When a Heart Trips Page 5

  “It’ll go perfectly,” Erin promises, arms wrapping me in a hug.

  “Those are really high expectations you have, Erin.”

  “Yeah, well, you, best friend of mine, deserve nothing but the best,” she says, stepping back to give me a once-over. “And you look beautiful.”

  I feel my cheeks redden, and I shrug as nervousness takes root. “You’re biased, but thank you for helping me get ready and for everything else.”

  High-waisted jeans? Check. Simple, off-the-shoulder long sleeve T-shirt in my all-time favorite color, mustard yellow, and beat-up black Converse? Check and check. Mint-flavored chapstick, mascara, and a crossbody pleather purse with an extra tin of Altoids? Check, check, checkity check.

  I feel beautiful, confident even, but even hearing the words from my best friend makes me anxious for some reason, probably because I hope Julian will feel the same. I mean, of course I do. That’s only natural, right? So natural that after much back and forth over him wanting to pick me up, I was able to convince him it’s better that I get dropped off. It was against every gentleman-like bone in his body, but he reluctantly caved. Sort of. I’ll be getting dropped off at his place, and then we’ll head to the local movie theater. Pretty standard as far as dates go for people our age, but still so invigorating because this is a first for me.

  “Duh, always. Now text me, call me, scream for me, whatever, and I’ll be there,” Erin promises. “Try to relax and let your guard down a little, okay? You, Devon, are extraordinary, so don’t be afraid to show it.”

  “Whatever that means,” I respond with a chuckle.

  “I’m trying to be pep-talky and encouraging, but it’ll be fine, just have fun,” Erin says. “And obviously feel free to blow up my phone before, during, and after.”

  Knowing myself, I might just do that.

  After a quick goodbye to my mama, who was gracious enough to drop me off with little to no questions, though the knowing gleam in her eyes as she did was self-explanatory, I walk up to the front door of the address Jules gave me. It’s fairly dark inside from what I can tell, but the house itself is nice, simple, and inviting. It’s clear his parents work hard for what they have.

  Before I can knock on the door or ring the doorbell, the door quickly swings open, and Jules stands in the open, dimly lit doorway. His hair is mussed, sweatpants are hanging loosely from his hips, and a school spirit T-shirt hugs his lean muscles. My breath catches as my eyes lock on his, and his mouth quirks in a half-smile, dark brown eyes shining brighter than the stars above.

  Super smooth, Dev. Suuuuper.

  I shake my head at my internal monologue and offer him a small smile back. “Hey, you.”

  “Hey you right back.” The tip of his tongue darts out to swipe along his upper lip, and I glance away nervously. “I’m really glad you’re here, Dev.”

  I push my attention back to him. “Did you not think I would be?”

  “Truthfully? I figured there was a 50/50 shot,” he replies honestly, shoulder moving in a shrug.

  “Well, you’re not wrong,” I say just as truthfully. “It definitely could have gone either way. But I’m here, so what are you going to do about it?”

  The question leaves my mouth before I can process the words. I mean, I’m not even sure what I mean, but the words are out there. Before I can walk back on them, he just laughs, a deep rumbling that reverberates throughout my entire body.

  “Well, how about you come in?” he suggests sweetly. “And then we can get this date started.”

  “Oh? Do you still need to get ready or something?” I ask, taking a step into the house when he moves to the side, allowing me space to walk by. My side brushes against his front, and I suck in a breath as tingles rise along the surface of my skin.

  “Nah, I’m as ready as I’m going to be,” he says with a laugh. “I mentioned we were having a movie night, didn’t I?”

  “Well, yeah, I just assumed that meant we’d be heading to the movies,” I voice slowly, the phrasing behind his words sinking in. “But that was never in the cards, was it?”

  “It sure wasn’t,” he admits. “I even kicked everyone else out of the house so that we’d have the space to ourselves.”

  “Oh?” I question, surprise evident in my tone.

