Chapter 39 #3
“Maddie,” I gasp when I pull away. My voice is deep, desperate to devour her and all her tenderness. “Play one last game with me.” She smirks and gives me a side eye.
“Sure, you wanna lose again?” She replies as I sit up, resting on my elbow.
“The only way I’m losing this game is if you don’t play.” She stands, dusting off her dress.
“Name the game, handsome.”
“It’s simple, really. First one to the water gets to ask any question they want.
We go on the count of three. One. Two.” She looks forward to getting into her competitive zone.
“THREE,” I yell as I take off like a bat out of hell, determined to win.
She squeals behind me, hollering my name.
My feet jump into the water, as cold splashes land randomly across my body.
Turning around, I see Maddie sprinting toward me.
She’s in her bra and underwear, her clothes discarded along the sand, for fuck sake, she’s gonna catch her death in this weather.
She comes crashing into me, laughing hysterically, falling into my arms. Her unadulterated happiness is all the warmth I need right now.
I twirl her around, holding her so tightly to my body that I’m certain she can feel my racing heart. “I win,” I whisper in her ear. She kisses my neck, leaning into me.
“So, ask me a question.” She looks up at me with curiosity.
“Tonight has been full of firsts for me, Maddie. First date, first sandcastle, and I’ve got this strong feeling, you’re my first love.
I was wondering if you’d want to be my first girlfriend.
We only have to wait a few more months until we can love each other openly and kiss each other without worrying who sees.
” What she doesn’t know is that I want her to be my first and last. I know some might think it’s silly to fall in love so young, but when my dad saw my mom, he knew.
In one moment, he decided she was his forever, and I feel it.
I feel the love that is talked about in movies.
The all-consuming love, the kind that makes a strong man weak, the type of love that makes a cold heart warm - she makes my fragile heartbeat twice as fast, and I never want it to slow.
Her lips crash to mine, pulling me from my secret love confession.
“Yes, she whispers into our kiss. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me. Here I thought you’d changed your mind after I whooped you at your games. Although I have to admit, I don't mind losing this one.”
“Maddie, I’m not ever changing my mind, not when it comes to you.” I lift her out of the water, carrying her like one would across the threshold, after a wedding. Grabbing her clothes along the way, I sit her in the car and blast the heat. “Warm up, Peach, I’m going to clean up.”
Throwing the basket together and shaking out the blankets, I toss them into the trunk before hopping in. Maddie is rubbing her hands together, now fully dressed.
“Warm?” She nods her head. I lean over and kiss her cheek. “Next time you strip down to undies and a bra, I will absolutely take advantage of the situation. Tonight is our first date, and I don’t put out on first dates.” She laughs at my bad joke and smiles.
“Honey, you put out the moment my eyes met yours.” I smirk and bite my lip.
“Best birthday of my life.” I smile, pulling away from the beach. She flips down the mirror and looks at herself in the small rectangle. She tries to fix her windblown hair and her wet mascara from our intense splash session.
Before we pull away, I hurriedly jump out of the car and run up to the small window of the old building on the corner.
“Hello!?” I tap quickly, knowing they just closed two minutes ago.
An older lady opens the window, “Hello, ma’am, I know you are closed, but could I possibly get a red and blue slushy?
Please? It’s my first date, and this is the last stop.
” She smiles widely before nodding her head and moving to make the slushy.
I give her a twenty and thank her enormously before rushing back to the car.
I jump in and hand Maddie the slushy. “You didn’t!
” She smiles before slurping the first sip.
“You hardly had the car in park before you jumped out, I thought you ran something over,” she chuckles.
“I needed to beat the time; we were two minutes late, but the nice lady made one anyway.” We start the drive while she experiences multiple brain freezes and tries to convince me to get one as well.
Knowing I'd never say no to this girl, I indulge in a quick sip, resulting in stained blue lips and a brain freeze.
She opens the mirror and sifts through her hair, while trying to remove the blue and red stains from her tasty lips.
“You look beautiful, just as you did when I picked you up. Stop trying to fix yourself when there is nothing to fix.” I shut the mirror, and she sits back in her seat. Pulling into her driveway, she smiles, the smile lines crease on the outside of her eyes, and her dimple shows.
I walk out and around to open her door, taking her hand. We walked up to her front door. “Good night, my beautiful girlfriend.” I place a gentle kiss on her lips before walking to my car.
“Good night, boyfriend. Text me when you make it home.” She blows me a kiss and shuts the door.
Driving home, there is no music on; the only thing on my mind is Maddie, and the way she makes me feel.
Tonight was everything I could have imagined; it was easy, but so magical.
Is love supposed to be this effortless? I shoot Scarlett a message telling her I’m on my way home, and just before I turn into the neighborhood, my phone goes off.
Letty
come to Spencer’s; we are all waiting for your arrival!
I can feel her excitement through the text.
I must thank them again for everything, including the dessert, their support, the courage they gave me, and the valuable advice they provided.
I have never had someone see me as worthy, and tonight I felt it more than ever.
I felt the love they had for me, and damn, it felt good to be loved.
Walking in the door, Anna comes running from the dining room. “LEVI!” She basically jumps and wraps her arms around me. “Tell us everything!” Her excitement makes me smile so damn big.
Walking into the dining room, everyone is sitting around the table playing cards.
Spencer’s voice yells with urgency, “Mom says, tell us everything, but please, for the love of my ears, do not, I repeat, do not tell us about freaky deaky time.” David busts out laughing, and Scarlett slaps her forehead.
I sit next to Spencer, shaking my head. “Well, for starters, there was no ‘freaky deaky’ time; we just kissed. She loved dinner, the dessert, building sandcastles, and going for a walk on the beach. We finished up with some stargazing, and then I took her to a slushy place her mom used to take her to. It was perfect. She didn’t touch one doorknob or chair.
” I nod at David, and Anna shakes my shoulders in pure delight.
Anna hugs me. “David, our little lady's man is in love!” I am, aren't I?
I look at Scarlett and give her the biggest smile I've ever had, “I think I might be.” Spencer hits my shoulder in approval.
“Thank you all for everything. It’s nice to have this. A family. Scarlett and I aren't familiar with this kind of love, but damn, it feels good.” I lean back in the chair.
David leans over, dealing me into the card game. “Welcome home, son.” I can feel my emotions rising in my throat as I choke on pure happiness and joy.
“Thank you for teaching me how a man should be.” I take the cards. Spencer looks up and laughs.
“You’re learning from the best, and I gotta admit, it feels good to have a brother finally.”
Home, never had one. Son, given the title, but never the father. Family, something I craved but never had. Now, I sit here surrounded by my family, in a home, and a second son to these fantastic people.
This is what it feels like to belong.