Our Great Love

Chapter 14: Joe

I get in her car and turn it on. I really hope she likes my driving because I speed sometimes since I have a heavy foot.

"Hey Lil you can sleep while I drive."

"No I can't, I have too much anxiety to sleep while others drive me. Plus I'd rather listen to music and cuddle my new best friend." She says with a smile while hugging the bear. It's like the size of her, which is so cute.

"Ok Lil, btw you look like a little kid hugging that bear, it's cute." I say with a big smile.

"Haha thanks, I feel so small compared to it" She says with a smile and blushes deeply.

"What should we listen to?" She asks, plugging her phone into the charger to connect to the car.

"Mine By T Swift."

"Again?"

"Our Song then?"

"Pick something other than Taylor" she says with a laugh

"Eyes On you by Chase Rice." I ask with a smile

"Ok that's a good song, but you really gotta expand your music knowledge. Good thing I can help with that." She says smiling as the song begins to play and I pull out of the space. As I'm driving I see her out of the corner of my eye tapping her fingers and foot to the music and humming along. I never hear her sing, only ever humming, I bet she is just nervous.

"You should sing out loud, not just hum."

"Yeah I know, I just don't like to sing around others." She says hiding her face with the bear because she is hugging it so hard.

"Can I hear you sing please?" I say smiling

"Haha, That's not happening. We aren't quite there yet. Maybe one day though." She smiles when she says that.

"Ok, fine." I say kinda sad but still smiling.

"How about we make a deal, If you can guess three questions about me, I'll sing for you" She says, smiling. It's funny because I don't know much about her, so she thinks I'll fail. But I really wanna hear her so I'm going to hopefully guess right.

"Deal."

"Okay, How old am I" she says looking at me as I keep my eyes on the road.

"18?"

"Wow, Yeah that's right." She says very shocked

"Yay." I say with a huge smile

"Next, How tall am I?" 

"Umm I feel like your in the 5 feet or so" I say 

"I'm 5 ft exactly so I'll give you that one. And Lastly, What is dream job?" 

"A Vet, right? because you mentioned it once when we were talking" I say hoping I'm right

"Yes, your a good listener and good job on getting them all right, I guess I have to sing for you now, huh." She smiles as if she planned that along.

"Yup."

"Ok but I'm picking the song."

"Fine by me."

"Great, don't say anything if I suck, please just lie." She says with a laugh right before the song starts playing and she hides behind the bear. It's "Falling Like The Stars" By James Arthur. One I haven't heard before but I already love it knowing it's the song she is singing for me.

As soon as he starts singing she does too and it is absolutely amazing. It's like nothing I have ever heard before. It's so hard not to say anything and even harder not to look at her because I can't believe it's coming from her. She sounds like an angel and is so in tune with the music. The words roll off her tongue so effortlessly, as if she has been singing it all her life. I start to notice the song coming to the end and her slowing down, but I don't want her to ever stop. I'm so entranced in her that I don't notice we are in the parking lot of the dorms until it ends. 

"Here we are, Lil."

"Ok great, I'm ready for bed." She says yawning as she gets out of the car with the bear. I get out, close the door and lock the car. Then I hand her the keys and reach for her hand to hold as we walk towards her dorm.

"Thank you for coming with me tonight and for being different than everyone else, it's a nice change." she says to me smiling up at me as we reach her door.

"Of course I had a lot of fun tonight."

"That's good, I'm glad. Well this is me, so goodnight Joe" She starts unlocking the door and throws the bear in before closing the door again to face me.

"Goodnight Lilly, can I have a hug goodnight?"

"Duh, I just had to get rid of the bear first." she smiles and and wraps her arms around me as I do the same. I rest my head on top of hers and inhale her sweet scent of vanilla and lavender that I've smelled all day. And just as she pulls back I kiss forehead gently. 

"Goodnight Lil. See you tomorrow for our run if you want to do that still."

"Goodnight Joe, I can't wait." She says right before she opens the door and closes it. I stand there for a minute because I can't believe that today happened and that she is even real. But she is and I get to see her tomorrow so I should probably head to bed so I can sleep. Otherwise I won't be able to keep up with her.