Chapter 19 #6
“Because you’re so famous,” she coos in a joking tone, which causes me to roll my eyes.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Something like that? Uh, you’re like the crowned prince of Vancouver. People fall at your feet, and frankly, I’m here for the show. I’m excited to witness Halsey in public.”
“We’ve been in public together before.”
“Hmm, I guess we have. Well then, why the warning?”
“We’re going to a more public space.”
“Okay then, bring it on. I’m excited. Think grown men will cry? I hope they do.”
“I hope they don’t.”
“Wait, are we going to Granville Island on the aquabus?” Blakely asks as we walk down the dock toward a brightly lined boat.
“We are.”
“Aw, I’ve always wanted to do this. Perry gets seasick very quickly, so we never got to experience the aquabus, and I don’t know why I just mentioned my ex-boyfriend on our date. Please forget I said anything about him, and let’s move on from this comment.”
I laugh. “It’s okay.”
“I know he’s not your favorite human.”
I flash our tickets to the boat captain and lead Blakely to the head of the boat where we sit on one of the benches. It’s small so we don’t have a lot of room to work with, but thankfully, we’re the only ones on board for the moment.
“Would I be friends with Perry? Probably not,” I say as I place my arm behind Blakely on the bench. “But I don’t hate the guy. I think he’s a moron and, fuck was I a jealous asshole when you were with him, but I’m sure he has good qualities. I just don’t care to find them out.”
She chuckles. “That’s a very honest answer.”
“That’s the point of this, Blakely. Getting to know you, being honest, and not holding back on anything.”
“I appreciate that,” she says and turns toward me. “So then, tell me about the first time you met me. What were your thoughts?”
“My thoughts?” I ask. “As in what did I think when I first saw you?”
“Yes,” she answers.
I tug on a strand of her hair and twist it around my finger as I say, “Well, I thought ‘holy fuck, this woman is gorgeous.’”
She gives me a get real look. “Seriously, Halsey.”
“I’m being fucking serious. You stunned me.
It was your eyes that captivated me first. And then you smiled, and I was fucking gone.
I honestly don’t think I heard one thing the entire time you talked to me.
I was so caught up in the fact that I was feeling something for someone.
I hadn’t felt anything since my brother died. ”
She sits taller. “Really?”
“Yes,” I answer. “I was pretty dead inside, Blakely. I shut down after Holden passed, and when I met you, I felt this sudden zap of life inside me. Like this fog had momentarily parted and let me see something, someone outside of my dreary life. You rocked me, and I knew I needed to learn about you. I didn’t talk that much that day, but what I did say, I know it was more than I’d said to a stranger since losing Holden. ”
“Oh my God, Halsey, I had no idea.”
“How would you know? It’s not like I told you. And when I was signing all those things for you, I just kept thinking, how can I ask this girl out? I was fucking nervous, but I felt this deep need inside me not to part without giving it a shot. That was until you mentioned you had a boyfriend.”
“No, stop, I did?”
I nod. “You don’t remember?” When she shakes her head, I continue. “You were talking about how you were playing fuck, chuck, and marry with Perry, and you chucked me and felt bad about it since you met me.”
“Why the hell would I say that to you?”
I laugh as the boat starts, and we pull into the water.
“I don’t know,” I answer. “But it was the subtle hint that I needed that you were off limits. I swallowed my crush, and I sat on it. The boys found out at one point, and once they did, they started dropping hints like . . . asking how I thought you looked that day, in front of you.”
“Really?” she asks with such a cute smile. “I don’t remember any of this. What would you say?”
“That you looked beautiful. That the color you were wearing looked really good on you. Just little things here and there.”
“I hate that I never picked up on it.”
“You had a boyfriend, so why would you?” I shrug.
“Either way, when Posey found out you were single, he practically did a backflip into the locker room to spread the news. From there, it was a giant mess of the boys trying to get me to ask you out and figure out ways to get you to look in my direction. That’s when Posey said I had a spare room for you to stay in. ”
“Wait, did he say that so you could get closer to me?”
Feeling shy about it, I smooth my hand over my forehead. “Yeah, and I know it sounds pathetic, so don’t hold it against me.”
“I think it’s sweet,” she says as she plays with the buttons on my undone shirt. “Also kind of funny that Posey did that.”
“He loves inserting himself into our lives.”
“So when I came over that morning and the curtains were wrinkled . . . was that because you tried to straighten up your apartment for me?”
“Yeah. Posey helped me make your room look presentable, or at least we tried. Unfortunately we had a mishap when moving the beds.”
