π½ππΈπβπΉπΈβπ #3
She looked at me, confused. "Because I am."
"Okay, but you're still getting something."
She laughed softly.
"Don't waste your money."
I watched her back as she walked over, looking around the theater.
Oh Dixie, I could spend all the money in the world when it came to you.
A few minutes later, I walked back with candy and drinks. Dixie looked at the snacks in my hands.
"How are you going to finish that?"
"Me? This is for the both of us," I laugh. "I didn't know what you liked."
She smiled. "That's crazy ridiculous."
"You're welcome."
She took a few candy bags from me. "Thank you, Cameron."
"You're welcome."
~
When the credits ended and everyone else left, Dixie and I finally got up. She hadn't touched many of the candy bags, so I planned to keep them for Jonathan and Molly.
"I am never watching a movie with you again." Dixie said, her fingers interlocked with mine.
I chuckle."It wasn't that bad. Were you scared?"
She looked away, avoiding my face.
She only did that because she knew I was right. I got the one and only Dixie Jones frightened at the Scream 4 movie.
Not that that was my goal, specifically. I had mostly just wanted to spend time with her.
"I wasn't that scared." Her fingers loosened around mine.
"No, you were scared."
"You're crazy!" She giggles, smacking my chest lightly.
We reach behind the theater, where the trash cans are located. Instead of going to the front and dropping the trash off there, like normal people, we were here.
"It reeks of garbage over here." Dixie plugs her nose, closing her eyes.
I grab me and Dixie's trash, pushing it down in the halfway filled can.
I glanced sideways, where a can was rolling on the floor. Fun time to trick Dixie.
"Hey, I think there's a raccoon over there."
She squeals, grabbing onto my arms. "Where!?"
I can't help but laugh. Her 'brave' act was absolutely adorable, but it wasn't working very well.
"Calm down, it was just a can." I hold her hand. "Are you sure you're not scared?"
Dixie smiles up at me.
"That wasn't very romantic of you." She says, loosely holding my hand back.
I tilt my head. "I didn't realize you wanted this to be romantic."
Dixie's smile fades slightly. She stares back at me.
"I mean, it was a movie date, after all."
My heartbeat quickens. Hearing Dixie say what I've been planning for this to be was amazing.
"Of course it's a movie date."
"So..." She shrugs, looking down at the ground. "I don't know, aren't you going to do what the guys do in the movies?"
Shit, this was really happening.
I just didn't realize it would happen at the back of a movie theater.
If I didn't kiss her right now, I know I would regret it forever. Or as Julia always says, 'Waste no time.'
Slowly, my hand cups her cheek, tilting it slightly. I lean in closer, gently kissing her. Dixie tasted like heaven.
When we pulled away, I had gotten a little bit of her gloss on my lip. Her lips tasted like cherries.
Now every cherry candy for the rest of my life was going to remind me of her.
"Like that?" I ask, staring at her laugh.
"Oh...Cameron West. I cannot let my parents find out about this."
Mine probably couldn't either. Dad would've scheduled another meeting about it.
I smile at her. "Then I guess we'll have to keep it between us."
I was still holding her face, and he was still holding onto my shirt.
Dixie laughed a soft, nervous laugh. "Uh..Well."
"Well." I smiled.
She looked everywhere except at me. Anywhere but my face.
"You can look at me., Dixie." I say.
"I am."
"No, you're looking at my sneakers."
"They're nice sneakers."
"They're pretty dirty, actually."
"I've seen worse."
I couldn't stop smiling, and neither could she.
It was ridiculous. We looked like two idiots standing behind a movie theater grinning at each other for absolutely no reason.
But then again, I guess we had a pretty good reason.
Dixie finally looked up. "Cameron. You kissed me."
"I did."
She nodded slowly. "You actually kissed me."
"I've been wanting to do that for months."
Her eyes widened before she giggled."Months, really?"
"Maybe even longer, actually."
"Why would you have kept that to yourself?"
"I didn't exactly know if you liked me."
She stared before chuckling sheepishly. "I thought you knew."
"Of course I didn't."
She folded her arms. "I've been flirting with you."
"I thought that was just you being friendly."
"You're hopeless."
"Yeah, I know."
She shook her head, laughing to herself. "I seriously thought you knew."
"I seriously thought you didn't."
I looked away before she noticed how happy that made me.
"I like your laugh," I admitted quietly.
She looked surprised. "My laugh? Thanks."
"You should laugh more, you know. Especially around me."
She looked down. "Err..thanks Cam, you flatter me."
"You're welcome."
After another few moments, I glanced toward the parking lot. "How are you getting home?"
"I took an Uber." She pointed toward the street.
"Why would you take a Uber?"
"My dad's using my car."
I frowned. "So..."
She shrugged. "It's fine, I'll just call another one."
"What? No way, I could drive you."
She hesitated, scratching her neck. "You don't have to."
"I know I don't."
It's out of your way, and you'd have to drive all the way back."
"I know, Dixie. None of that's changing my answer."
"That's very stubborn of you." She smiled.
I bit my lower lip, waiting for an answer.
"...Okay." She finally said.
The drive home was strangely quiet. Every time I took a glance at Dixie, I'd always find her staring back.
We had done eye tag for about 6 minutes now.
She covered her face. "This is embarrassing."
"Just a little."
"A lot." She groaned.
I smiled. "I think it's nice."
"I've never done this before." She leaned against the window.
"What?"
She gestured between us. "This..hang out stuff with a boy."
"I think we're doing okay." I swallowed.
When I finally pulled up outside her house, neither of us reached for the door.
We basically just sat there.
The porch light glowed softly- her parents' living room light was still on. Mr. Jones must've gotten home.
She noticed it too, and her shoulders tensed.
"They're awake."
I followed her gaze. "You're probably right."
She swallowed. "My dad's going to ask where I was."
"You went to the movies."
"Movies don't take this long."
"You'll just tell him you were kissing me, then."
She looked at me like I'd completely lost my mind. "What the hell, Cameron? I can't tell him that."
"Why?"
"Because..." She sighed. "You wouldn't understand."
I frowned, turning so I was fully facing her
"So help me understand."
"My dad is, uhm..different."
I stayed quiet.
"If he finds out I kissed somebody..actually, I don't even know what he'd do."She laughed nervously.
I hated hearing that. I especially didn't want Dixie to have worried about anything just because I wanted to go out with her.
"You don't have to be scared." I say quietly.
She smiled sadly. "You really don't get it. You're Cameron West."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
"You've never had to worry about disappointing your parents the way I do."
I wanted to argue, so badly, but the look on her face told me she believed every word she spoke.
Instead, I reached over and gently took her hand again.
"You don't have to tell them anything tonight."
She looked down at our hands. "Yeah, obviously not."
"We'll figure it out together."
"I like the sound of that." She smiled.
Before she opened the door, she leaned across the center console.
This kiss was different. It was shorter than before, and I couldn't get enough of that sweet cherry scent.
When she pulled away, she grinned. "Goodnight, Cameron."
I watched her climb out of the car. She turned around halfway to the front door, waved, then disappeared inside.
I then just realized I ruined the best possible chance of saying 'I love you.'
I sat there for another five minutes smiling like a fool.
I love Dixie Jones.
Soon I'd place a ring on her finger, and make her my wife.
~