Page 96

I looked down at her—dark, braided hair with colorful beads clinking together at the ends. Innocent little brownish-green eyes. “Yes?” I answered her.
“Will you play grocery shopping with me?” she asked, her ‘r’rounding out into a ‘w’,and it was probably the cutest thing I’d ever heard, making it impossible to tell her no.
The next hour flew by faster than I would’ve thought possible. Running the cash register at Toddlers-R-Us was no joke. Kids werecrazy.
I stood up and stretched my arms above me, searching the room for Neil and finding him sitting at a small table across the room. Making my way over to him, I paused when I realized a little girl in a pink, frilly dress was painting his nails, and I heard him laughing softly.
“This color is soooo pretty!” the little girl said.
He chuckled. “I like it, Lily.”
My heart skipped a beat. And then a few more.
I remembered that day at Inkcafé, with Jason, when I’d seen that black nail polish on his thumb.Thiswas where it had come from, I was sure of it.
It was blue this time, though. And he sat there, listening patiently, as the girl droned on and on about something that sounded awfully important to her tiny little four-year-old self.
Having kids someday had never been on my radar before. The thought of it scared the shit out of me now—I didn’t want to do to some innocent kid what Linda had done to Jason and me.
But watching Neil with that little girl… my heart warmed. And my ribcage felt just like that—a cage, trapping all the warmth inside me as I watched them.
Maybe I could do that someday. Have kids of my own.
You know, someday in the far, far,farfuture.
The next handful of days, weeks, and months passed by with warp speed. They all just kind of bled together and flowed past us, a ridiculous montage of being attached at the hip and disgustingly in love.
Gag,I know.
But I secretly loved it.
We went to prom together, totally screwing with the way of things and going dressed up as Elizabeth and Darcy, because why the hell not? I mean, for reference, our promwasthemed “Hollywood.”
Probably not the way they meant it, but whatever.
I’d like to say we got a hotel room and I totally had my way with him, but that wasn’t the case. We were rounding the bases, though.Slowly.
I wasn’t mad about it. All the firsts with Neil felt like home runs anyway. And we were just… enjoying our time together. Getting to know each other deeper in other ways. And it was enough for the both of us.
Graduation was just a week away, and then after that, we were leaving for the summer.
Him, on mission. Me, to Europe.
We were sticking to our own plans—yes—but when we got back, we were making a bunch of new ones together, too.
Andgod,I couldn’t wait.
Because Neil.
He was sort of perfect, wasn’t he?
I eyed him from across the cab of his truck, watching his lips wrap around the straw of his Coke and Sprite concoction, eyeballing his neck as his Adam’s apple slid up and down his throat. Popping a hot Cheeto into my mouth, I lifted my brows at him, bringing all my corrupted thoughts to light without saying a word.
His cheeks broke out into a blush, but his fingers slipped through mine, bringing them up to his mouth. He kissed my hand and held it against his chest as his blush slowly faded away.
And I swallowed thickly.
Yeah, he was pretty damn perfect.