  “I’m just messing. My parents had a getaway planned for this weekend anyway, so it worked out that way, otherwise we would be heading out.” His tongue darts out again, repeating the same sweeping motion along his lip as it had before. “I wanted our first date to be intimate, ya know? Without outside noise and people watching our interactions.”

  My body relaxes as he closes the door and turns the lock, arms crossing over his chest in a motion I can best describe as unsure. Of what, though? Who’s to say.

  “You’re not mad, are you?” he asks, voice lifting in worry, which explains the crossed arms.

  That’s when it hits me. He’s worried about how I’m going to react to his revelation. Am I really so hard to read?

  I clear my throat, giving him a small smile as I take a few steps toward him. “No, I’m not mad. I’m actually really flattered at your thoughtfulness; it’s sweet.”

  He breathes out deeply, arms uncrossing as he presses soft, tentative hands against my shoulders and holds my stare. “Sweet is my middle name, didn’t you know?”

  I scrunch my nose and shake my head. “I don’t know. From where I stand, you’re bordering on confident, but I kind of like it. I think.”

  He laughs, and it’s booming and inviting, and my stomach twists in reaction. “Oh, Dev, I really hope you like what I have planned. It took a bit to get it just right—well, let’s hope I got it right because you’ll really be the judge of that.”

  He’s rambling. We’ve only interacted a handful of times at this point, but even I know this isn’t normal for him. Is he just as nervous? I should ask. So I do.

  “You seem nervous,” I point out slowly, and his hands give my shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling them away. Surprisingly, my body instantly misses the weight of his hands on me. Well, that’s new.

  “It’s that obvious, huh?” He shakes his head at himself, white teeth showing as he smiles big at me. “I’m a confident guy, and not much rattles me, but you turn me into cheese, Dev. This side that comes out whenever I’m around you, it’s not one I see often, and it feels good, I won’t lie. Really freaking good.”

  “Well,” I start, hands twisting along the hem of my sweater, “I know the night hasn’t really started, but I’m pretty sure this is going to be the best first date ever.”

  “No pressure or anything, right?” he jokes.

  “None at all,” I joke back.

  He holds out a hand, offering it palm up. “Shall we?”

  “We shall,” I confirm, slipping my hand into his. My heart speeds its beating and beckons me to follow him anywhere, wherever, always.

  I’m already starting to love this date, and I’m only minutes into it.

  Lord, what have I gotten myself into?

  The more steps we take through the house, the more I contemplate sneaking a text to Erin. For what? Some words of encouragement because I’m so out of my element I just know I’ll mess this up somehow.

  No. I stop myself. You’ve got this. Stop being your own worst enemy and let this guy lead you.

  So I do, and what greets me at his destination makes my heart trip over itself.

  Eight

  “You did all of this?” I ask, in a state of awe at the effort and thought he clearly put into this night. “Jules…”

  His hand squeezes mine as he leads me farther into the room. It’s rustic, almost cave-like, like it was specially designed that way.

  “All I did was convert the family room into the ultimate date haven,” he shares casually, but I can hear the nerves still lining his voice.

  “No, you did a lot more than that, believe me,” I assure him, eyes wandering the dimly lit space.

  Twinkle lights line the edges of a
home-built, sheet-constructed fort, with the couch serving as its main base. The television sits on a table just beneath it, also acting as an anchor to keep the setup from falling apart. As far as forts go, it’s spacious and tall and romantic.

  I walk farther into the room, fingers lightly grazing the sheets that make up the blanket fort.

  “As far as movie nights go, this is amazing,” I compliment. “You’ve really taken Netflix and chill to a whole other level. I don’t even know what to say.”

  “How about you pick a movie, and I’ll grab the pizza?” he suggests. “It got delivered shortly before you got here.”

  “Pizza? And you’re letting me pick the movie?” I ask in disbelief.

  “I also got pineapple and canadian bacon, your favorite.” He wiggles his brows suggestively, like he’s so proud of himself. Which, really, he has every right to be. Because how—“I may have reached out to Erin for a few pointers,” he says, answering my unspoken question.

