"You want to do what now?" Emma asked, looking up from the mystery book in her lap. She was somehow managing to read it in the loud garage while Blake worked his shift at Philo's.
Between the blaring Italian music and the metallic clanging, she had been able to block most of it out to get her homework done and now read her book. But Blake's question honestly surprised her "I want to take you on a proper date," he said, his voice slightly muffled as he looked into the hood of a Ford truck.
"Like a dinner or a movie or something." she scratched the top of her head. "I mean, it's not like we haven't been on dates before. Why do you suddenly want to go on a date?" It wasn't that she was opposed to it, but she considered all their little getaways when they first met to be dates. He pulled away from the car, turning toward her and leaning back against it.
He looked good in his white school button-up shirt, which he hadn't bothered to change out of, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore dark blue denim jeans, smudged with grease. She couldn't help but stare a little, only half-hearing what he said next "...Your parents finally seem to accept me, and I want to show that I can be good enough for you, you know?" he finished, hitting the wrench against his palm and looking to the side. Her heart twisted slightly.
The fact that he even needed to worry about pleasing her parents at this point hurt. "I mean, I'm not planning on going to college. They probably think you can do a hell of a lot better..." he muttered, looking down and rubbing oil between his fingers.
She set the book on the spot beside her before standing up. Taking slow steps, she stood in front of him and took his grease-covered hands in hers. He let out a small poof of air, looking up at her.
"You'll get your hands and uniform dirty." He tried to pull his hands away, but she tightened her hold.
"I don't care, Lake... I don't care about any of that. I want you, and they'll have to deal with that. I'm going to college here for us to be together, Lake."
He smiled softly, but slowly pulled his hands away. This left her slightly confused that he had withdrawn so quickly. "That's the problem..." he whispered before turning back toward the car as Philo walked toward them, hitting Blake on the back.
Emma licked her lips anxiously before going back to her spot on the chair, looking at his back. Blake hadn't talked much about her college plans; he always seemed to stay neutral on which college she wanted to go to. But the closer graduation got, the more he seemed on edge when the subject was brought up. She didn't know whether to be worried or concerned. Suddenly, she felt like she needed some air.
"Excuse me," she whispered before heading out the garage door. All the other workers "oooh'd" at Blake as she closed the door tightly behind her.
Philo quickly hushed them. "Get back to work, you slackers!" A few of them snickered before getting back to work. Philo put an arm over Blake's shoulder.
"Stop trying to push that girl away, boy. If I had a girl like her, I would hold on tight and never let go. You understand me?" Philo whispered in a hushed tone so the other workers wouldn't hear.
Blake pushed his hair back with one hand. Philo was right. Any guy in their right mind would never push Emma away. She was perfect: caring, smart, beautiful. She was everything to him. "I can't help it. I feel like I'm holding her back, Philo," he said, continuing to work on the car, trying to take his mind off the subject.
A part of him wanted to hold her close for as long as he could because someone like her wouldn't be happy staying in the small town of Miller Creek. She deserved bigger and better things "Son... that's her choice to make. If she didn't want to stay, she wouldn't," Philo said.
Blake stood straight again, looking toward the door Emma had walked out of. "She's staying for me," he whispered, making Philo nod slowly. Philo leaned back against the car, crossing his arms. "They say real love is about sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice your own happiness for hers?" he knew the answer. He loved her with everything he had. It didn't matter where she went, whether it was here or on the other side of the world; his heart would forever be with her. His heart beat out of his chest as she walked back inside the dingy garage like a ray of sunshine, lighting up his dark world.
"Yes," he whispered as she made her way back to the chair and sat down.
Philo watched them both closely, knowing Blake's mind was made up. He patted him on the shoulder before turning and walking away.
"So what do you say... wanna go on a date with me, Em?" she looked up at him as she sat the book back on her lap, a small smile on her face. "I'd love to." She opened the book, looking down at the white pages. He admired her for a few minutes, his eyes memorizing every detail, before looking back into the truck.
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...
