Page 38 of The Best Kind of Forever
She penetrates me with a fully loaded stare, one that would be frightening if she didn’t look so adorable. “Yeah, I subtracted four points for being annoying. And cocky. And freakishly persistent.”
I feign hurt. “But those are all of my best qualities.”
“Best might be stretching it,” she says.
I click on the turn signal and take a right. “If you have a different opinion, I’d love to hear it.”
“Nice try. I’ve already inflated your ego enough today.”
“Fine, but I’m only letting you off the hook because we’re here.”
When we round the hill, a large glade comes into view. The space sits amidst a bank of low-lying boulders and elderberry bushes, bordered by a copse of sycamores and a thick, blanketed underbrush. Sunbeams stream through the window and fall in lacework over Aeris’ shoulders, highlighting that perfect side profile of hers, weaving into strands of her hair. Her eyes widen upon taking in the picture of paradise, and then she looks at me with affection so strong that it strikes my heart, maybe even stopping it for a second.
17
DESSERT’S ON ME
AERIS
When we get out of the car, the crisp air pervades my nostrils, and a slight breeze whispers over my skin, making the hem of my dress billow. The sorbet sky is clear with the exception of a few clouds, and if I look hard enough, I can faintly see a studding of stars throughout the backdrop of space.
Hayes leads me over to the center of the clearing, and once we find a nice spot to settle in that’s not ridden with rocks and overgrown roots, we plant our stake. There’s absolutely no one in the area, which gives us some much-wanted privacy. He begins to set out our spread on the checkered blanket, and I’m at a loss for words when the food keeps coming, like the basket is some bottomless hole.
There’s a fruit salad, a charcuterie board, two BLTs, a jug of lemonade, and a container of snickerdoodles. Everything looks homemade, and I surmise that Hayes must have employed his cooking skills.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, giving my knee a small squeeze.
I nod, because I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that a person can be so considerate. Wilder never took me on dates, and whenever I’d ask him why, he’d turn the narrative on me and tell me I was being too clingy, or that I was asking too much of him. He told me couples didn’t need to go on dates to prove that they cared for each other. He told me I should be grateful he even made time for me with his start-up business taking off.
Once I shake myself out of that depressing trip down memory lane, I notice the beads of sweat starting at Hayes’ hairline, the cords of his neck straining, the curl of his shoulders. He looks…nervous? That can’t be possible, right? I’m the least intimidating person in the tri-state area. Also, the man plays professional hockey for a living. Surely he’d be used to a little bit of nerves.
“Are you okay?” I ask, alarm dipping low in my belly.
He gives me a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m okay. Are you okay?”
“I’d be better if you weren’t sitting so far away from me,” I say, gesturing to the three large, square lengths of blanket between us. He’s close enough that he can extend his arm to reach me, but his body itself is practically on the other side of the blanket.
Upon my answer, he scoots closer to me, dousing me in that sandalwood scent of his. I’m close enough that I can see the soft, fluctuating pulse in his throat, see the swell of his chest as he breathes. The rays from the sun glisten over the strong arch of his cheekbones, painting his face in marigold brushstrokes. Most things are uglier up close, but not him. Not Hayes Hollings.
I pop a strawberry into my mouth. “You don’t need to be nervous.”
He gets to work on his sandwich. “What makes you think I’m nervous?”
“The way you’re avoiding me like I have the plague.” There’s no frustration in my voice, no judgment—it’s just a keen observation.
“Okay, maybe you make me alittlenervous,” Hayes admits, crunching down on a ribbon of perfectly cooked bacon.
“I do?” I cock my head to the side, genuine curiosity breaking over the syllables.
“You do,” he reaffirms, covering my hand with his. “You’re amazing, Aeris. You’re one of my favorite people to be around. I’m not going to say you always know what to say, but you always know how to make me laugh. You make the dull days brighter. And I love how big your heart is, even when you wish it was smaller.”
I didn’t know Hayes felt that way about me. I’ve always had low self-esteem, which was only augmented thanks to Wilder. I really should forward him my therapy bill.
I must’ve gone brain dead for a few seconds because a frown manifests on Hayes’ lips.
“Was that too much?”
I shake my head, wrapping my fingers around his hand. “No, no. It’s just…nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before. Not my ex, not my parents…”