  “Erin, huh?” I shake my head, not even surprised. Of course she’d do what she could to make sure this night was as close to perfect as possible. “You just earned a whole lot of points, you know that?”

  “Give me a minute to get everything set up,” he says, walking out of the room. “I’m down to watch whatever. A person’s movie selection says a lot about them, so I’m stoked to see yours.”

  I bite back a smile, something I’ve been doing a lot lately, mostly whenever I’m around Jules. He makes me feel giddy and light, and I like that feeling. This whole falling in like thing, finding someone to crush on, is more than I thought it would be and way more exhilarating than reading about it.

  I slowly enter under the blankets that make up the fort and settle in on the couch, and my body is nearly swallowed whole by the blankets and pillows. I squeak, forcing myself to relax as I grab the remote and scroll through the endless movie options on Netflix. I settle on Step Brothers as soon as the title pops onto the screen. It’s a classic, and no one anywhere will ever be able to convince me otherwise.

  I casually reach into my purse and pop a few Altoids in my mouth, chewing quickly to hopefully finish them before Jules comes back—not that it would be the worst thing in the world, but still.

  He walks in just as I swallow the last bit, and the nerves that started to take root slowly fade as the feeling of mint on my tongue fills its place.

  He walks in with a box of pizza, but there’s also more in his arms, including two glass bottles filled with my favorite unsweetened peach tea. How can I tell that? Well, I’d know that label anywhere.

  “Wait, there’s more than just pizza?” I ask, excitement building as I eye the chocolate-covered almond M&M’s that sit on top of the pizza box as he sets everything down on a table in front of the couch.

  “Of course there’s more than pizza,” he responds incredulously, like I should know better. “Erin was really forthcoming with giving me information on you.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she was,” I say, rolling my eyes. “If I didn’t love her so much, and if I wasn’t so flattered by how much effort you’ve clearly put into this night, then I’d be a little worried about her willingness to hand out recon on me.”

  Jules laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners. My heart reacts by beating triple time.

  “I wanted this to be a good night for both of us, figured we could disconnect from everything and everyone else and just focus on each other.” His words are slow, as if he’s thinking them through as he says them and he’s still a bit unsure, like he’s hesitant maybe? “I know how uncool and old-hearted that might sound, but it’s true, and I want this thing with you to always be true. Facades have led my previous dates and relationships, and I realized a while ago that I don’t want that.”

  “Well, I like that, so you have nothing to worry about there,” I reassure him, heart continuing its rapid beating. “I’m new to this, obvs, but I like who you’ve been with me so far, and it makes me happy to know that it’s real, ya know?”

  “Yeah, I know,” he confirms, body settling in beside mine.

  “It bothered me a little at first, your reputation and your reputation with other girls,” I confess, word vomiting like my life depends on it. “But that isn’t fair to you, and it isn’t even something that’s wrong. It just is. I think it was my own self-consciousness trying to convince me of a reason not to give you a chance, but I’m really glad I pushed that voice aside.”

  “Yeah?” he asks, lips quirking up in a small smile. “I like this. Let’s always be this open. Please?”

  I give a soft laugh, nodding in agreement. “You got it. Should we shake on it?”

  “Shake on it? Like a promise?” I turn my body so I’m facing him more head-on.

  “Yeah, like a promise.” He holds his hand out, gently encouraging me to do the same. And when I do and our hands connect, I can’t help the nervous giggle that escapes.

  “So,” I start, disconnecting our hands and turning to stare at the array of food in front of us. “Let’s get this date going, shall we?”

  “Step Brothers.” He nods approvingly, noticing for the first time the movie I’ve chosen to watch. “A girl after my own heart. I hope you’re ready for me to quote every line to you.”

  “As long as you’re ready for me to quote them right on back,” I fire, reaching for a bag of M&M’s.

  “Oh, you’re on.” He laughs.

