Chapter 26
Tyler
“I still think you’re kidnapping me,” Serena teases, her voice light and playful as she nudges me with her elbow. She’s been asking me where we’re going for the past hour and my answer has always been the same.
“Have you ever heard of Ted Bundy? Because you’re giving me those vibes.”
“How many times do I have to say it’s a surprise?” I retort.
“I don’t know, maybe a hundred more times?” Serena quips, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
I steal a glance at her, her silhouette outlined by the soft glow of the dashboard lights. She sits beside me, her hands folded in her lap and her gaze fixed on the road ahead.
“We’re almost there, so you can stop asking me.”
Serena nods, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. She nods and pokes her head slightly to the front, trying to catch a glimpse of what’s ahead .
I reach out to adjust the car’s radio, of course playing one of Serena’s playlists: morning vibes , which fills the car with feel the same by The Millennial Club. We round the final bend, and the sight before us takes my breath away. Lake Norman’s always had a unique beauty. Parking the car in a secluded spot by the water, we step out into the cool morning air.
“Why are we at the lake?”
“You’ll see.”
I find a secluded spot by the water, I lay out the blanket I grabbed earlier, and we both sit down, admiring the beauty of the moment. The first light of horizon paints the sky with streaks of gold and crimson, casting a warm glow over everything it touches.
In true Serena fashion, she’s already snapping photos of the sun. After taking almost thirty photos, she turns to me, “You took me to watch the sunrise?”
“Bucket list number four, watch the sunrise.”
“Tyler Westman is a romantic? Shocker.”
“Oh, baby, you haven’t seen me at my best. I also brought you here to distract you from whatever’s going on in that head of yours.” I crane my head to get a better look of her glowing face, the sun’s golden glow hitting her just right. “Did it work?”
Serena nods and faces the front again, “It did. Thank you. ”
We sit in silence, soaking up the scenery until she speaks up first, “I never knew Lake Norman would be the place to watch the sunrise.”
I turn to her, a shy smile gracing my lips. “When my mom died, I used to come here a lot in the mornings.” I face forward again, the memories flooding back.
“Do you still miss her?” Serena’s voice is gentle, filled with empathy.
“Always.” I swallow, suddenly feeling a lump form in my throat. “I struggled a lot after the funeral. Everyone moved on but I felt bad for trying to move on without her. It was like everyone forgot her… but I couldn’t do that to her,” I roll up my sleeve to show her my tattoo, “which is why I got this.”
Serena’s face softens at my words, “Faith.”
“And her birthday,” I say as I roll my sleeve down. “Dad was pissed at first, especially since I forged his signature on the papers.”
Serena shrugs then bursts into laughter, “Desperate times call for desperate measures. I can see the Skyline tweets on the gossip pages now, Tyler Westman lands himself in tattoo jail . But don’t worry, I won’t turn you into the Charlotte PD.”
“It would be my best crime. ”
Serena hesitates for a moment before speaking again. “What was she like?”
“You really want to know me?”
“All of you,” Serena whispers.
“I have a few memories,” I reply quietly, a smile creeps up on my lips just talking about my mom. “She was kind, always had this warmth about her. And she had this smile... it lit up any room she ever walked in.”
Serena nods, listening intently. “And life without her, how has it been?”
“I have moments where I think, what would she do? Would she be proud of me? Then there are days when it feels like something’s missing, like a piece of the family is gone.” I shrug and lick my lips. “But then I try to focus on the good times we had.”
“What’s your favorite memory of her?”
“I was probably,” I squint my eyes, as though it’d help me remember, and a nostalgic smile spread across my face, “ten years old. It was a crazy hot summer and we were craving ice cream, but my mom’s car had just died so we were bored in the house, wishing that an ice cream truck would drive by. Cue the ice cream man turning the corner and we bolted out of the house chasing after him house after house. ”
The memory replays in my head like it was just yesterday, the pure excitement we both had that our wish came true. My mom held my hand tightly as we sped through the streets and accidentally bumped into a few neighbors, our laughs synching breathlessly, her shuffling my hair… It’s a moment I will never forget. I feel the rush of emotions and my eyes betray me when I can feel them watering.
Serena’s eyes soften and sits closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “You’re making her proud every day, I hope you know that. You make me proud. I’ve seen you improve on your tests and quizzes. You’re smarter than you make yourself out to be. So, any doubts you might have about yourself, lose them.”
