Symphonies and Storms

Chapter 15

Bennett's POV

This girl. She was killing me in her cute little while sundress. The wide straps left her tanned shoulders on display, and the little purple flowers sewn into the dress matched the ones that I'd picked for her earlier today. I'd hoped that I didn't freak her out by bringing her flowers, but I knew I had to bring some sort of a peace offering since I had been running late. It was my last-ditch effort to get her to come with me. 

Lucky for me, it seems to have worked. Here she was, sitting in the bed of my truck with her  legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles. She was smoothing the fabric of her dress carefully across her lap as I opened the cooler to pull out our dinner and drinks. 

"I hope you're ok with turkey sandwiches," I said, as I pulled out our sandwiches. "What chips do you like?" I asked. "I wasn't sure, so I brought a little of everything. We've got cheetos, doritos, BBQ, and just plain Lays..." Gosh, I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying too hard. But when I nervously glanced up to meet her gaze, she perked up and offered me a warm smile as she asked for BBQ chips, a great choice, I might add. 

I tossed her the chips and offered her something to drink. I wasn't sure on that one either, so I brought beer, sweet tea, and gatorade. Surely one of those options would work? I smiled when Allie opted for the sweet tea. Another great choice. 

After handing Allie her food, I pulled out mine and started working on my sandwich. It was quiet for a bit, and when I looked over, I was shocked to see Allie with her sandwich completely disassembled, layering her chips inside of her sandwich like a Jenga puzzle. The tip of her tongue barely poked out of the side of her mouth as she focused on her creation, eventually placing the top piece of bread back on the sandwich and pushing it down with a crunch. 

"Excuse me?" I asked, with an eyebrow raised. "What do you think you're doing with my sandwich?" 

Allie froze and looked up at me like she'd been caught, but instead of offering an explanation, she slowly - ever so slowly - brought her sandwich to her mouth, and took a giant bite. It crunched so loudly that the whole forest likely heard it, and she looked me straight in the eyes as she chewed, seemingly savoring the taste. After what seemed like an eternity, she swallowed and said, 

"I'll have you know that chips taste way better on the inside of a sandwich. Lots of people do it." 

"Lots of people?" I quipped back. "Like who?"

"Umm..." She tapped her chin before giving me a cute shrug and taking another bite. I shook my head and let her do her thing. I never thought I'd be so enamored with watching someone eat a sandwich - even if they did it all wrong. I pulled my gaze away from the beautiful girl beside me and tried to focus on eating my own food, which wasn't difficult. I was starving. I realized that I hadn't eaten all day. Working outside in the heat had erased my appetite, and now that I was sitting in the cool of the evening, I was ready to destroy my humble little turkey and cheese creation. 

Halfway through my sandwich's demise, Allie's soft voice floated across the gentle breeze. 

"Where did you go?" She asked. "After Evan. Where did you go?" 

Ah, yes. The question of the night. The shift of tension in the air was palpable, and I knew it was hurting her to think of my sudden disappearance. I found myself feeling guilty for leaving her, even though deep down I knew I could have done nothing to change the circumstances. But I owed her an explanation, and I was going to give her one.