Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
JUST ENJOY THE RIDE
“ W hat’s on the agenda for today?” I asked Oliver as he took a seat at the kitchen table. It was midmorning and he didn’t look like he was dressed to go anywhere, so it left me feeling a little confused. Oliver promised we were checking things off my list every few days, but it didn’t appear like he had anything planned for today.
Oliver lifted his gaze to mine. “Today is going to be a little different. I don’t have anything planned for us until later this evening.”
I tilted my head to the side and glanced down as Tank licked Ollie’s hand. “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing later?”
“Nope,” Oliver said matter-of-factly with a smile on his face. “You should know I’m not telling you anything beforehand, Luna. You’re just going to find out when it’s time.”
Light laughter fell from my lips and I shook my head at my best friend. “You know you can’t always keep me in the dark.”
Oliver tilted his head to the side, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips as he stared directly into my soul. “I think I’ll be the judge of that. You gave me free rein to handle your bucket list this summer, so I’ll do as I see fit.”
“Fine,” I agreed with an exasperated sigh. “I’ll stop asking.”
Oliver smiled at me as he lifted his glass of orange juice to his lips. “It’s about damn time.”
“Do you want me to make you guys some breakfast?” my mother asked as she strolled into the kitchen. It’s a habit of hers I wished she would break. At some point she would have to stop taking care of me like she did.
“I had cereal before Ollie came over,” I told her with a smile glancing at Ollie. I was trying to branch out with more independence and I could tell my mother wasn’t sure how to handle it.
Oliver smiled at me before he looked at my mother. “I’m good, Mrs. Truly, but thank you.”
Always the polite gentleman.
My mother nodded at the two of us, and Tank padded over to her to get a quick pet. “The two of you don’t have plans until later this evening, right?”
I glanced at my mother, cocking my head sideways as I raised an eyebrow. “You know what we’re doing?”
She shook her head, a smile on her lips and she laughed softly. “Nope. I know nothing.” She raised her hands as she began to walk over to the two of us and placed a list on the table in front of me. “Can the two of you run to the store for me then? I just need a few things.”
Directing my gaze to Oliver, I looked at him, but he was already picking up the list and smiling at my mother. “Of course.”
“Thank you!” She beamed at the two of us and winked at me before she disappeared from the room again.
Oliver abruptly got up from his seat. “You want to go now?”
“I’m still in my pajamas,” I reminded him as I glanced down at my slippers. I still had one of Oliver’s old t-shirts he gave me years ago and red flannel pants on. “Can you give me a minute to get ready?”
“Always, Luna.” Oliver nodded as the corners of his lips lifted. “I’ll always wait for you… as long as you need.”
My breath caught in my throat as his words hung heavily in the air. Without another word, I got up from my seat and quickly exited the kitchen with Tank hot on my heels. I didn’t pay any attention to my dog and had to stop in the hallway to catch my breath.
I glanced down at the healing tattoo on my forearm. Remember to Breathe. Sometimes it felt like it was easier said than done. Everything between Oliver and I had always come easy, but I was finding it harder and harder to breathe around him.
And it wasn’t because of the physical condition of my lungs.
It was because of the metaphorical condition of my heart and what Oliver Hart was doing to it.
With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear shifter, Oliver drove his car with ease down the street as we headed deeper into town to the store. Tank was in the backseat with his head hanging out the window.
“What’s on her list?” I asked Oliver as we pulled into the parking lot. Usually, my mother did her own shopping but every once in a while she asked us to do it for her, so this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Oliver shrugged. “It’s a bunch of random stuff.” He handed me the list and I scrolled over it with my eyes as he found a parking spot and turned off the engine of the car.
“Oliver,” I said his name with a declaration as I looked over at him with my lips pursed. “This is hardly even a grocery list. There’s like, three things on it.”
He shrugged again. “Must be important things she needs.” He pushed open his door and climbed out before I could get another word out. Tank panted from the back seat and I quickly jumped out.
“We get Q-tips from the medical supply company, so no, that’s not something urgent.” I paused, planting my hands on my hips as Oliver grabbed my emergency bag but left the rest of my equipment in the back seat. “Vanilla extract?” I continued, my voice filled with disbelief. “And coconut milk. Come on, Oliver. What is this, really?”
He looked me dead in the eye, his poker face on as he held his hands up like he had no idea. “She made the list, Luna. Ask her.”
