Hours After Sundown [Completed]

25

CHAPTER 25

"Wow. This place looks even more beautiful than the last time." I breathed out. We had arrived almost in time for the sunset, which could be seen perfectly in the clearing around the Club.

"I will bring out the picnic mat and then we can sit on the grass to talk." He said, turning back to the car.

As we reached a spot some meters from the place, I realised that the setting –watching the sunset and then attending a dance- was too romantic to not be a date.

Just as he spread the cloth, his phone started ringing. I am totally going to switch off phones when we are together- it's a stupid distraction, I thought while gritting my teeth covertly.

"Yeah. No, I'm outside but I wasn't planning to come in until in half an hour or so. It's alright, I'll be there." As he ended the call, his apologetic look was enough of a signal to me. I felt my lips turn down for a second as I was looking forward to the sunset since the moment he told me about it.

"It is fine, I know that you have to work. We have the entire evening to talk." I said, smiling and pulling his hand in mine to squeeze it as an assurance. "I'll put the mat back in the car and join you later."

He seemed reluctant to leave but turned around anyway. I was locking the car again when I heard him.

"Astrid!" he called out. "Yeah?" I questioned, turning my head as a lock of hair fell on my eyes,

"Let's just watch the sunset." He said as he stood a few steps away from me, the Sun glowing over his shoulder.

"But don't they need you inside?"

"They'll survive for some minutes. And we have arrived a little early anyways." He said with a smile, making me return the expression.

Finally, we sat on the bare grass. Adjusting my dress a little, I folded my legs to a side and he sat cross legged. We gazed at the orange sky in front of us, spread in all the different shades as the Sun set in the horizon.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked, turning to meet his eyes which were already on their way to mine. I felt something shift in the air as an unfamiliar emotion swirled in his eyes as he held my gaze saying-

"Very." My breath hitched a little thinking that he might have been referring to me. I threw that thought away as soon as it came, reminding myself that he didn't like me that way. He said that he didn't want anything to change when I almost confessed my feelings. I turned away.

"Astrid-,"

He got cut off by a pair of footsteps.

"Hey Marvin, we need you in there. The band is going to be here soon and the sound system needs to be set up before they arrive." A boy, who looked a little older than us, said. I looked around in confusion before I realised that he was referring to Drake. Drake Marvin.

"We'll be there." Drake acknowledged. The boy looked at both of us and nodded as if realising something; a second later, he left.

"We can talk later once the dance starts." He suggested. Doing the opposite of what he was expecting, I shook my head.

"No, I want to enjoy this night with you. I think we can postpone the talking to tomorrow."

"I like that thought a lot." He said, grinning. "And if you want to do it, there is an hour for open mic too."

"Me and singing? That's an absolute no." I said, shaking my head and laughing.

"You don't have that bad of a voice and you don't have to sing; you could play your guitar. That reminds me that we still haven't talked about how you never told me that you can play guitar."