Daylight - Paige Bueckers

i'm really glad i met you

June 19th, 2023

Paige's POV:

I've been pacing back and forth in my room for the last hour, checking my phone every five minutes and mentally running through the checklist I made. Blankets, pillows, snacks, drinks, my swimsuit, towels—everything's in my car and ready to go. Now, all that's left is actually going through with this.

I've never been this nervous before a game, but asking Alex out on a real date? That's a whole different level of pressure.

"Paige, you good?" Nika asks from her bed, glancing over at me with a raised brow.

"Yeah, just... making sure I've got everything," I say, trying to sound casual.

Azzi walks in and smirks. "You've checked everything like, five times."

I roll my eyes but can't help but smile. "I just want it to be perfect."

Azzi chuckles and gives me a reassuring nod. "It will be. You've got this."

After taking a deep breath and steeling my nerves, I grab my keys and head out. I'm picking Alex up in less than ten minutes, and my heart won't stop racing.

When I pull up in front of her house, Alex is already waiting outside, leaning casually against the porch railing. She's wearing a loose, oversized T-shirt over her swimsuit, with a pair of sunglasses perched on her head. The sight of her makes my stomach do flips.

She grins when she sees me, pushing herself off the railing and walking over to the car. "Right on time," she teases, sliding into the passenger seat.

I grin back, trying to mask the fact that I'm internally freaking out. "Gotta make a good impression, right?"

"Always," she says with a wink, making my heart skip a beat.

As we start driving, the conversation flows easily, just like it always does with us. We chat about random things—our teams, the latest drama with our friends, and even a few of the TikTok comments we've been laughing at. But the closer we get to the lake, the more aware I am of what's coming next.

When we pull into the parking lot near the lake, Alex glances out the window, a curious look on her face. "So, this is the big date, huh?"

I park the car and turn to her with a grin. "Not yet. The date's out there." I nod toward the path leading to the water. "But first, I've got something set up in the trunk."

Alex follows me to the back of the car, where I open the trunk to reveal the setup I'd spent all morning working on. Pillows and blankets are piled up, creating this cozy little nook where we can sit and relax. I even packed some snacks and drinks in a cooler.

Her eyes widen in surprise, and she smiles up at me. "Paige, this is so cute."

I can't help but blush a little. "I figured we could chill here for a bit, then maybe go for a swim."

Alex grins and nods, clearly impressed. "I'm down."

We climb into the trunk, settling into the blankets as we dig into the snacks. The conversation flows easily, and for a moment, it feels like we're just hanging out like we always do. But there's this underlying tension, this spark between us that's always there, and it only seems to be growing stronger.