anyways," he says, staring at me still as if he's amazed that I'm here. "You fell asleep on me and I let you sleep and just looked at the view, and you, for a while. Then I heard your stomach growling in your sleep." He laughs and I want to kick myself in the stomach. How cute of me. "It was great."

        "Shut up."

        "Stop interrupting," he scolds, but he grins. "So, because you were obviously in need of some sleep and food, I carried you to the car and drove to the nearest stores. I had already bought some food at that gas station but I really went to go buy this—" He stops and picks up a box next to him that I hadn't seen before. It's a plain white box but when he picks up the cover, I realize it's a cake. My cake.

        Happy birthday, baby, it says in blue frosting. It's a plain cake but my heart almost explodes because Lee has bought me cake and I'm ready to marry him.

        Lee sets it in front of me and pulls out some small candles and a lighter. He places the candles—well, stabs the cake really, and lights them all.

        Soon our faces are lit only with the soft, yellow fire and the fading sun.

        "You got this for me?" I whisper. I'm still recovering.

        Lee grins, setting the lighter down. "Yes. I also snagged a bottle of wine because well, you're nineteen and you love me. What's not to celebrate?"

        I laugh, feeling the most satisfactory emotion ever: the feeling of being content. Being utterly and completely happy with your life and everything in it. My mother may be in the hospital and my father is dead and everything's wrong but Lee is everything right. That's what love does. Everything in your life could be burning down but as long as you have one person that cares—it doesn't matter.

        I feel so utterly full. Full of love and happiness and I'm so glad we did this.

        Every problem I have—I can handle it today and I can handle it tomorrow.

        "And the guitar?" I ask.

        "Your brother's, I think," Lee replies, his smile never stopping. Brent did used to play guitar back in high school. For the ladies more than himself. "Found it in the trunk and it's your birthday. Can I sing you a song?"

        "You want to sing me a song?" I gape at him. Everything is more than enough and he wants to sing me a song? I may have gone to heaven.

        For a second, Lee's cheeks are red and pink and I almost burst because it's the cutest sight. He gives me a shy smile. "May I?"

        "Of course!" I gleam, not bothering to hide my excitement.

        "Okay," he says, grinning. "It's called Favorite Girl and I think you may know why...You're my favorite girl, Ivory."

        I roll my eyes. "I better be your only girl, you corny prick."

                        ((( play song )))

        Lee doesn't reply—that rascal—and he starts to strum his fingers across the guitar. I've witnessed his musical skills twice already and maybe even more but as he starts playing, I'm more than overjoyed than the first two times. His lips spread and lyrics fly out of his mouth—something about Boston—but I'm too strung on his voice.

        "Hey, maybe we could stay and maybe we could lay like this forever," Lee sings and his fingers strum across the strings of the guitar and as well as my heart. He doesn't even look at the guitar but focuses his eyes solely on me and I don't know if my doctor would approve of the rate my heart is going. "And don't you know? She is my favorite girl. I wanna run away for days with her. And if you promise not to say a thing, I'm gonna buy that girl a diamond ring. I said, oooh...I think I love you...oooh. I think I love you... I love you, my favorite girl."

        The lyrics make goosebumps rise up my entire body and the shivers don't stop and I'm addicted to him—his voice, the sounds that are in the air, this moment. The light shining on his face and mine. This picnic at sunset on the hood of this car. His words. My words. Everything is perfect.

        This is the best day of my life. This is the best moment ever.

        Forever.

        I wish I had a camera because I want nothing more than to take a picture of Lee singing to me and his eyes dancing with a passion I've never seen. Lee loves this. He loves singing and music. I wish one day he can go back to it.

        His voice drops down to a soft whisper, "Don't you know she is my favorite girl? I want to run away for days with her. And if you promise not to say a thing, I'm gonna buy that girl a diamond ring." He strums his guitar. "I said, oooh...I think I love you...oooh. I think I love you... I love you, my favorite girl."

