Page 58 of Wildest Dreams

“I’m glad you came as well,” and I reluctantly drop my fingers from her hair, my intake of breath catching at the back of my throat.

“I don’t want the night to be over,” she whispers into the quiet evening.

“It doesn’t have to be,” a small smile plays on my lips. She drags her eyes from mine as she looks over her shoulder towards the house. “But I understand…” my voice is quiet. I want to be selfish, but it's not about me. Her eyes soften as she meets my gaze.

“Stay here…” she pushes onto her toes and kisses me softly on the cheek and my skin warms under her lips.

She kissed me.

“I don’t plan on going anywhere darlin’...” I rasp, my head tilting to the side and her cheeks turn pink as she spins on her heel and moves towards the house, slipping inside the door and I am alone, under the stars waiting for my dream girl.

My eyes cast down, kicking the toe of my cowboy boot into the dusty ground, a boyish grin spreading across my lips as I watch the stones loose, gliding across the floor.

“Tripp...” her angelic voice floats through the air, the breeze picking it up and wrapping it around me like a blanket.

Lifting my head, I twist around to look at her. Eyes alight with want, eyes alight with desire, eyes alight with adoration. I never thought she would return—maybe in my wildest dreams—but never did I think she would be walking towards me, the soft moonlight illuminating her, making her look like a god damn angel. Everything about her was perfect.

“All okay?” I ask, not sure if she is coming to wish me goodnight, or whether she can spend an hour more with me.

“All is fine. Lainey is fast asleep. Had to take my...” she pauses for a moment and that blush that paints across her cheeks is back and I have to admit, I love it a little more each time I see it.

I nod, no words were needed.

Silence echoes around us and suddenly, I feel like a giddy love struck teen all over again. Reaching my hand out, my fingers slightly spread, I watch as her beautiful eyes cast down.

“Walk with me?” I ask softly, and my heart rate spikes as she slips her hand into mine.

We didn't speak, just let our hearts lead us to the place that only we knew about. Tucked away over the other side of the creek. Kicking our shoes off, a giggle bubbles from her and I cast my eyes over my shoulder as I look at her, all starry eyed and giddy.

My fingers lace with hers once more as I lead her across the stepping stones of the calm creek. My heart gallops in my chest like wild horses, nerves growing stronger the closer we get to our spot. My feet land on the soft grass and I turn to face her, eyes searching her beautiful face.

“I never thought I would be back here, let alone with you...” she trails off and her head drops. My brows furrow and my chest aches a little. Dropping my shoes to the floor, my hand reaches forward as I place my finger and thumb on her chin and tilt her face back, her glistening blue eyes on mine.

“Hey, hey,” I whisper, eyes bouncing between hers. “No sadness, I'm sure neither of us expected to be here again...” and now it's my turn to trail off. “But things happen for a reason, in some twisted game of fate you ended up here. You came back.” I ignore the lump in my throat that has lodged itself there, when I know in fact she didn't return for me, but admitting that out loud will only crush my heart again.

She gives a soft nod as she drops her boots to the ground and my lips twitch into a slither of a smile.

Walking her towards the large blossom tree, my eyes fall to the trunk and that's when I see it. Our initials carved into it; TR <3s DW.

“We really did love with our hearts on our sleeves didn't we?” she hums, leaning into me and I lower my face to kiss her on the top of her head.

“And what a way to love,” I smile into her hair just as she breaks away and I instantly miss her. Her fingers fall from mine and my brows furrow as I watch her intently. She glides towards the tree, fingers brushing against the wild flowers that stand just under her knee and my heart throbs in my chest. She looks so beautiful.

She stops in front of the tree, her fingers delicately tracing around our initials.

“We always said we would get married under this tree,” she laughs softly, slowly spinning to face me.

“And we still will,” I surprise myself by saying it, but it's true. I know deep down that she is the one for me, the one I will marry.

But she shakes her head from side to side.

“Don't say the words,” I whisper as I step closer to her, closing the gap in three long strides, a hand sweeping her face up to look at me. “Please baby... just promise me tonight,” my voice cracks as I edge closer to her, lips hovering over hers.

“Tonight,” she whispers back, nodding as a tear rolls down her cheek, I swipe it away with my thumb.

“Let me get you out of your head,” I murmur and she nods again, another glistening tear escaping just as my lips press against hers, ever so softly, ever so slightly. The feel of her trembling fingers dust up my clammy tee, clutching it in her small grasp when her kiss becomes desperate, needy almost. Her other hand curls around the back of my neck, fingers pinching the hair that sits at the nape and tugging. Her tongue sweeps past my lips like a hunger burns deep inside of her. Her head tilts just as my hand cups her cheek, my heart explodes deep inside my chest, obliterating into a million tiny pieces before our souls intwine and piece both of our broken hearts back together piece by piece.

“Take me back Tripp, take me back to when we were teens and everything was perfect,” she whispers, unshed tears evident in her crystal blue eyes, “just for tonight.”

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