time.
“Do you dance?” I ask him.
“Not very well. My mom taught us a little, but I kind of suck. What about you?”
I shook my head. There’s no way that I’m going to tell him that I dance. That’s my secret. I lean back in my seat and I feel his arm. I bolt upright. “Sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.” He removes his arm. “That’s my fault. I didn’t mean to be so close to you.”
I rub the back of my neck and cross my arms over my chest as if I’m trying to contain my nerves.
We both listen to the music and the food comes. We dive in and everything is delicious. I try to be lady-like as possible, but it’s not always easy with finger food. When I asked Graham about utensils, he laughs. I blush deeply. He hands me a bunch of napkins.
Once the food is gone and Graham pays for the bill, we leave. He holds my hand the whole drive home.
“I’m sorry we’re not staying out longer, but I have to be to work early.” He walks me up to the door.
“It’s fine. I had great time.” I try to stay calm as we’re both on the porch.
Is he going to kiss me?
Is he not?
He doesn’t. He opens the screen door. “I’ll text you tomorrow,” and releases my hand.
~~~
“Shorty.”
I look up to Graham.
“Why are you crying?”
“Just thinking.”
He sits next to me at the table. “Are you hungry? You want something to drink?”
I look back out the window, and it’s dark out.
“I think I’m going to go to bed.” I stand up.
Graham grabs my hand and pulls me onto his lap. My eyes go wide and my breathing stops. We’ve never done this.
“Please, don’t go to bed right now. I want you to stay here.” Graham’s face is in pain. “Has anything changed in the book?”
“No. Everything is still the same. Why?”
Graham doesn’t say anything.
“I need to tell Amaya that I saw her mom today.”
“I already went over there and talked all of them. You looked like you were in deep thought and I didn’t want to disturb you.” Grahams pulls me closer to him.
“Thanks.” I nod. “I don’t think I can handle all their emotions and questions right now.”
“I know.” His lips twitch at the corners.
Both of my hands are laying on the bicep that’s in front of me. His body heat is rising, and it’s as if he’s my own personal heater.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Us.” I mouth to him.
“What about us?”
“Everything. Anything. I was actually thinking about our first date.”
“The Club.” He tries to hold back a smile, but it doesn’t work.
“The Club,” I confirm.
We sit there for a moment in silence, both reliving the memory of our first date when Graham asks, “Shorty, what’s on your bucket list?”
I lean back. “Bucket list?”
“I’m not… I’m not trying to think about the end . Because I still don’t think that it will happen, but something that Zane said made me think.” He shifts in his seat, adjusting me on his lap. “If I had a few months… left, I would want to live it to my fullest.” I watch Graham’s throat move and I feel his sadness again. “I want to do that for you. Whatever you want, wherever you want to go, it doesn’t matter. I’ll make it happen. Name it.”
I tilt my head to him. The tears build around the rim of my eyes.
“You’ve had twelve years to think about it, so tell me. I’ll make it happen.”
The first tear slides my cheek. Graham softly brushes it away. I look in his dark eyes and there’s tears peaking at the corners.
I already made a promise to be honest with him. Here it goes.
“I want you to be happy. I’ve grown to care about you, and I don’t want this to weigh on you. I’ve seen your timeline. I want that to remain true. I don’t want that to change.” The tears roll faster. “I’m sorry you got Matched with me.”
“Stop saying that. I’m not sorry. Not a single bit.” He looks up to the ceiling like he’s frustrated at me. “I wouldn’t change a single second of our
“Do you dance?” I ask him.
“Not very well. My mom taught us a little, but I kind of suck. What about you?”
I shook my head. There’s no way that I’m going to tell him that I dance. That’s my secret. I lean back in my seat and I feel his arm. I bolt upright. “Sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.” He removes his arm. “That’s my fault. I didn’t mean to be so close to you.”
I rub the back of my neck and cross my arms over my chest as if I’m trying to contain my nerves.
We both listen to the music and the food comes. We dive in and everything is delicious. I try to be lady-like as possible, but it’s not always easy with finger food. When I asked Graham about utensils, he laughs. I blush deeply. He hands me a bunch of napkins.
Once the food is gone and Graham pays for the bill, we leave. He holds my hand the whole drive home.
“I’m sorry we’re not staying out longer, but I have to be to work early.” He walks me up to the door.
“It’s fine. I had great time.” I try to stay calm as we’re both on the porch.
Is he going to kiss me?
Is he not?
He doesn’t. He opens the screen door. “I’ll text you tomorrow,” and releases my hand.
~~~
“Shorty.”
I look up to Graham.
“Why are you crying?”
“Just thinking.”
He sits next to me at the table. “Are you hungry? You want something to drink?”
I look back out the window, and it’s dark out.
“I think I’m going to go to bed.” I stand up.
Graham grabs my hand and pulls me onto his lap. My eyes go wide and my breathing stops. We’ve never done this.
“Please, don’t go to bed right now. I want you to stay here.” Graham’s face is in pain. “Has anything changed in the book?”
“No. Everything is still the same. Why?”
Graham doesn’t say anything.
“I need to tell Amaya that I saw her mom today.”
“I already went over there and talked all of them. You looked like you were in deep thought and I didn’t want to disturb you.” Grahams pulls me closer to him.
“Thanks.” I nod. “I don’t think I can handle all their emotions and questions right now.”
“I know.” His lips twitch at the corners.
Both of my hands are laying on the bicep that’s in front of me. His body heat is rising, and it’s as if he’s my own personal heater.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Us.” I mouth to him.
“What about us?”
“Everything. Anything. I was actually thinking about our first date.”
“The Club.” He tries to hold back a smile, but it doesn’t work.
“The Club,” I confirm.
We sit there for a moment in silence, both reliving the memory of our first date when Graham asks, “Shorty, what’s on your bucket list?”
I lean back. “Bucket list?”
“I’m not… I’m not trying to think about the end . Because I still don’t think that it will happen, but something that Zane said made me think.” He shifts in his seat, adjusting me on his lap. “If I had a few months… left, I would want to live it to my fullest.” I watch Graham’s throat move and I feel his sadness again. “I want to do that for you. Whatever you want, wherever you want to go, it doesn’t matter. I’ll make it happen. Name it.”
I tilt my head to him. The tears build around the rim of my eyes.
“You’ve had twelve years to think about it, so tell me. I’ll make it happen.”
The first tear slides my cheek. Graham softly brushes it away. I look in his dark eyes and there’s tears peaking at the corners.
I already made a promise to be honest with him. Here it goes.
“I want you to be happy. I’ve grown to care about you, and I don’t want this to weigh on you. I’ve seen your timeline. I want that to remain true. I don’t want that to change.” The tears roll faster. “I’m sorry you got Matched with me.”
“Stop saying that. I’m not sorry. Not a single bit.” He looks up to the ceiling like he’s frustrated at me. “I wouldn’t change a single second of our
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