Page 25 of #Lovestrong
Declan
Sitting in Mrs. Deb and Mr. Gary's living room is usually relaxing and peaceful, but waiting for Lena to come out of her room for our date has my nerves on complete edge. She's not the type of girl who does well with surprises, so even though I won't tell her where we're going, I at least gave her a hint by telling her to wear shorts and flip flops.
"Remember, it's a school night, Declan. Don't keep her out late," Mr. Gary says as he sits down at the table across from me.
"I won't. We're just having dinner and then we'll be back. Nothing crazy, I promise." I give him a serious look. Mr. Gary knows I won't keep her out or do anything disrespectful. I get it though. He's her grandpa and has to lay down the law no matter how long he's known me.
"I'm glad she's doing something. Spending time with you has almost given us our old Lena back. We're hoping the therapist she's going to see will keep getting her better."
I shake my head in confusion. "Therapist?"
Mr. Gary tilts his head, the confusion clear on his face. "She didn't tell you? She starts seeing someone tomorrow."
"I had no idea. Not that I'm against it."
"She hasn't told you anything yet has she?" He's shaking his head and looking down at the table before he even finishes his sentence.
"I know she will . . . when she's ready. I'm not going anywhere, no matter what though. She knows that."
"Are you ready to go?" Lena's voice startles me in the best way and I look up, my eyes falling on her, and my mouth drops open.
She's wearing jean shorts with a tight black t-shirt, her hair flowing around her face. Every time I look at her, it's like getting stunned in place. She's simply beautiful, and everything about her makes my heartbeat thump in my chest.
I stand, unable to take my eyes off her face. "Yeah. If you are?"
She walks over and hugs Mr. Gary. I take her hand and as we walk to the door, Mr. Gary puts his hand on my shoulder to stop me.
"You're a good kid, Declan. You kids have fun tonight."
Lena rolls her eyes and I smile at him. I don't see much of my grandparents and it means a lot that hers trust me and support us spending time together.
She's quiet as we leave the house and get in the car. Halfway through the ride, I'm starting to worry if she's uncomfortable.
"Lena," I say softly, reaching over to put my hand on her leg. "Are you okay?"
She puts her hand on top mine and curls her fingers around the side of my hand. "Yeah. Is it stupid I'm nervous?"
"No. I am too."
She chuckles and shakes her head. "No, you're not. I've known you over a month and I've never seen you get nervous about anything."
I just shake my head and, a few minutes later, pull into a parking space in front of the beach. Lena looks out the window and then at me, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
"I packed up a dinner and figured we could eat on the beach. Just me and you, and no interruptions."
Her eyes go wide and she looks between the beach and my face again, breaking into a mega-watt smile. Before I can say anything else, she hurries out of the car, kicks her flip flops off, and takes off across the beach. I chuckle as I climb out of the car and retrieve the cooler and large blanket from the trunk. By the time I get to her, she's at the water’s edge, dipping her toes in the surf. I smile the entire time I'm laying the blanket out, and when I stand up, she’s walking toward me.
She grabs my hand and drags me toward the water's edge. I take my flip flops off and follow her until we're both standing calf-deep with the surf breaking against our legs. The moon is full and it's the only light that illuminates her face, her eyes sparkling each time she looks around. She closes her eyes a moment and lifts her face upward, the wind off the water blowing her hair around in the breeze.
My stomach is so tight from nerves, it's almost painful. When she opens her eyes and looks at me, I fall right over the edge I've stood on since I met her. I want this girl more than I want anything else in life. I reach out and grasp the side of her neck, pulling her toward me as I lower my lips to hers.
The moment they touch, every nerve ending in my body ignites. I tangle my other hand in her hair and she grabs the front of my shirt, pulling me closer. When she parts her lips and tilts her head, my tongue finds hers and I moan, the kiss deepening until she's moving her hands up my chest and gripping my short hair in her fists. I don't ever want to stop kissing her.
As I run my hands down her body toward her hips, she breaks the kiss and we're both out of breath.
"Declan," she whispers like it’s a plea. I press my lips to hers again and each time we pull apart, it's like two magnets— we just come right back together.
I grab under her butt and lift her. She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, and never takes her lips off mine. She’s got such a grip on me that I let go of her and run my hands up her back, enjoying the way she fits perfectly against me.