Magnet Love

10. Dinner for Two

LILY POV:
"Where are we going?" I questioned as Alex focused his gaze on the road ahead . We had been in the car for around ten minutes now, mostly in a comfortable silence as we both listened to the radio.

His side profile was sharp and angular, with a strong and profound jaw line, softened by his plump pink lips - I caught myself wondering if they were as soft as they looked. Stop, no I shouldn't be thinking things like that, I barely knew him! But even so, that didn't mean I couldn't appreciate his beauty - right?

"A little diner up on Mayhill, I used to go there quite a lot, it's nice I promise" he replied, turning his head to give me a small smile before returning his attention to the road.

I fiddled with my fingers on my lap as I began to feel nervous. Twisting my thumbs and pulling my fingers back until my knuckles met. It looked uncomfortable but it was a distraction and something I was so used to doing, I barely noticed.
"If you pull any harder you'll pull a finger off Lil" chuckled Alex, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Don't be nervous, I know what you are doing but I don't bite I promise" Alex confirmed as he pulled into a gravel car park next to Minnie's Diner.

The sun had begun to set and the view from the top of the hill was quite spectacular. I could see all of Newport, even my house if I looked close enough. Everything looked so small from up here and it was comforting - as if I could look down at school or anywhere causing me distress and my problems would dissolve.

Alex put his large hand on the small of my back causing the familiar tingles to shoot to shoot up my spine as he guided me into the diner. A small, plump woman, around 60, ran around the counter and over to us with a beaming smile on her face.

"Alex dear! It's been so long! How are you, and who is this lovely lady beside you?" She questioned as she pulled Alex into a hug, wrapping her short arms around his broad and muscular shoulders.

"I'm great, Cindy, this is my friend Lily, and Lily this is the greatest waitress and chef you will ever meet, Cindy" Alex praised, introducing us to each other. I smiled at Cindy as she beamed back at me, rosy cheeks glowing. After picking up two menus, we were guided to a booth at the back of the diner, with red and white leather seats. It was retro and I loved it.

"You know what to do, give me a shout when you are ready" Cindy finished before returning behind the counter and busying herself serving other customers.

"Well what do you think?" Alex asked, scanning around the room, obviously reminiscing as he smiled to himself.
"It's lovely, and Cindy seems like a lot of fun" I replied, causing Alex to chuckle.
"She certainly is. I used to come here on my own all the time and she would sit with me and talk for hours. I never had a Grandmother and Cindy was just like one. I haven't been back here for months" he explained.
"Thank you for letting me share it with you" I replied, causing a wide smile to form on Alex's face and gaining a small nod of appreciation.

I scanned the menu before deciding cheese burger and sweet potato fries with a mint chocolate milk shake. I only then realised how hungry I was since I missed lunch. Cindy came back over to take our orders, Alex going for a double bacon burger with fries and a strawberry cream milkshake.

"So tell me about yourself. Who are you Lily?" Alex questioned, leaning his head on to his hand and staring intently at me.
"I, well there isn't much to say really, what exactly do you want to know?" I replied, taken back by his open question.

"What's your full name?"
"Lily Rose Evans"

"When is your birthday?"
"October 8th 1998"

"Favourite colour?"
"Teal, or white"

"Favourite song?"
"It changes all the time, but right now it's Ed Sheeran's Photograph"

"Secret talents?"
"Piano, dancing and I speak fluent Spanish"

This interrogation continued until our meals arrived. Alex seemingly learning a lot about me and making the atmosphere much more comfortable at the same time. He was surprised by some of my answers, most noticeably my Spanish revelation, to which I went on to explain that my grandparents were Spanish and so my siblings and I all learned to communicate with them from a very young age.

Question time stopped for a while as we both devoured our burgers. Alex wasn't lying, this was the best burger I had ever eaten, meaning that I barely paused for breath until my plate was clear.

"So am I allowed to question you now?" I asked Alex, who was sipping on his milkshake with his dark eyebrows raised.
"Of course, ask away"

"What's your full name?"
"Alex Edward Harper"

"When is your birthday?"
"3rd February 1996"

"What day of the week were you born?"
"Haha, inquisitive question. It was a Friday I do believe"

"Friday's child is loving and giving. Nice. Wait, you said you were born in 1996, so you'll be 19 before the school year is out" I questioned further. Was he kept back a year I wonder?
"Well observed Miss Evans. I started school a year late for a range of reasons, but none being my academic ability I assure you. I was offered to skip 7th grade and catch up with others my age but I didn't want to miss out and so I just went through school as normal" he explained. Why would his parents enter him into school a year late?

"What are your parents like?"
This question stopped Alex in his tracks. He froze for a second before lowering his head and replying in a much more hushed tone "my mothers name is Anne and I don't have a father".

This reply immediately made me apologise for asking. I shouldn't have asked something so personal, what if his dad had died? I could have just dragged up painful memories for him - I couldn't bare to think what my reply had been if he had asked anything relating to Emily.

"No don't apologise, he isn't dead, don't worry. He doesn't deserve to be alive though, that's for sure. I haven't had anything to do with him since I was ten, and I want to keep it that way, so it's just easier to say that I don't have a dad at all - that way people don't push me to explain" he explained. His expression had calmed slightly although his eyebrows were still furrowed and his grip on his milkshake has increased, causing his fingertips to turn white with the pressure.

"I shouldn't have asked though, it's a personal question, sorry" I said again, desperate to change the subject.
"I don't mind sharing that with you Lily, I know you aren't a gossip" Alex replied, taking my hand into his across the table and stroking his cold fingers across my knuckles. The gesture was comforting and I looked up to meet his dazzling green eyes across the table.

"How would you know?" I replied, genuinely curious as to why he would put his faith into someone like me who he barely knew. I mean, he was right, I wasn't a gossip at all, but for all he knew I could have been.

"You're different Lily. You aren't like the others, that's obvious. You are quiet and reserved, you don't brag like your friends or flaunt yourself, but you are kind and gentle and I know I can trust you. I don't have to know everything about you to know that" he hushed, causing a red blush to cover my cheeks and the corners of my lips to curve up into a smile.

"You are also absolutely stunning".
It was this that caused me to look up in shock. Nobody had ever said that to me during a conversation in such sincerity. It warmed my heart and made butterflies erupt in my stomach. I wanted to thank him, but no noise came out of my mouth.

"You have no idea do you?" He questioned, taking his other hand and stroking it across my jaw, staring intently at all of my features - as if he was studying every inch of my face.

"You are different Lily - a beautiful different. I can't seem to stay away from you"

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AUTHORS NOTE:
I think it's time to hear Alex's POV, don't you?
I am literally falling in love with Alex myself, but it wouldn't be a story if everything stayed perfect. They both have a past and secrets they protect. Oh, and I also want to add that the location where this story is set, Newport, is on the west coast of America but this town is totally fictional - there may be a place in California called Newport, but it is in no way related to my fictional town :)
E x