It’s the one place in the world that has brought me such joy and right now it’s close to bringing me to tears. There are poles set up in a circle and hanging from them are lights. In the middle is a blanket with a picnic basket and surrounding the blanket are lit candles on wooden boards.
Chevy walks around me and hooks his cell phone up to portable speakers. My favorite song plays and Chevy extends his hand to me. “I once promised you dancing at midnight in our field. It’s not midnight, but it will be in a few hours, so want to dance with me now and then dance with me again later?”
Yes. So much yes. But dancing isn’t what I want. Not right now. We will, but there are other things we need to do first.
I walk over to Chevy, and when he gathers me into his arms, it’s like the entire world stops. It doesn’t spin. It stays as perfect as it is in this moment.
“I love you,” I whisper. “I can’t remember a time when I haven’t loved you.”
The right side of his mouth tips up. “You sure about that? You’ve given me a few looks that could strike me dead.”
I laugh, then sigh. “Even then I loved you.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re like fireworks, Violet. Beautiful separate, but phenomenal when put together. Of course, you can’t have all of that without a few explosions.”
“You promised me boring,” I whisper.
“I promise we will have nothing but boring explosions.”
Boring explosions. I can live with that. Razor throwing pie at Oz at the diner, Chevy and me arguing over comma placement in our English paper, then ending up in the hottest kiss of my life, making out under the bleachers during a basketball game and then serving detention for a week after being caught.
I can handle each and every one of those beautiful, boring explosions.
“Remember a few months ago when you were giving me orders as we were about to kiss?” Chevy asks.
I do. It was in the trailer and Chevy was helping me with my nerves. “Yes.”
“I feel that turnabout’s fair play.”
Eager to see where this is going, I nod in agreement. “Within reason.”
“Within reason,” he repeats. Chevy feathers his fingers along my neck and I love the ticklish sensation. “Dance with me, Violet.”
Chevy weaves an arm around my waist, pulls me to him until we’re body to body. My arms go around his neck and his eyes darken with lust as I lightly run my fingers along the strands of his hair near the base of his neck.
He leans down and his hot breath tickles my skin. “Head on my shoulder. You know how to do this right.”
Head on his shoulder and I become liquid in his arms. His body moves to the beat and I follow along, closing my eyes as I enjoy each and every way our bodies connect. The way his fingers trace up and down my spine. The light brushes of his lips on my neck. His strong hand on my hip and his finger that’s keeping time with the music.
A beat, another, and it keeps going until that beat is in my blood. My own hands begin to wander. Along his strong shoulders, down his back and along his arms.
“Violet,” he whispers again, but this time his voice is rough and strained.
“Yes?”
“Lift your head.”
I do and he cups my face. Heat encompasses me and so does the feeling that I belong, that I’m loved, that I’m his and he’s mine.
“I love you,” he says and his lips come so achingly close to touching mine. “And will you grant me the honor of going to prom with me?”
I’m beaming. Beaming. There’s no other word for it. “Yes.”
“Now, will you kiss me?”
Yes, a million times, yes.