        Lee's voice runs over the chorus again and he softly sings before his voice fades and his fingers stop strumming his guitar and the last thing he whispers is, "My favorite girl."

        There is silence and then there is clapping.

        My hands move before I can and they're clapping for him because he's so amazing. He's so talented and gifted with his voice and guitar skills. I want him to be happy one day and do what he wants once he's ready. He's incredibly brilliant and I cannot be more proud of who he is.

        "Happy birthday, Miss Flores," Lee says, setting the guitar down. His eyes haven't left mine since the beginning and he continues to not move them away.

        I grin. "Thank you, Mr. Richardson." I close my eyes. "For everything." I know what I'm going to wish for and I blow out the candles, all of fire disappearing.

        When I open my eyes, Lee stares at me and he's smiling. I feel so...happy. I can't say it enough. I can't stop feeling so...in the air. It's like I'm floating and I don't have to worry if I'll fall or land or whatever. It's the best feeling ever. It's carefree.

        Lee uses a plastic fork and cuts out a small piece of cake and then he leans over and stops in front of my face. "Say "ah"."

        I stare at him and give him a are-you-stupid look. "The whole point of turning older is so you don't treat me like a—"

        The cake is pushed into my unprepared mouth and it smothers all over my lips and chin, sinking slowly down to my shirt. A couple of pieces fall to my clothes and I stare back at Lee ready to fight him because he's gotten me all messy but as soon as I look up, he kisses me. He's been doing that a lot and as much as I hate his interruptions, I do love his kisses. And him.

        "Happy birthday," he says, sitting back. He licks his lips. "Yum—vanilla."

        I roll my eyes. "I really want to stab you with the plastic fork."

        "That's violent." He's grinning.

        "It's plastic."

        And soon we're talking and eating. Lee's animated and tells me about how he found this place by accident and has never seen anyone else up here. He tells me how I'm the first person he's brought besides Anne—the girl Mark and he liked. I would normally get hurt but I am so secure in his love for me and mine for him that I really do not give a crap. I tell him about how I thought he had left when I woke up and that's why I had been crying when he'd just been taking a cat nap himself.

        We laugh and we drink wine and we stuff ourselves with chips and cake.

        The sun disappears and gives a high five to the moon as the moon crawls into the sky for his night shift as the sun sleeps. It's probably around seven and soon we'll have to leave to go back home where Brent has a party ready for me.

        I'm not sure if the party is for me or just another reason for him to get booze and girls. I wonder what he and Candy must be doing right now and smile.

        "Do you like your present?" Lee says. He seems less affected by the wine and it's probably because he's had experience or maybe because he's going to drive and he hasn't drunk much.

        Me on the other hand? Not so stable. "Meee?" I point to myself—or at least what I think is me. I'm seeing double. I've had a little too much. I'm just tipsy, that's all.

        Lee laughs, his head thrown in the air and I laugh too. "Yes, you."

        "Welllll, I think cake and crackers and chips and salsa and that nice wine and you and this view and this day has been perfectttt," I say, tripping over my words. "It's wonderffulllll!"

        "That's not your present," he replies, leaning back and resting on his hands. "Look at your chest."

        I look down. "My boobs? Silly, you didn't give me these!"

        Lee's face reddens and his eyes are wide before he starts chuckling and he slips from the car's hood as he laughs, rolling over. He climbs back on after letting his laughter out and says, "No, unfortunately, I didn't. But look again."

        I don't understand why he thinks it's so funny. I'm being serious. He didn't give me my breasts. They came themselves in eighth grade! But I listen to him and look down again. What on Jupiter is he talking about? We are on Jupiter...right?

        And then I see a shiny thing. I like shiny things.

                It's a necklace.

        I recognize it immediately despite my clogged up head at the moment. It's the Neptune. It's the silver chain with one green bead in the middle of it. I was staring at it in Jen's Clothes back at the tiny strip mall with the grumpy old man.