“What happened?” she asks as the boat picks up speed.
“I don’t think I can say this to you. You might be heartbroken.”
She taps her finger on my chest. “Remember what you said. You were going to be honest.”
“You’re right,” I say. “So you know how Posey said it would be a great solution to move in with me because you’d have a place to stay and Sherman wouldn’t be alone?”
“Yes . . .” she drags out.
“Well, Sherman wasn’t a thing. I didn’t have a plant. That morning before you came over, I went to the store and picked one up.”
“No . . . stop, that’s not true.”
“Sorry.” I shrug. “It is.”
She clutches her heart. “But that was one of the things I liked about you. You had a plant, and I thought that was so cute.”
“Well, I have a plant, and I do care about him. I think I know more about bonsai trees than I ever wanted to know. And I do have feelings for him now, but at first, he wasn’t real.”
“That is damaging.” She shakes her head. “I’ve lived a lie.”
I chuckle. “Well then, you might not want to know that’s the second Sherman, not the first.”
“What happened to the first?”
“When Posey and I switched the beds, the mattress slipped from our hands and knocked the original Sherman over. It was a fucking disaster. I had to call in reinforcements to clean up, get a new plant, and help set up the rest of the apartment. It’s why the curtains and bed sheets were wrinkled.
We were in a mad dash to make the apartment nice before you got there, and soil from a dead Sherman wasn’t going to look good. ”
“Poor original Sherman. He never even had a chance.”
“Sorry, he didn’t.”
“Wow, so is there anything else you deceived me about?”
I shake my head. “That was it. Anything that happened has been bad advice from the group, which . . . Penny was a part of.”
Her eyes widen. “What?”
“She was trying to help me get close to you.” I feel guilty saying that since they’re friends, and I’m sure that betrays Penny’s trust, but like I said, I want to be honest with Blakely. I don’t want any secrets or anything to ruin my chances of being with her.
“She was helping you?” I slowly nod, and she looks away.
I can’t tell if she’s angry, upset, or happy.
“Wow,” she says, shaking her head. Fuck, she’s angry.
When she brings her eyes back to mine, she adds, “You would think my best friend would have been a better help. Goes to show how much she knows me.” She smirks and leans in to press a kiss to my lips.
Another wave of relief floods through me.
“You’re not mad?”
“How could I be mad?” she asks. “I am speechless. Halsey...you have no idea how complimented I feel right now. To think that you’ve had feelings for me for so long.
..that you pursued me so decisively. I don’t think anyone has ever treated me with so much devotion and respect.
I’m in awe. If I’m mad about that, then something is wrong with me.
I’m just sorry you had to suffer through bad advice. ”
“Trust me . . . so am I.”
“This place is so adorable,” Blakely says as she holds my hand, taking in the public market. “I’ve always wanted to come here.”
“I’m glad you like it,” I say just as I’m tapped on the arm. I turn around to find a father and daughter duo, both wearing Agitators shirts.
The little girl stares up at me with wide eyes. “Are you Halsey Holmes?”
I release Blakely’s hand and squat down so I’m eye level with her. “I am,” I say. “What’s your name?”
“Annabelle Markey.”
I smile and take her hand. “Annabelle, it’s very nice to meet you. I see that you’re an Agitators fan.” I point at her shirt.
She nods. “You-you’re my favorite player.”
“Am I?” I ask. “That’s such an honor. Thank you. Can I ask why I’m your favorite?”
“Because as Daddy says, you leave those sons of bitches in the dust.”
“Annabelle,” the father scolds, looking mortified.
I chuckle, and so does Blakely. “They’re pretty slow compared to me, huh?”
Annabelle nods her head. “Yeah, you’re so fast.”
“Well, thank you.” I then glance back at Blakely. “I’m on a date. Think we can take a picture real quick so I can go back to trying to impress this girl?”
Annabelle glances at Blakely, then back at me. “She’s pretty.”
“I know. Very pretty. I’m lucky, don’t you think?”
Annabelle shakes her head. “She’s lucky.”
That makes me smile, and I stand. “Want a pic?” I ask the dad.
He nods, and Blakely steps in to take the dad’s phone. We take a quick picture, I give Annabelle a hug, and then shake the dad’s hand, and we part ways.
Blakely rubs up against me as she says, “That was really sexy, Halsey.”
“Sexy?” I ask.
She loops her arm through mine and holds me close. “Really sexy, seeing you interact with that little girl. Made me all weak in the knees. You’re a good man.”
“Keep that in mind when you’re considering a second date.”
“I can pretty much guarantee you there’ll be a second one.”