  And that sets up the mood for the rest of the night. We sit here, side by side, as the movie plays and go back and forth with each other, quoting every other scene like it’s the last time we’ll be able to. It’s comfortable and familiar, and I don’t feel self-conscious in the least as we stuff our faces with junk food. His arm wraps around my body, pulling me closer against him, and I don’t feel anxious or nervous or insignificant. Jules is present and funny, and I thank God for whatever I did to deserve this. It’s cheesy, maybe, but when a prayer outright gets answered like this, it’s hard not to be grateful to the man above.

  Too quickly, it feels like, he’s walking me out the front door and we’re standing at the end of his driveway waiting for my mama to come get me.

  It’s cold, and I shiver, arms crossing over my chest for some semblance of warmth.

  Jules drapes his arms over my shoulders from behind, pulling my back to his front, and I shiver again for a different reason.

  “Thank you for tonight, Dev.” His lips graze the side of my cheek, and his chin rests against my shoulder as he speaks. “I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”

  “I’m sure last night was fun for you,” I counter. “I heard you all won your game and that the after-party was just as insane as the last one. Still have your beer pong crown?”

  “Oh, I still have the crown, but after my game with you, last night just felt incomplete.”

  I laugh, eyes rolling at his words. “Your way with words, Jules. Were you born this smooth or has practice perfected it over time?”

  “I’m gonna have to plead the fifth on that one,” he chuckles.

  “Thank you for tonight,” I say, turning in his arms to stare up at him and say goodnight properly. “As far as best first dates go, well, it might be tough for anyone else to beat.”

  “Whatever you say, Dev.”

  It’s awkward for the first time tonight, uncertainty settling in deep. We’re staring at each other, eyes locked, and neither one of us makes a move. I’m not even sure if we’re breathing, but time seems to slow. His hands cup either side of my neck, and his thumbs anchor my chin as his lips press against my forehead. It’s not a quick kiss, no. It’s long and soft and hard all at once, and when he pulls away, there’s a gleam in his brown irises that makes my cheeks hurt with how wide I smile in response.

  Just then, my mama pulls up, and I take a few quick steps away from him, creating distance. I can see my mom smiling as she stops a few feet in front of us, and I know that as badly as she’ll want to badger me with questions, she’ll wait until I’m ready to offer u
p that information freely.

  I don’t let myself analyze it, I just wave at him with a goofy smile still plastered on my face and slip into my mama’s car, silently urging her with my eyes to press on the gas pedal.

  I sigh, back pressing against the seat as the night’s events sink in, and pull out my phone.

  Me: It’s official. I’ve found him, the ultimate crush. Mission accomplished.

  Erin: OMG, yes. It was the treats, wasn’t it?

  Me: LOL. I want to be irritated at your meddling or something, but I can’t. It was too good.

  Erin: Details tomorrow. Love ya! Muah.

  Hashtag blessed. If I were anyone else my age, that’s the ominous status I’d post on all my social media. But instead, I say it silently to myself and thank my lucky stars.

  Nine

  “This might just be my teenage hormones talking, but I really, really like him, Erin,” I all but sigh as I lie sprawled out on Erin’s fluffy white rug.

  “Oh?” Erin asks, and I can see her brow lift without actually having to look at her. “Would you say that you’ve got a crush then?”

  I roll my eyes at the smile in her voice, and I can’t hold back my own as I respond with a simple, “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” my best friend parrots, sounding the least bit convinced by my one-word answer.

  “Fine.” I heave a dramatic sigh, sitting up criss-cross and staring her dead in the eyes, even from five feet away while she’s on her bed. “I would say that I’ve got a bit of a crush, yeah, that’s exactly it. And it’s equal parts exhilarating and frightening.”

  Erin noticeably bites back a squeal. “It’s a little freaky, right? How easy and quick it is to fall in like with someone? You can know someone for two minutes, days, weeks, or years and it wouldn’t make a difference because once you feel it, you feel it, and that’s that.”