Page 165 of Before I Loved You

He chuckles. “She’s going to be fine. I promise. It’s just one night.” He holds a small piece of black fabric before me. “Now, I need you to wear this.”

“A blindfold?”

He nods, smiling.

“Really, Paul?”

“Really.”

I let out a sigh as I take the damn blindfold and wrap it around my head so I can’t see anything. “Now what?”

“Now, I’m taking you to your surprise.”

The car starts up again as I feel it slowly drive down the road, but after only a minute or two, Paul brings the SUV to a stop. I hear his car door open and close, and only seconds later, he’s opening my door.

“Is this the part of our relationship where you take me into the woods and chop me up into tiny pieces?” I ask, turning toward him but unable to see anything.

He laughs. “We really need to get you off of those damn scary movies.” He reaches across me, unbuckling my seat belt.

“Never. They’re my comfort movies.” I place my hand over the blindfold, ready to tear it from my face. “Can I take this off now?”

“Not yet, baby girl.”

I sigh in frustration.

His large hands slide around me, lifting me from my seat. He carries me bridal style, his shoes crunching on…gravel?

Where the hell are we?

“Nervous?” he asks.

“Should I be?” I respond, clutching his shirt. But as my fingers dust along his collarbone, I feel his heart beating rapidly beneath my touch. “Are you nervous?”

“Yes.” I can feel him nod. “But it’s a good kind of nervous. The kind of nervous I get before a big game.” His lips land gently on my forehead, and I bite my bottom lip.

Finally, he sets me down and spins me away from him so that my back touches his chest. His arms wrap around my waist as his lips brush over my exposed neck.

“Okay, now you can look.” He slides the blindfold off of my face, my eyes blinking open.

“It’s a house…” It’s a really lovely house if I say so myself. “Whose house is this?”

It has a wraparound porch with two rocking chairs sitting in the front.

It has fairy lights positioned all over the yard.

It’s painted white with black trim and shutters.

A large eastern redbud tree stands in the front.

There’s a stone pathway leading up to the house.

And lilies are potted, sitting on every step of the…

Oh. My. God.

My eyes move around the area, realizing where we are.

This was the abandoned house at the end of Paul’s neighborhood, hidden in the woods.

---