Her gaze meets mine, and for a moment, the world seems to stand still. I can’t shake that feeling. That feeling I’ve been pretending not to get. Serena’s laughter fades into a warm smile, and I find myself mesmerized by the way the sunlight catches in her hair.
Lost in the moment, I lean in, closing the gap between us, but just as our lips are about to meet, Serena pulls back slightly, her eyes bolt towards the ground.
“We should go.” Serena tries to rise from our spot, but I wrap my hand around her wrist to keep her next to me.
“Did I do something?”
“No, it’s just… complicated,” she says with a wavering voice .
Disappointment washes over me at her words. “Complicated how?” I ask softly, trying to keep my tone gentle even though I’m starting to panic.
“Everything. You were only supposed to be a crush and I can’t get you out of my head.” Serena’s eyes soften, and for a moment, it feels like the world around us fades away, leaving only the two of us in this fragile moment.
Her vulnerability is palpable, and I can sense the weight of her emotions hanging heavily in the air between us. I can see the fear and doubt swirling in her eyes.
“I can’t get you out of my head, either,” I confess. “Fuck, this wasn’t how I wanted it to be.”
“I’m not good at relationships,” Serena adds. “Letting people in is a risk for me and I don’t want to risk getting hurt.”
“Hey,” I say softly, reaching out to gently squeeze her hand. “I would hate myself if I ever did anything to hurt you.”
“It’s not just that,” Serena says while rubbing her temples, frustration bubbling out of her.
“I don’t think I can pretend I don’t have feelings for you, and I know you can’t pretend any longer.”
Serena pauses for what feels like an eternity until she says, “What if the universe decides otherwise? ”
Suddenly, everything clicks to place. “You can’t put that on me or be scared of what’s to come.”
“I don’t want to hurt you or be the one getting hurt. I’ve lost too much as it is.”
“I also have.”
Silence fills the air, the weight of our words hanging over us.
As if grappling with her thoughts, Serena breaks the silence, “Relationships scare me. All the doubts and fears I have about it, make me want to run like hell. Then you came and I feel safe with you.” Her gaze finds mine, I can see how much she wants this, us. Without another thought, I lean in slowly, giving her ample time to pull away if she chooses.
She doesn’t.
The kiss is slow at first, but then it feels electrifying. A spark ignites between us, making our defensive walls crumble. In that moment, it’s as if the world around us fades away, leaving only the heat of our bodies pressed together and the soft rhythm of our breaths mingling in the air.
In the heat of the moment, we surrender ourselves completely to each other, our bodies moving in perfect sync as we get lost in the moment. We pull apart briefly, foreheads pressed against each other .
“You’re kissing me.” Serena breathes out like she can’t believe it. “We’re kissing.”
“We can stop if you want–”
“No, no, no,” Serena plants both hands on my chest. “Keep going.”
“What are we?” I say, almost inaudibly.
“I don’t know,” she admits softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “You tell me.”
She tugs at my shirt, pulling me back in for another kiss that sets off fireworks in my mind. I try to sort out the emotions I’m feeling, but can’t seem to get out of the physical sensation of her lips on mine, her fingers swiftly running through my neck and the back of my head as she pushes me tightly against her.
Serena pulls back, our eyes meet and I can’t keep my hands off her. I run a hand through her hair and put a strand behind her ear as my other hand holds her close. I study every inch of her face, how the morning light lets me see her chest rising and falling, and her eyes fixed on my lips.
“Tyler, I–” she cuts herself off, clicks her tongue and looks at me. “I really like you.”
I smile and give her a soft peck on the lips. “I knew that already when you couldn’t keep your eyes off me while tutoring. ”
“You couldn’t either,” Serena retorts, her laughter bubbling out. She gives me another peck, then breathes out, “If this is going where I think it is, I need to tell you something.”
With my eyes closed, “Where are we going?”
“I’m a virgin.” Serena spits out.
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“We don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable.” I assure her, my fingers tracing gentle circles on her waist. “I like kissing you and I could kiss you all day. We can–”
Serena cuts me off, “Tyler.”
“What?”
“I want to do this with you.”
Serena’s touch on my wrist guides us down onto the blanket, aligning our bodies as if they were made to fit together perfectly. Her hands find the hem of my sweatshirt, tugging it off and throwing it God knows where. Serena pulls back and zips her hoodie off. My pulse pounds in my veins, our eyes connect, and I ask, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” she whispers softly, her eyes holding mine with unwavering determination. “I want you.”