Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
ELIZABETH
M y nerves get the better of me, and I wind up pacing back and forth while I wait. Jayson told me to stay in my room, and he would pick me up. How? He’s still grounded, and it’s almost ten. Where the heck does he expect to take me for our date?
Like any typical sixteen-year-old girl going on her first date, it took me over an hour to pick out the perfect outfit after trying on everything in my closet—and Hailey’s—and then another hour to make sure my hair looked perfect. Jayson loves it when I wear it down, so I added some corkscrew curls to my long blonde locks.
A little mascara, some lip gloss and blush, and a spritz of my favorite jasmine perfume, and I’m ready.
Just as my bedside clock turns ten, Jayson appears outside my bedroom window. I should have known.
“Oh, my gosh,” I gush when he holds out a small bouquet of wilting flowers.
Taking them, I hold them to my nose and sniff.
“I may have stolen them from Mom’s garden. Hope you like them.”
Aw. So freaking sweet .
“Liz, you look beautiful.”
My heart soars that he notices the effort I put in to look good for him tonight, so I repay the compliment.
“You look very handsome as well.”
And he does. He changed out his usual tee and basketball shorts for a polo and chinos.
We take a minute to absorb what feels like a significant moment before he reaches for my hand and bows at the waist, all gentleman-like.
“Princess Elizabeth, I am here to escort you to your date.”
I want to say something silly like, I thought my date was already here , but I don’t want to ruin the romance of what’s happening with jokes. I place my hand in his, and he raises it to his lips, placing a tender kiss on my wrist. I don’t know if I’m going to survive the night if he keeps this up. I’m already melting into a puddle of goo at his feet.
Jayson waggles his eyebrows. “Follow me,” he says and pulls me to the window.
My first thought is, he’s going to make me climb down a tree. My second thought is, I’m glad I decided not to wear a dress.
Jayson, Julien, and I have gotten very good at climbing up and down the old oak tree between our houses. We’ve been doing it since third grade.
Jayson helps me out of my window and carefully guides me down to a lower branch, one that’s sturdy and thick.
Clasping his hand like a vise, I lower to straddle the branch with my back to the trunk. He sits down facing me and takes out a small remote from his pocket. My eyebrows raise in curiosity.
“Wait for it,” he says in a hushed whisper and presses a button.
Hundreds of tiny white fairy lights come to life around us. When did he do this, and how did I not notice?
I touch a small bulb. “Jayson, this is amazing. It’s like that time when we were camping.”
It’s one of my favorite memories. The site where we pitched our tents would glow with thousands of fireflies every night. It was magical.
“As a first date goes, how am I doing so far?”
I’m filled with wonder for this boy, for all the ways he shows me that I am special. He built me a starry fairy light universe. He truly does treat me like a princess.
“Really good.”
He reaches into his other pocket and brings out a small item wrapped in tissue paper.
“This is for you.”
“You got me a gift?” I ask in disbelief.
“I hope you like it. Jamie helped me make it.”
I pull off the tape, being careful not to tear the tissue paper. I want to preserve it in a scrapbook, one I will make to commemorate all of Jayson’s and my firsts. I carefully pull back the last corner. Nestled inside is a necklace. But it’s not just any necklace. There’s a charm hanging from a thin leather cord. It’s the rose quartz heart Jayson found in the creek and gave to me when we were younger. He must’ve stolen it from my rock jar.
“I love it.”
They’re inadequate words to express how I feel right now.
“As first dates go, you knocked it out of the park. And you’re definitely telling me later how you were able to do all of this without me seeing. But for now, I just want you to kiss me.”
He feathers his nose across my cheek. “ That I can absolutely do.”