Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
ELIZABETH
The First Date
I stare out the window as we drive down a quiet country road, our hands clasped together on my lap. Every once in a while, Ryder lets go in order to shift gears, but he always brings his hand back to mine.
The night sky is cloudless, the full moon casting shadows inside the car. I glance at Ryder’s profile, and those wonderful tingles cascade like falling stars across my skin, something that happens often whenever I look at him. It’s been a month since we ran into each other at the student center. Such a short amount of time, but also a lifetime between us.
My mind may have buried my memories six feet under, but the way my body reacts whenever I’m around him, the way he makes me feel…he is becoming my everything—the thing I look forward to every day—and it both scares and exhilarates me.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”
He has. Ryder isn’t shy about showering me with compliments. Every word feels like a gentle touch, and I savor each one with quiet reverence.
“Numerous times,” I reply.
His lips quirk with a familiar playfulness. “Want me to stop?”
“Never.”
His smile deepens, and I’m pulled in by the beauty of it, by the way he makes me feel seen.
For our first date, Ryder took me to an outdoor concert at the local botanical gardens. We watched the sunset as a four-piece ensemble played classical baroque music, Concerto for Two Violins by Bach being my favorite.
With the lilt of violins playing in the background, we decided to explore the gardens. They had strung lights in all the trees and placed more lights along the pathways, making the whole experience enchanting. It was like strolling through a forest oasis surrounded by twinkling fairy sprites.
“Where are you taking me now?”
He turns his head, and the yellow in his golden eyes reflects the moonlight coming in through the windshield. “It’s a surprise, baby.”
I sigh at the nickname. “I love it when you call me that.”
One black brow raises. “What? Baby?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll make sure to say it more often.”
He hands me his phone. Without thinking, I open his music app and select “The Distance” by Cake.
“Nice,” Ryder says when he hears it.
“I was going to ask you if I could come back out to the racetrack again sometime.”
“Anytime you want. I want to take a look at your car and check out your engine. I have some ideas for a few improvements you might be interested in.”
“Seeing as my car is basically your car…” I laugh because it really is a carbon copy of his but in a different color. “Do whatever you want with it. I trust you.”
His hand squeezes mine.
Ryder slows down and takes a right onto a dirt road. We bump over rutted ground until we reach the top of a hill. Below us, the city and college are illuminated by street and house lights. Streams of traffic along the highway and roads create streaks of red and white light. Above us is the open night sky, filled with thousands of stars. It’s like we’re existing in our own separate space, caught between two worlds.
“All right, I’m intrigued.”
He gets out of the car and walks around to open my door.
“I found this place several months ago. Sometimes I come out here when I need some peace and quiet.”
Ryder helps me out and carries me to the front of the car. Bringing me with him, he sits down on the hood, keeping his arms wrapped lightly around my middle, my back to his chest. I relax into him, and we listen to the crickets play their songs.
“This is nice. Very peaceful. I can see why you like it out here.”
Ryder hums a tune as he nuzzles my neck. My voice joins his, and I hum along with him, somehow knowing the melody.
“Your dad wrote this song. He taught it to us when we were younger.”
“My dad wrote this?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting to force the memory forward. It’s there, on the periphery, if I can just grab it and pull it out.
Ryder shifts behind me. He removes an arm from around my waist and pulls his phone out. The beginning notes of “Helium” by Sia start to play.
“We danced to this at our senior prom. No one else existed in that moment. It was just you and me.” He turns me in his arms. “Dance with me, Elizabeth,” his deep voice says next to my ear, causing a thousand goose bumps to form along my arms.
Another memory breaks through. One of Ryder and me dancing. He’s wearing a tuxedo, and the emotion flowing between us is potent, I can almost feel it now. The memory is so powerful my legs give way, but Ryder’s strength holds me up.
He lifts my hand and places it over his heart. It’s beating as frantically as mine.
“As first dates go, you really nailed it,” I tell him.
Ryder tips my chin up and lays a soft kiss on my mouth. “Beautiful Elizabeth.”
I choke up, no longer capable of speaking. Ryder doesn’t say anything either, and we just hold each other in our private, intimate dance until the final note fades away.