Blake's voice was a low hum, weaving through the clinking of silverware from the kitchen. Emma could hear her father's laugh, a sound she hadn't heard for what felt like ages. As she stood in the doorway, she saw it: her dad, cutting his steak, his body language relaxed and open, and Blake, leaning forward slightly, gesturing with his hands.
"It's my baby, sir. I fixed it pretty much by myself and everything," Blake was saying, his voice filled with pride.
"Wow, that's amazing! And you're telling me you just found it at the junkyard?" her father asked, a genuine interest in his tone "I know, right? When I saw it, I knew I could fix it up, of course with help from my boss, Philo, and my best friend, Chris."
"Well, why didn't your father help out?" her father asked. Emma watched, completely stunned. What... was... happening? she thought to herself. She had just left her confrontation with her mother, defending Blake from her mother's hostility.
Now she was met with... a conversation. A real conversation. Blake looked so comfortable, so relaxed, his usual guardedness completely gone.
Blake wiped his mouth with his napkin, seeing her in the doorway. "Well, my dad and mom both work a lot, so neither of them could help. Not that my mom would have anyway; when she found out I had it, she had a fit."
Her father laughed, a deep chuckle that made her heart ache with a familiar nostalgia. "I can imagine."
She finally gathered her composure and walked into the room. Her father turned his head, a smile still on his face, finally noticing her. She took her seat back at the table, looking between them.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, her voice a little shaky as she began to eat her food.
Her father waved a hand dismissively. "Your boyfriend here was telling me about his motorcycle outside. He told me he, with help, fixed it up and everything. I have to say, that's rather impressive."
He said this with a small smile. Emma glanced over at Blake, who was beaming with pride, a soft, confident smile on his face. She softly bumped her shoulder against his, grinning. "Well, he's a pretty impressive guy, Father."
Her father nodded in agreement as her mother reappeared in the doorway. Emma's heart stopped in her chest as their eyes met for a brief, tense moment.
The silence was deafening. It was her mother's choice now, a silent vote on whether she would join them at the table or go off upstairs to pout for the rest of the night. Blake's hand found hers under the table, his fingers lacing with hers in a gesture of silent support.
Her mother cleared her throat, a small, forced sound, before walking back to the end of the table, back to her seat. Emma thought she might cry from sheer relief. Her mother, who was used to getting her way without fail, had decided to let it go this once and give in to her demands.
"I hope I haven't missed anything?" her mother said, her tone still a little sharp, before looking at her husband and picking up her fork. She then turned her head to look at Blake. "So, Blake... what was it you do again?"
Emma let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She watched her mother and Blake hold a conversation, a real one, with give and take. Blake patiently explained his job and his aspirations, and her mother, to Emma's astonishment, listened intently.
They chatted back and forth while eating their food. She was surprised that her mother dropped her bitchy behavior long enough to actually hold a full conversation with him. After a while, they were all talking, her father making a joke here and there, Blake talking about himself now and again, and her mother adding to the conversation when she felt it was needed.
The dinner, which had started with such high tension, ended up not being so awful after all. When Blake left, her father pulled her aside and let her know that he "didn't mind the kid too much," and appreciated that Blake had actually laughed at his terrible dad jokes.
Her mother, on the other hand, agreed to giving him a chance, but made it clear she would "be watching closely." She did, however, agree to try harder not to be so judgmental. Before Blake left, he made sure to ask her parents if it was okay to take her the next day to try for her license, and surprisingly, they agreed to let her go. Emma was floating on a cloud of happiness and excitement for tomorrow.
****
The next day, the sterile, fluorescent lights of the DMV were a stark contrast to the bright sunshine outside.
"And here you go. Congratulations, Miss Pear! You are officially a licensed driver," the driving instructor said with a wide smile before handing her a plastic card.
Emma grabbed the license from his hand excitedly, her fingers shaking slightly. "Thank you, sir."
She looked down at the card, a sense of triumphant freedom washing over her. "That's a cute picture," Blake said beside her, leaning in to look at the smiling picture on the front.
She had no clue what he was talking about; when she looked at the picture, her smile was way too big, her cheeks crinkled and her eyes squinting. "If you say so." He laughed as they began walking out of the DMV, the new license a warm, solid weight in her hand.
They headed toward Blake's car, the afternoon heat hitting them as they stepped outside. "Now all you need is a car and you're set," he said, opening the door for her.
She climbed inside, the leather seats feeling cool against her skin. He did have a point; she didn't have a car, but she had been saving up her money from working. She should be able to get a used car in hopefully a few months.
When she first got the job, she didn't intend to be doing it longer than the summer, and honestly, after dropping the bombshell of dating Blake on her parents, she was nervous to tell them about her working at The Underground.
Blake started the car, heading down the road. "Maybe I should quit working at The Underground?" she said, turning the plastic card over and over in her hands.
He glanced over at her, a brow raised in genuine confusion. "And why would you do that? I thought you loved it there."
He had a point; she genuinely did like working there and didn't want to quit, but what if her parents found out? She slid the card into her pocket, shrugging. "It's about your parents, right? I'm sure they'll get over it. I mean, they're okay with me... I mean, your dad seems okay with me at least. I'm pretty sure they would be okay with you working there."
She nodded, leaning back and looking at him.
The windows rolled down, a warm breeze blowing his messy dark hair around his face. One of his elbows was on the window while one of his ring-covered hands steered the wheel. She knew their time together was fleeting. Soon, they would be back in school, and she wouldn't be able to peacefully have these moments with Blake again.
Though she was happy she didn't have to worry about her extra programs anymore, Blake would probably be busy taking care of Alex, working, and his schoolwork. She let out a soft sigh, making him grin slightly. "Stop staring, Em." She grinned while rolling her eyes."Neeevvver~" He laughed, reaching out his other hand to hold her's. His fingers felt strong and calloused against her skin. She knew she might as well hold onto him as tightly as she could for right now and enjoy their remaining summer moments together.
YOU ARE READING
It Started With Hello
Romance***** Emma Pear knew she wasn't the most popular girl in high school. Her nose was usually buried in a textbook, and her grades were as spotless as her reputation for always following the rules. "Nerd" was a label she'd long since embraced. Her pare...
