Bound To Break

Chapter 34

"Oh my!" Jessica gasps as she approaches me. "Look at you."

A smile touches my lips as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I must admit, those three hours of getting ready paid off.

"Where are you off to looking all gorgeous?"

"I've got a date." I say, applying some lip gloss.

"Oh, do you now?" She begins helping with my earrings. "Am I allowed to ask who the lucky young man is?"

I pause. "Nope."

That makes her laugh. "Fine, fine. But if he does anything inappropriate--"

Oh if only she knew... "He wouldn't,"

"--he'll answer to me."

"Yes ma'am." I give her a firm nod. "I look okay?"

Now I'm fidgeting, the nerves getting the best of me. This is my first official date with Noah.

Wait a minute...

I've got a date with Noah.

I've got a date with Noah!

"Absolutely marvelous."

"Thank you."

______

We're at the beach.

The same beach we've been at countless times and as you can guess, I'm disappointed.

How can I not be?

I mean this is our first date. I got all dressed up and put on makeup thinking we'd go to some fancy restaurant. But guess Noah is too introverted to eat infront of people.

I pause. Just looking around.

Can't take away how beautiful this place is, especially this time of day.

The beach stretches out before us, an endless expanse of soft white sand that kisses the turquoise waves gently lapping at the shore. The sun hanging low on the horizon, painting the sky in strokes of gold, pink, and lavender.

Maybe it's not so bad...

The pain in my feet says otherwise. So I kick off my heels, sighing in relief as my toes sink into the cool, powdery sand.

Have you ever tried walking in the sand with heels? Not pleasant.

Noah, walking a few paces ahead, turns to face me with his ever-present smirk. His hair, messy from the salty breeze, makes him look effortlessly charming.

"Took you long enough to catch up," he teases, holding out his free hand, in the other, a picnic basket.

"Maybe I'm enjoying the view," I shoot back, ignoring his hand and brushing past him. "You know, the ocean?"

"You mean this big body of water stretched out in front of us? Sure." His grin widens as he catches up to me.

And I immediately lose interest in the fun fact I was about to tell him. Rolling my eyes, I keep walking until I spot the perfect table set up near the water's edge.

There's several candle shaped lamps illuminating the area. Rose petals spread out on the sand and on the table. I spot a champagne bottle and two glasses. It's so intimate and serene. Absolute perfection.

"Noah," I breathe out, feeling horrible for being an absolute asshole about this in the first place. "It's beautiful."

He gently nudges me with his shoulder. "I knew this would be better than some fancy restaurant."