Degrees of Desire (gxg, txs)

chapter nineteen

-Isabella

I waited patiently for Diana to arrive. She didn't tell me where we were going after asking her a million times through the week. The more closer it came to the day, the more my excitement grew.

I told my mother ahead of time that I was going out today. She skipped all of the questions like usual and just told me to have fun. She didn't seem to care much which was a better thing for me. I didn't have to worry about having to come home at a specific time or giving her the rundown of what I was going to do.

In a way it was a good thing for me, but it also really wasn't.

I spent the entire morning with Maggie because I felt like I have spending a little less time with her. I took both her and Buddy to the park so we could play fetch. She loved to throw the ball for him. The only problem was he'd never bring it back.

Sitting on the steps, I decided I would scroll on my phone as I waited. I'd usually wait inside but I didn't want to be in there for too long. I didn't want Maggie to see me go because she always wanted to come along. Waiting outside made it easier.

I saw Diana's car pull over in front of my house. I got up from the steps and walked quickly towards the car. She opened the door from the inside like she always does before I got in.

"Hi." I smiled. I couldn't contain it.

"Hello. You look beautiful." She smiled back softly.

"Thank you. You do as well." She was wearing something a little different than what I am used to seeing. She had on a pair of jeans with a sweatshirt. Seeing her in this kind of outfit was refreshing. She looked perfect in it as well. "So, where are we going?"

"You will see." She laughed before driving off.

The drive was kind of long and I wasn't exactly familiar with the area. I had actually never even been down this road before.

"You're not kidnapping me right? A heads up would have been appreciated so I could bring more clothes." I joked.

"No, darling." She laughed. It was a genuine laugh. She had the cutest laugh. "We are almost there."

I looked out the window admiring all of the trees. It was beautiful. All the tall trees filled both sides of the road. It was almost as if we were driving straight through a forrest.

A hand on my thigh interrupted my thoughts. I looked over at her and she looked at me with a concerned expression.

"Do you always bounce your leg a lot?" She asked.

"I think so. I hadn't even realized I was doing it." I shrugged.

She focused back on the road but continued to leave her hand on my thigh. I felt butterflies in my lower stomach just thinking about the position of her hand. I decided to place a hand on top of hers and continue to look out the window to avoid such thoughts.

After another 10 minutes, we finally pulled into a small road. As the car moved along the path, I was finally able to see where we were at.

As we reached the end of the road, I felt excited to see where we were going. And then, I saw it—a beautiful lake surrounded by lots of trees and fields of colorful flowers. Big hills overlooked the whole lake.

Diana parked the car carefully in the parking lot, then kindly got out to open the door for me, inviting me to enjoy the peaceful beauty of the place.

"This place is beautiful." I thought out loud.

"It really is. Come on." She says reaching her hand out for me, inviting me to follow her.

Diana swiftly retrieved a picnic basket from the car's trunk, our excitement radiating as she guided me towards a nearby hill. From its vantage point, we could gaze upon the entire field of the lake, illuminated by the setting sun, while also enjoying a view of the surrounding fields blanketed in colorful flowers.