There's Only You ✔

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

God knew how long I’d been waiting for this day; to get ready for my first date with Kayden Jacob Taylors. He was taking me to Mugs, the coffee shop we used to hang out at all the time for a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino.

He knew I always admired the warmth and coziness that the fall season provided as well as the seasonal foods that came out this time of year.

It was the same coffee place I met Gray and Kayden asked to make sure I would be okay going there after all these years. He was gone and every time I drove by on my way to the store at night, his friends weren’t lingering outside the entrance anymore.

Besides, it brought up good memories when we would meet up there after football games, homecoming dances and going to the beach in middle school.

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror in my white, oversized and knitted sweater that I paired with leggings and brown boots, my fuzzy brown socks peeking out. After washing my face, I was prepared to apply makeup when mom knocked on the door.

She looked relieved to see that I was still here. She was already ready in her pink scrubs, her hair in her usual messy bun and her nurse shoes. Mom clapped her hands and a bright smile touched her face in approval at my outfit when she surveyed me up and down. 

“I’m so glad I didn’t miss you.” Without being asked, she dumped all the contents of my makeup bag onto the counter.

She briefly vacated the room to grab the chair from my desk and slammed it on the floor. She commanded me to sit like one would their dog. My eyes were downcast while she applied foundation to my skin and a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

Out of everything I missed the most before she and dad became full-time nurses, it was sharing moments like this. Putting makeup on and her doing my hair in french braid ponytails before she would drive me to school. This being my first date with Kayden made it ten times more special.

My fingers found the charm bracelet Garrett bought me that I never bothered to take off. I kept wearing it just in case I ran into him at school, but I hadn’t had the chance since school closed for the rest of the week.

This bracelet was now tainted by the fact that I broke his heart and there was no way of repairing it. 

“Who gave you that cute charm bracelet? Kayden?”

“No, it was um… Garrett. For my birthday.” I unclasped the golden chain and played with it in my hands. 

“You know, from the getgo, daddy didn’t like Garrett when he found out you were going out with him.” She moved on to the blush and swiped it up my cheekbones to add a tinge of pink to my cheeks. “He was raised to do things the traditonal way. You know, he asked my daddy for his blessing to ask me out and to marry me.”

“But Garrett had never met dad. And also, it’s not like Garrett didn’t ask Zach for his blessing. Dad should trust Zach’s judge of character.”

“And that was very thoughtful that he reached out to Zach, but daddy would’ve preferred if he asked him for his blessing as well.” Once mom was done with the blush, she grabbed the mascara to sweep up my lashes. “At least, Kayden asked dad and I for our blessings.”

It didn’t surprise me one bit that Kayden came over to ask for dad’s blessing. When we were little, he would be the most polite kid on the planet.

Every time he and I went over to Zach’s for a playdate, he would hold his own hands behind his back and ask Zach’s parents if he could help with lunch or dinner. His parents raised him right. “When?”