Seven Dates [Completed]

Date 2

Charlie was running late, again. Her hair was a mess, pulled into a ponytail that barely passed for intentional, and her boots tracked dirt across her room as she frantically searched for her jacket.

"It's fine, just throw on some lip gloss. Boys like lip gloss," her roommate had said before heading out for another one of her mysterious nighttime adventures.

"Boys also like people who are on time," Charlie had muttered under her breath.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her spiral. With one arm half-shoved into a sleeve, she yanked the door open, slightly out of breath.

"Are you okay?" Peyton stood there, calm and collected as ever, his sharp blue eyes sweeping over her with thinly veiled amusement.

"Just peachy. Two minutes, tops," she said, hastily pulling her other arm through the sleeve and offering a sheepish grin.

"Hurry up," he teased, leaning casually against the doorframe before pushing the door closed .

The second he was out of sight, Charlie exhaled and darted to the mirror. She pulled out her ponytail, quickly brushing through the tangles and letting her hair fall loose around her shoulders. A swipe of mascara, a dab of lip gloss—fine, her roommate might have been onto something—and she was ready.

When she reopened the door, she flashed a relaxed, practiced smile. "Peyton, hey! What's up?" she said, as if she hadn't just been panicking moments ago.

"Ready for date number two?" he asked, his crooked grin making her heart stutter.

"Depends," she said, grabbing his hand as they started walking. "What's the plan?"

"You'll see soon enough."

***

Charlie guessed it might be a movie, or maybe a stroll through the park. Heck, even a trip to the mall seemed like a safe bet.

She didn't expect him to drive an hour to the ocean.

The case full of CDs he pulled out for her to choose from had been a nice touch—vintage and weirdly charming. She'd picked something upbeat to keep the nerves at bay, and they'd spent most of the drive singing along to throwback hits, his voice far too confident for someone so off-key.

Now, standing on the nearly empty beach, she let the sound of crashing waves wash over her. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving a faint pink glow behind. A cool breeze swept through the air, tugging at her jacket.

Peyton was already ahead, kicking off his shoes and daring to dip his toes in the water.

"You're going to freeze your toes off!" Charlie called, hugging herself against the cold.

"Nah, I'll survive," he replied, stepping further into the surf.

The next wave slapped against his ankles, and he let out a strangled yelp, stumbling back onto the sand.

"Cold?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as he returned to her side.

"Just a bit," he admitted, digging his toes into the sand for warmth.

Without thinking, Charlie stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. Her head rested against his chest, and for a moment, she simply stood there, soaking in his warmth.

Peyton seemed caught off guard but quickly relaxed, wrapping his arms around her in return and resting his chin on the top of her head. His scent—clean with a hint of something sweet, like vanilla—made her stomach flip.

"Warmer now?" she murmured, her voice muffled against his jacket.

"Mhm," he breathed, starting to sway them gently back and forth.

Charlie tilted her head back, her arms still loosely wrapped around him. She locked eyes with him, cursing how easy it was to get lost in those damn eyes.

"A favor?" she asked softly.

"Anything."

"Go get your shoes."

She smirked, pulling away just as his expression shifted into mock offense.

"Fine," he said with a playful shove, sprinting toward the shoreline.

Charlie didn't hesitate to chase after him, but her attempt at retaliation ended with her slipping on the wet sand. She landed ungracefully, the cold water soaking her jeans and shoes before she could scramble back up.

Peyton burst into laughter, doubling over as he offered her a hand. "Smooth," he said, his grin impossibly wide.

"Shut up," Charlie muttered, cheeks burning as he pulled her to her feet.

Before she could brush herself off, he stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Together, they stared out at the endless expanse of ocean, the waves reflecting the faint light of the rising moon.

In that moment, everything felt right. The world faded away, leaving only the sound of the waves and the warmth of his embrace. She wanted to stay like that forever, just floating in the quiet perfection of it all.

"Charlie," Peyton murmured, his voice low and smooth.

"Hmm?"

"I'm starving. And I'm in the mood for fries."

She twisted around to face him, her lips twitching into a smile. "You're impossible."

***

Dinner wasn't as picturesque as Annie's, but the diner had its own charm. They sat across from each other, a basket of fries between them and milkshakes in hand.

"Today's going to be hard to top," Charlie said, dipping a fry into her vanilla shake.

"Please," Peyton replied, biting the end of his straw. "I've got ideas. You won't even see them coming."

Charlie rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide her smile.

"I can't tomorrow," she said. "Big astronomy test. You should be studying too."

"We'll see," Peyton said, his mischievous grin making her suspicious.

She ignored it, focusing instead on the nearly empty basket of fries.

As they finished up and headed for the door, Peyton paused, turning to her with a serious expression.

"Tell me one thing," he said.

"What's that?"

"Is your smile always this bright?"

Charlie blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. She ducked her head, trying to suppress the blush creeping up her cheeks.

"You're ridiculous," she said softly, but the smile he mentioned wouldn't leave her face.