I Dare You To Love Me Back

Chapter Four

The drive back from the cabin was bathed in the golden hues of the late-afternoon sun. The trees flanked the winding road, their long shadows dancing across the windshield as we cruised home. The Jeep rumbled beneath us, smooth and steady, the earlier hiccup nothing but a distant memory, thanks to Izzy's magic touch with anything that had an engine. The backseat was piled high with snacks—chips and guac, sour gummy worms that made your mouth water just thinking about them, and a whole lot more.

Izzy had the radio tuned to a low-volume indie rock station, a perfect soundtrack for the peaceful countryside drive. She sat behind the wheel like she was born to be there, one hand casually draped over the gear shift, the other guiding us with a relaxed ease. Her fingers tapped along with the beat, every movement fluid and effortless. I was nestled in the passenger seat, the faint scent of pineapple from a car air freshener mingling with the crisp, clean air that wafted through the open windows.

On the dashboard, a little Hawaiian dancer—whom I'd affectionately named Havana—bobbed along, her grass skirt swaying with each bump in the road. I couldn't help but smile. Everything about this moment felt right—the hum of the engine, the soft rustle of Izzy's voice as she hummed along with the music, and the comforting sense of being completely at ease in her company.

"So," Izzy broke the comfortable silence, her voice carrying that familiar, unmistakable New York drawl, "we've been chattin' about all kinds of random stuff, but we never finished our '3 Things' game. What d'ya say we pick it up again? But this time, let's make it about food."

I turned to her, intrigued by the new twist. "A food theme? I'm in. You wanna start?"

Izzy shot me one of her signature mischievous grins. "Aight, let's start simple: What're your top three comfort foods?"

I didn't need to think long. "Easy. Ice cream, fresh-out-the-oven brownies, and pumpkin soup with grilled cheese."

"Solid picks," she nodded, clearly impressed. "For me, it's gotta be pizza—extra cheese, obviously. Sweet potato fries, and any kinda milk chocolate."

"That just made my mouth water," I said, laughing at how well we matched up. "Alright, my turn. Top three weirdest food combos you secretly love."

Izzy made a face, her nose crinkling in that adorable way that always made me smile. "Ugh, I'm picky. Don't really mess with weird stuff. What about you, though?"

I chuckled, thinking back on some of my stranger culinary experiments. "Alright, don't judge, but honey on lemon slices, sea salt in Nutella, and fries dunked in vanilla ice cream. I know it sounds crazy, but they're actually good, I promise!"

She raised an eyebrow, half impressed, half horrified. "That's... somethin' else, Em. But ya know what? I might just have to try that fries and ice cream thing. Heard it's pretty dope."

"It's amazing," I insisted, grinning at the thought of introducing her to my quirky food habits.

Our conversation flowed effortlessly, as it always did, with each revelation bringing us closer. We swapped stories about food quirks and snack preferences, laughing at the unexpected things we learned about each other. After a while, something she'd mentioned the day before crossed my mind, and I decided to bring it up.

"So, Izzy," I began casually, "you mentioned you're vegetarian. What made you decide to go that route?"

She glanced over at me, her expression thoughtful as she considered her response. "Yeah, been veggie for about three years now. It started when I got more into politics and the whole environmental scene. Learned a lot about how the meat industry's trashin' the planet, and it just didn't sit right with me. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for animals, so it just kinda made sense, ya know?"