        "Woooooah!" I yell, holding it in my hand. "It's amaaaazing! How did it get on me? I don't remeeember you putting it on me! Wow, that noggin of mine! I can't even remember. Whereeee did you get the money for all of this?" I fling my arms around indicating for everything—the wine, the necklace, the cake.

        Lee smirks and uses his hands to take my hands and put them back at my side. He probably doesn't want me to float away. "Do you really think I couldn't buy you anything just because I didn't carry my wallet?" He grins. "All I have to do is use a phone and have my secretary deposit the cash into the person's account. And I had Sally distract you at the diner while I "went to the bathroom" to get it for you."

        I wiggle my finger in his face. "You sly, sly devil, you."

        He catches it and grins at me. "Yes, yes, I am, you angel."

        "I'm not an angel!" I flick his hand off of me. "I'm Batman! Get it right!"

        Lee laughs again and he holds his stomach. He probably doesn't want his stomach flying away either. "I need to get you drunk more often," he whispers but I hear him. "Do you like your present?" he repeats from earlier.

        I look down at and I smile. Well, I hope I'm smiling. I can't really tell which muscles I'm moving or where. "I love it! First you gave me Jupiter, and now Neptune!"

        I suddenly jump at him, trapping him in my arms.

        "Shit, Ivory!" he yells and I don't understand till I feel a wetness. My shirt is damp and his is soaked because the wine bottle tipped over while I flew into him. I back away and give a sheepish grin and he looks at me and he's all grins again. "If you weren't so cute, I would be angry."

        "I know," I say, throwing my chin up in the air like I'm queen of Jupiter. I am.

        He shakes his shirt for a few seconds but when he can't seem make any progress he just peels the shirt off of himself.

        "Woooooah!" I yell. My eyes are seeing stars as his muscles flex and I see his abs. "Woah! Let's stay PG-13, kids!" I put my hands up in surrender. And then I let them fall onto his stomach. His stomach is hard. Wow. "Cooooool!"

        Lee stills and he's staring at me and his grin is gone. He must not like me touching him. I back away. "Sooorry!" I say.

        He bites his lip and then he mutters, "Dammit, I'm going to have to clean all this later," before he pushes everything on the car hood off and it all falls down in slow-motion to the ground. It's very funny and I laugh. And I don't stop. And then Lee is staring at me and then tilting his head and then I kiss him because he's cute. Why not?

        Lee suddenly jumps at me like I jumped at him and I understand that's why he's moved everything off to the ground. Remembering how everything fell in slow motion makes me laugh and I keep laughing against his lips before he's laughing with me too. I pull him until I'm laying on my back and he's on top of me.

        We're both laughing and his face is funny while he laughs and it makes me laugh more.

        He gives me a swift kiss that I think is too quick and when I don't let him go, he pries his hands off of me. "Maybe when you're stable," he whispers, kissing my forehead.

        And then Lee pulls me into his arms and I rest on his bare shoulder that smells like the way Lee would smell and I snuggle into his arms. He picks up the guitar and he starts playing soft tunes and we both stare at the sky.

        The billions of stars are beautiful but I don't know if they are as much as the man next to me.

                        so here's chapter twenty-nine. ♥ (DAMN, 7.5 thousand words and 13 wattpad pages)

                        i know, can you believe how HUMONGOUS it is? i am so proud of this chapter you have no idea. it really flows and i started writing at ten p.m. and it's just 3 a.m. now and i'm done and i'm so happy because i wrote nonstop and that usually doesn't happen. and look how long it is? i sound like a male middle schooler talking about his body parts, ha ha. okay, i'll stop now. thank you for the support on this story and "Only Tonight"! love all the love! i hope you find this chapter funny and cute because i did...yes, i was laughing at my own jokes. there's so many planet talk and stupid things. hope you enjoyed the chapter and the song and the banner!

        w a r n i n g: this is the calm before the storm, oops.

        edit at 4.a.m.: dear wattpad app, i fucking hate you<3 i tried proofreading because i'm so happy with this chapter (my best one too :'( ) and it disarranged everything and i tried my best to save it, sorry