Find You

First Date - Blink 182

The first day we arrived in Texas I felt all of my insides scrambling and re-scrambling themselves over and over again. My nerves were through the roof as we walked off the plane. I didn't realize I had been tracing the hem of my cuffs until Nick took my hand in his to stop me.

"Hey, this is going to be fun, Nessa," he kissed the back of my hand. "Don't even worry about it."

I forced a smile and hoped he wouldn't notice... he did. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into him before kissing the top of my head. I wrapped my arm around his waist as we continued walking through the tarmac into the airport. After about a month of practicing, since the wedding, I was finally starting to feel comfortable in his grasp. It still freaked me out, but in a better way and, on occasion, it made me feel more calm. I was starting to feel more confident around him.

Joe sped up to walk beside me while I held on to Nick, "hey, little one, you ever been in Texas?"

Nick looked over at Joe with a face that said 'we've been over this.'

"I've been to San Antonio, El Paso, and we have family here in Dallas, Fort Worth so we visited at least once every other year."

Joe's face showed sheer defeat before a thought crossed his mind and he gave me a menacing smile, "you ever been to Abilene?"

I thought about it for a moment, "no, my cousins used to make a weekend trip out of it when we'd come visit but I'm not really old enough."

Joe waved me off, "girl, please. We've got you!"

Nick shook his head, "just let it go, Joe."

He smirked, "never." He quickly picked up speed and walked away from us to catch up to Jacob.

I looked over at Nick nervously, "Jacob is planning this outing?"

He smiled, "Jacob is the go-to guy for fun."

As we approached the exit toward the cars waiting for us outside Nick lent me his sunglasses. "Put them on."

I took his sunglasses and slid them on, confused, "why?"

"So we can protect your privacy just a little longer."

I felt nervous all over again but I held Nick's hand as he led me through the crowd of photographers and into the black van where Joe and Jacob had already been waiting.

I could hardly distinguish what the photographers were all saying but I did catch something along the lines of "what's your girlfriend's name?"

We sat in the middle row this time while Joe and Jacob sat in the back. Nick held my hand while I rested my head on his shoulder. I liked the contact that existed between the two of us, that is, until Joe and Jacob got involved.

I could hear kissing noises behind us and the blush on my face was imminent.

"Joe, I don't want to get Nick's attention," Joe squealed behind me, reminding me of what I'd said just two months before.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Jacob. We're just friends," Jacob let out grumpily... I'd assume that's what Nick had said.

I tucked my face into his shoulder while Nick chuckled and kissed the top of my head, "don't let them get to you, they'll never let it go."

That evening, a group of about fifteen of us gathered in the lobby to catch a party bus to Abilene. Jacob approached me with a smirk which honestly still creeped me out a little bit. I know he got along with the guys and our initial meeting was just a bad attempt at flirting but I really didn't feel comfortable with him.