Convalescence

IX.

~ mood for the chapter :)

Their date was, hands down, one of the best nights Lili had ever had in her entire life. 

There had been something hanging in the air between the two of them when Niall first picked her up that she couldn't quite explain with words. It was a cosmic energy of sorts that grew stronger and stronger as the night wore on.

She'd been on very few dates in her lifetime but this had to be at the top of the list. Actually, at this point, there wasn't even a list anymore. It was this date and nothing else.

It was more special to her than any first date had ever been. Niall had planned the entire night for her, showing just how much he cared with how much effort he'd put into each decision.

Something as small as buying the ride tickets ahead of time, just in case, was so thoughtful.

It was like he knew how to make her smile without even trying. He was somehow so in tune with the things she liked and wanted; as if he knew her better than she knew herself.

Taking her to the boardwalk, one of her favourite places in the state, without even the slightest inkling that she'd been longing to go there again?

Either it was a completely lucky guess, or he could read her mind. There was no other explanation. And, honestly, she wouldn't put the ability to read minds past him. 

She was so happy with the outcome of the date. Looking back, it's obvious she had been nervous for nothing. Maybe she'd been concerned that things wouldn't go well, and she had every right to.

Bad experiences can make a person fear the good ones that come later on. It's only natural and much harder to avoid than people realize.

And with her track record, the odds of this date turning into a horror movie were, in her mind, much higher than the odds of it ending like a fairy tale.

But now, she realized that the anxiety was absolutely unnecessary. Niall had treated her like a queen the entire night, being nothing but kind, gentle, and respectful.

He listened, showed her that he cared for and valued her feelings and opinions, and made it clear that he wanted them both to have a good time.

That first date with Niall was one of the few times where she fully felt respected and cared for by another person.

From the moment she had opened her eyes the next morning before work, the only thing Lili could think of was him. He, and the memory of their date, were taking up ever corner of space in her mind.

The pink glow in his cheeks when he smiled; the way he looked at her like she was the only person in the world.

His eyes always seemed to shine a little bit brighter when he was looking at her.

The way his hand felt in hers, and how perfectly his palm seemed to mold to her own. As if they were meant to hold each other forever.

And their kiss...it took Lili's breath away just thinking about it.

Every time the memory of his lips against hers crossed her mind, she felt an unfamiliar nervous ball of excited energy building in the pit of her stomach.

Adrenaline would begin to course through her veins, enough to make her fingers and toes go numb.

The shape of his lips was now permanently burned into hers.