For the Love of Fire

Chapter 13 Dani

 He thought all of this out so well. The plane. Which I had never done before and the picnic. I am losing this fight. This was worth it though. Worth the yes finally. We sit on the blanket and we look out at the city. It's small, not as big as ours but good sized. He sets out snack foods and then takes out water. I watch his movements. His demeanor is different like he is extra sure of himself.

I like that. I hoped he was like that deep down. He is always confident but this is more. Maybe our night reassured his plans.

" So are you regretting saying yes yet?" He asks me with a smirk.

" No Walker Ryan, I am not. I have never been in a plane like that." I admit " I have only been on four plane rides my whole life. We went to California once and back. Then I went to college. I drove back and forth twice after that."

" I have never flown in a commercial plane so you know more than me."

" Never?" I said shooked " So how did you start flying?"

" I grew up in Chicago and my favorite place was laying in my small backyard and watching the planes fly over. Our house was placed just right so that when they took off and landed I could see the belly of the plane. So close it would raddle the whole neighborhood." He eats a carrot. " When I was sixteen I got in trouble and ran away and the place I ran to was an airplane hanger. Owned by this old grumpy guy that for some reason took me in until I was eighteen and taught me everything. Then when he died I he gave me his three planes and I got my pilot's license."

" What trouble did you get into?" I ask

" Dani, out of that whole story that is your question?" He laughs, shaking his head. I like how he is laying on his side propped up on his elbow. Like he isn't making my heart race. " Dani, tell me something about you. I don't know a lot about you. Other than..." He doesn't finish his sentence just eats a cracker.

" What do you want to know?" I ask leaning back on my hands. Looking at the city again. Taking in the tall mirrored buildings.

" Everything" He laughs which makes me laugh too. " How about your mom?"

I really don't want to talk about her. I hate talking about her. I can think about her in silence but not talk about her. I don't want to mess it up so I figure I'll just rip the bandaid off quickly. I sit back up and play with my dress.

" My mom was amazing. So was nothing like me. She wore her heart on her sleeve and loved me no matter what. Everyone says I look just like her except she was taller. She loved to read. She was the one who gave me my Little Women book. She said it will help with life." I feel the sadness set in. He takes my hand. " She was the best of us. She was coming back from a meeting and she lost control and hit a tree. When my dad got there she was gone. They said she died on impact. I hope that is true. I can't imagine suffering until you die." I wipe a tear that falls.

" I am so sorry Dani." He says " You're a lot more like her than you think love." I was shocked to hear that because everyone tells me I am mean and rude. I am the fire. I try so hard to keep that up, so no one can tell I have feelings.

Truth is, I cried in my car for two hours when I walked out of the house seeing my ex cheating. But when I saw him leave and then her I buried all of that and went back.

" I have an idea." He checks my watch on my wrist and then stands up. " We have time, come on."

I give him my hand and we walk down the steps that lead down to the city. When we get there he leads me to a black antique door with gold words saying bookstore on it. I feel the excitement. Almost nothing better than a bookstore. He pulls me in but it's different then I have seen before. It was like something out of Hogwarts. Tall dark book shelves in almost a maze. I turn and look around at everything. Trying to engrave the store in my mind.