Bubble

Chapter 21

I stood in front of the mirror the next night, straightening out my skirt for the hundredth time. I had spent almost two hours getting ready for my date with Will that night, wanting to look perfect for the special occasion. My ashy hair was pulled back, but a few loose curls framed my face. I normally didn't wear much makeup other than mascara, but tonight I had added in some natural-coloured shadow, and was pleased with how it made my eyes sparkle. I bounced on her toes with excitement; Will had planned out some "big surprise" and I was extremely eager to find out where he was taking me.

I opened my door to step out into the living room, but ended up walking into my brother.

"Whoa," Austin said as he looked her up and down. "Where are you going?"

I blushed. "On a date with Will..." I answered him shyly, and Austin smirked.

"Nice. I'm going out with Leah tonight too."

I smiled at punched him in the arm lightly. "So you finally worked up the courage to ask her out?" I teased.

"Yeah, yeah. Mind your own date," he said, walking past me and back into his room.

I glanced at the clock once more, and as the minute hand ticked to eight o'clock, the doorbell rang. A small smile crept over my face. Of course Will was perfectly on time; he was a soldier after all. Fixing my hair one last time, I practically skipped over to the door. Taking a deep breath, I opened it slowly to find an extremely handsome Will standing on the porch holding another one of the lilies in his hands. My knees wobbled slightly, and I drew in a breath, finding it amazing how he had such an effect on me.

"Well good evening Sargeant Reynolds, is there anything I can help you with tonight?" I asked playfully, batting my eyelashes. Will lit up with a goofy smile the second he saw me. It was the first time I had ever seen him out of his uniform, and he looked amazing. He wore khaki shorts and a simple collared shirt, the long sleeves rolled up exposing his forearms. The blue of the cotton fabric brought out his eyes.

"Good evening Miss Scott," he answered back, going along with my little game. "I was just looking for my beautiful date. You haven't happened to see her anywhere, have you?"

I smiled and turned red at the compliment. "As a matter of fact, I have," I said, stepping out of the house and closing the door behind me.

"Well, shall we?" Will announced, handing me the flower and interlacing his fingers with mine as we began walking.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" I asked Will as we walked in the direction of the market, following his lead.

"Well, if I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" he teased me.

I attempted to pout, but ended up smiling. We wound our way through the closing market kiosks, and Will began to lead me down the familiar path I used everyday during lunch.

"We're going to the park?" I asked, surprised he hadn't chosen a new spot.

"Well, we've always come here to 'cloud-watch', but there's a reason it's called Kosmo Park," he told me as they entered the clearing, and he pointed to the sky. I gasped as she took in the inky velvet expanse covered with millions of stars. The moon was barely a sliver, but it was so much larger than the moon back on Earth. The stars nearly illuminated the entire area.

"Will...this is amazing!" I said, breathless. I had never seen anything like it; it was breathtakingly beautiful.

"I'm glad you like it," he told me smiling. "Do you want to eat?"

I nodded, and he led me to the middle of the clearing before removing his backpack and pulling out a blanket to spread across the grass.

After finishing a delicious dinner of Carnotile skewers and other assorted foods that he had introduced me to over the last few weeks, we leaned back to gaze at the stars together. Will wrapped his arm around me, and I nuzzled my head into his chest.

"Name something I don't know about you," Will challenged, and I furrowed her brows in thought.

"I don't know how to swim?" I admitted, but it sounded more like a question because I didn't know if it was the kind of confession that he was looking for.

"Well then I'll have to teach you! I know this amazing lake I'll take you to sometime."

I smiled at the thought. "That would be amazing," I said, accepting his offer. "Alright it's my turn. What don't I know about you?"

Will sighed as he tried to come up with an answer to his own question. "I play the guitar," he told me and I turned my head up to look at him.

"You mean the real strummy thing, not the digital kind?" I asked, and he laughed, nodding.

"I've never heard someone describe it quite like that, but yeah."

"You have to play it for me sometime!" I practically demanded.

Will nodded. "I'd play it for you anytime."

"Have you ever written a song?" I asked, trying to decypher the extent of his musical ability.

"Yes," he admitted, and I could hear the hesitance in his voice.

"What about?" I questioned excitedly. Will hesitated for a moment. I looked up at him with large, pleading eyes. He let out a sigh when her saw my gaze.

"You're beautiful," he said quietly.

My cheeks grew hot. "And you..." I started. "Are avoiding my question."

Will chuckled, but I could tell he was embarrassed. "I've written sings about a bunch of things. But, lately...about you," he trailed off.

I looked up at him with wide eyes, the shock apparent on my features. Just a few weeks prior, I had been a friendless geek with no one to care about me. But in that moment, I had an astonishingly handsome guy gazing into my eyes and telling me that he had written a song about me. I was sure my heart skipped a beat.

"Really?" I said softly in disbelief.

"Yes..."

My heart surged with energy as I searched his eyes. Will slowly leaned closer to me. I could feel the warm puffs of his breath.

"Miss Scott?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

"May I kiss you?"

My breath hitched and I nodded. He didn't waste a second and he quickly leaned forward to close the distance between us. My constantly overactive brain went numb for the first time in my life as our lips met. It was soft and delicate at first, but then he pressed his lips firmly against mine. He guided me into a perfect rhythm, our mouths dancing together. I felt the flick of his tongue against my bottom lip, and I let out a small moan involuntarily. Will smiled into the kiss, and I chuckled softly. He gave me one last peck before breaking away. He pulled back slightly, and peered into my eyes as he ran his thumb over my lips.

"I could kiss you forever," he murmured.

I was speechless, but I nodded. Will leaned in and pressed his lips to mine again. His hand moved from the side of my face down to my waist, and he pulled me flush against him. My heart picked up speed and I melted into him. His strong arms held me close as his lips explored mine. He sucked on my bottom lip and then softly bit it, and I drew in a sharp breath of pleasure, not expecting it. Will pulled away quickly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I got carried away," Will said sheepishly, conner in his voice.

"It's alright," I replied, breathless. I gave him a smile, and my cheeks turned red but I hoped he couldn't see it in the darkness.

"Okay," he said. "Come here." He pulled me close again and I snuggled back into his chest. Together, we stared at the foreign constellations, and I listened to the steady beat of Will's heart. A shooting star darted across the night sky, and I wished to stay in that moment forever.