“The two of you are up to something and I’m going to find out what,” I told him as I opened the backdoor for Tank and held onto his leash as he climbed out.
Oliver laughed softly. “Stop overanalyzing everything, Luna. Just enjoy the ride, regardless of how minuscule it may seem at times.”
He threw the strap of my bag over his shoulder and strolled over to me, holding his hand out to me. As if it were second nature, I slid my palm into his and laced our fingers together before we began to walk toward the store. Ollie didn’t rush me and we took our time together as we walked through the store and collected the things from my mother’s list.
Oliver was always patient and never in a rush. He never led and he didn’t follow. He simply fell in step beside me, always there with a shoulder to lean on whenever I needed it.
When we arrived back at my house, my mother wasn’t even around to receive her small shopping bag from us.
“I’ll be back over later, okay?” Oliver told me, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
I narrowed mine at him as I walked through our front gate into the yard and let Tank loose. “This is all fun and amusing to you, isn’t it?”
Oliver lifted an eyebrow. “Something like that. I like that you have no idea what’s coming next, even if you’re the one who created the list.” He paused and absentmindedly raked his teeth over his bottom lip. My stomach did a somersault as my gaze dropped to his mouth. “Be ready around seven.”
Heat crept across my cheeks and I felt embarrassed as I lifted my eyes back to Oliver’s. There was a fire burning in the depths of his green irises, and I watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard. “What do I wear?”
“You could wear a burlap sack and you would still look beautiful, Luna.” His voice was low and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. “Wear whatever you’re comfortable in.”
Oliver winked, leaving me on that note as he let himself back through the front gate and disappeared into his house next door. I stood there for a moment, his words playing over in my mind. My cheeks were growing sore from the way I couldn’t stop smiling.
Leave it to Oliver to say something sweet, leaving me confused at the same time. He didn’t give me much to go off and I had no idea what to wear. Something comfortable might not be the best suited for whatever plans he had up his sleeve.
I waited until six o’clock to get ready, even though I had been obsessing over the thought of it all day since Oliver left me. I tried to heed his advice and just simply enjoy the ride. But how could I enjoy the ride if I didn’t know whether or not a dress was an appropriate outfit?
After pulling my hair back into a low bun, I applied a small amount of makeup and slipped into a baby blue sundress. It had small flowers dispersed across the fabric and it didn’t make me look quite as pale as I actually was.
Perfect Oliver was always on time and the doorbell rang at seven o’clock on the dot, just as I was slipping my feet into a pair of ballet flats. With the summer evenings being a little cooler than the days, my body struggled to stay warm with my subpar circulation.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest, and I grabbed a sweater from my closet before making my way down to the front door. As I pulled it open, Tank shoved his massive head through the opening and pushed the door as Oliver laughed on the other side.
My eyes widened and my stomach felt like it was in the Olympics as I took him in. He had a dark blue collared shirt on, with khaki shorts and a pair of boat shoes. “You told me I could wear a burlap sack and you show up looking like we’re going to the country club?”
Oliver laughed again and simply shook his head at me as he bent his arm and held out his elbow for me. I looked at him, puzzled as I cocked my head to the side.
“Don’t we need to take my stuff?”
Oliver shook his head again. “Come with me and you’ll see.”
Curiosity got the better of me and I slid my arm through his and fell in step beside him as we walked down the stairs. Confusion laced with curiosity as he directed me through the grass and we walked through the yard, rounding the side of the house.
Oliver stopped and the air left my lungs in a rush as I took in everything that he had set up. There was a large heather gray blanket spread out on the grass with a few different baskets arranged on it. The side of the house was lit up by the projector Oliver brought over and had propped up on a stack of buckets by the fence.
I released Oliver’s arm, taking a step toward the blanket as the soft sound of classical music tickled my eardrums. There was a picture of a map displayed from the projector.
“What is this?” I asked him, my voice barely audible as I turned around to face him.
Oliver’s sage eyes softened. “Number six on your list. You wanted to see the world and since I can’t take you to do that, I wanted to bring it to you.”
My throat swelled with emotion and the corners of my eyes burned. “Ollie…” My voice trailed off.
He stepped toward me, sliding his hand into mine. “The world deserves to be seen by someone like you, Luna.” He pulled me onto the blanket, kicking off his shoes before he moved to sit on it, pulling me along with him. “Let me show it to you.”