wasn’t sure if I was ready
yet. I was happy having him beside me, and he seemed just as
satisfied with my company too.
As the pier started to close down,
Chase grabbed the blanket and we began the long walk back to the
public parking garage. There was plenty of light from the street
lamps and cars, but the traffic had gotten crazy. I stayed close to
his side as we kept to the sidewalk and passed the lifeguard
station. After that, the sidewalk ended and we navigated our way
through a parking lot. We weren’t in the thick of the traffic until
we started to near the garage. He didn’t like it. I didn’t
either.
“ Why did we come here
again?” Chase glanced around us.
I flinched as someone leaned hard on a
car horn. “We have a hidden desire to be hood
ornaments?”
We got back on to a sidewalk, leaving
the parking lot. There was a crosswalk brightly lit
ahead.
“ Hey,” a man
shouted.
Chase stopped and I bumped into his
side. I saw a young man walking toward us. He was dressed in baggy
clothes and it looked as if his greasy hair hadn’t been washed in
forever.
“ You smoke?” the man
asked.
Chase shook his head, “Sorry,
no.”
“ What about
you?”
I frowned. “No.”
He came closer and lowered his voice.
“I’m not talking cigarettes. You got any weed?”
Whoa, really? People just came up to
other people and asked that question? I looked up at Chase and he
seemed just as stunned as me.
“ Man, we can’t help you.”
Chase placed his hand on my back and gave me a gentle push to get
me walking. But the man kept pace with us.
“ Hey, you know this place?”
he held up a blue flyer for one of the restaurants in front of
me.
“ Yeah,” I pointed behind
us. “Past the playground behind the t-shirt shop.”
“ They deal?”
At first I was thinking cards, but then
I realized he was still talking about drugs. “I have no
idea.”
Chase smiled. “Maybe you should ask
them like you asked us.”
The man’s face brightened and he headed
in the direction I pointed. “Hey, I will, thanks.”
Chase’s hand pressed firmer on my back
and we darted for the crosswalk. The traffic stopped and we entered
the parking garage.
I let out a breath. “Is it just me, or
was he crazy?”
Chase shook his head. “It wasn’t just
you, trust me.”
There were two elevators packed with
people, so we took the stairs, not wanting to wait around for more
potential druggies.
“ What are you doing?” I
asked after we’d made it up one flight.
Chase stayed a couple steps ahead of
me, close to the wall. He’d make it to a landing, swing wide, and
peer up the next flight before motioning me to follow. “I’m making
sure it’s safe.”
I shook my head, fighting a smile.
“This place isn’t exactly a hotbed of criminal
activity.”
“ Yeah, but things change
when you’ve got a pretty girl with you.” He stopped on the landing
near the entrance to the fourth level and opened the
door.
I faltered, looking out his
outstretched hand, then back up at his dark eyes and reassuring
smile. He was just so genuine and honest. “Thanks.”
“ You’re
welcome.”
I took the last three stairs, my heart
slamming with excitement, and reached out to slip my hand into his.
I wanted to sigh with relief. His fingers were rough and his palm
swallowed mine, but our hands fit perfectly together.
We walked hand in hand to his truck,
and drove hand in hand the whole way to my house. He walked me to
my door, still not letting go.
“ I had a great time,” I
said, opening the door and catching the fancy smell of my mom’s
candles. They were from France and handmade by nuns or something.
“See you at school Monday?”
He nodded, giving my hand a gentle
squeeze. “I’m looking forward to it.”
I backed into the doorway, reluctantly
letting go. “Well, good night.”
“ Night,
princess.”
“ Briar!” my mother’s voice
bounced off the marble floors, her anger reverberated in my ears.
“What the hell did
yet. I was happy having him beside me, and he seemed just as
satisfied with my company too.
As the pier started to close down,
Chase grabbed the blanket and we began the long walk back to the
public parking garage. There was plenty of light from the street
lamps and cars, but the traffic had gotten crazy. I stayed close to
his side as we kept to the sidewalk and passed the lifeguard
station. After that, the sidewalk ended and we navigated our way
through a parking lot. We weren’t in the thick of the traffic until
we started to near the garage. He didn’t like it. I didn’t
either.
“ Why did we come here
again?” Chase glanced around us.
I flinched as someone leaned hard on a
car horn. “We have a hidden desire to be hood
ornaments?”
We got back on to a sidewalk, leaving
the parking lot. There was a crosswalk brightly lit
ahead.
“ Hey,” a man
shouted.
Chase stopped and I bumped into his
side. I saw a young man walking toward us. He was dressed in baggy
clothes and it looked as if his greasy hair hadn’t been washed in
forever.
“ You smoke?” the man
asked.
Chase shook his head, “Sorry,
no.”
“ What about
you?”
I frowned. “No.”
He came closer and lowered his voice.
“I’m not talking cigarettes. You got any weed?”
Whoa, really? People just came up to
other people and asked that question? I looked up at Chase and he
seemed just as stunned as me.
“ Man, we can’t help you.”
Chase placed his hand on my back and gave me a gentle push to get
me walking. But the man kept pace with us.
“ Hey, you know this place?”
he held up a blue flyer for one of the restaurants in front of
me.
“ Yeah,” I pointed behind
us. “Past the playground behind the t-shirt shop.”
“ They deal?”
At first I was thinking cards, but then
I realized he was still talking about drugs. “I have no
idea.”
Chase smiled. “Maybe you should ask
them like you asked us.”
The man’s face brightened and he headed
in the direction I pointed. “Hey, I will, thanks.”
Chase’s hand pressed firmer on my back
and we darted for the crosswalk. The traffic stopped and we entered
the parking garage.
I let out a breath. “Is it just me, or
was he crazy?”
Chase shook his head. “It wasn’t just
you, trust me.”
There were two elevators packed with
people, so we took the stairs, not wanting to wait around for more
potential druggies.
“ What are you doing?” I
asked after we’d made it up one flight.
Chase stayed a couple steps ahead of
me, close to the wall. He’d make it to a landing, swing wide, and
peer up the next flight before motioning me to follow. “I’m making
sure it’s safe.”
I shook my head, fighting a smile.
“This place isn’t exactly a hotbed of criminal
activity.”
“ Yeah, but things change
when you’ve got a pretty girl with you.” He stopped on the landing
near the entrance to the fourth level and opened the
door.
I faltered, looking out his
outstretched hand, then back up at his dark eyes and reassuring
smile. He was just so genuine and honest. “Thanks.”
“ You’re
welcome.”
I took the last three stairs, my heart
slamming with excitement, and reached out to slip my hand into his.
I wanted to sigh with relief. His fingers were rough and his palm
swallowed mine, but our hands fit perfectly together.
We walked hand in hand to his truck,
and drove hand in hand the whole way to my house. He walked me to
my door, still not letting go.
“ I had a great time,” I
said, opening the door and catching the fancy smell of my mom’s
candles. They were from France and handmade by nuns or something.
“See you at school Monday?”
He nodded, giving my hand a gentle
squeeze. “I’m looking forward to it.”
I backed into the doorway, reluctantly
letting go. “Well, good night.”
“ Night,
princess.”
“ Briar!” my mother’s voice
bounced off the marble floors, her anger reverberated in my ears.
“What the hell did
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