Forever

Chapter Sixteen

The sun was beginning its slow descent as Dana walked toward Chandler's house, her heart beating erratically against her ribs. The neighborhood seemed quieter than usual, the golden light casting long shadows across the street. She hadn't expected his text earlier:

Chandler Beckett
Can you come by after school? There's something I want to ask you.

His house loomed ahead, sleek and polished, just like him. She hesitated at the front steps, staring at the door for longer than she probably should have. It was just Chandler, she reminded herself. She'd been to his house before. She'd spent hours sitting beside him, doing homework, watching videos, unraveling small pieces of who he was. But today felt different, like a shift had happened, and she didn't know why.

With a deep breath, she knocked.

Chandler opened the door almost immediately, as if he'd been waiting on the other side. He leaned casually against the frame, his dark hair slightly messy, his white T-shirt fitting just snug enough to highlight his broad shoulders.

"Hey," he said, his voice warm but softer than usual.

"Hey," Dana replied, feeling her palms grow clammy.

"You're early," he teased, stepping back to let her in.

"Barely," she said with a small laugh, slipping past him into the familiar scent of teakwood and faint cologne.

He closed the door and motioned for her to follow him upstairs. "Come on. I want to show you something."

His room was clean, tidier than she remembered it, as if he'd spent the afternoon preparing for her arrival. The windows were open, letting in a soft breeze that rustled the curtains. On his desk sat a record player, spinning a vinyl she didn't recognize. A haunting melody filled the room, soft and full of longing.

"What's this?" Dana asked, nodding toward the music.

Chandler glanced at the record and smiled. "It's About You by The 1975. Thought you might like it."

She tilted her head, letting the song seep into her skin. "It's... nice."

"Yeah." He leaned against the edge of his desk, crossing his arms as he watched her. "Reminds me of you."

Dana's stomach flipped. "What do you mean?"

He hesitated, his usual confidence giving way to something more vulnerable. "It's about the things that linger. The moments, the feelings, the people you can't stop thinking about, even when you try. That's... what you are for me, Dana."

Her breath caught, and she froze, the words wrapping around her like a cocoon. "I'm... what?"

He pushed off the desk and took a step closer, his dark eyes locking onto hers. "I can't stop thinking about you. I've tried to play it cool, to keep things simple between us, but I can't anymore."

The music swelled in the background, the lyrics almost too perfect for the moment. Dana felt like she was floating, caught somewhere between disbelief and the deep pull of everything she'd been trying to hide.

"Chandler," she whispered, unsure of what to say.

He smiled softly, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. His hand lingered there, warm against her cheek. "You don't have to say anything. Just... let me take you out. On a real date. No homework, no distractions. Just us."

Dana's heart raced, her mind spinning with a million thoughts. For weeks, she'd wondered where she stood with him, if he saw her as anything more than the girl who helped him with essays and study guides. And now, here he was, standing inches away, telling her she was everything.

"Yes," she said finally, her voice barely more than a breath. "I'd like that."

His grin widened, and he dropped his hand to hers, threading their fingers together. "Good. Then let's go."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Now?"

"Why not?" he said, his tone playful but his eyes serious. "We'll keep it simple. Just you, me, and whatever feels right."

Before she could overthink it, Chandler was pulling her toward the door, the music still playing behind them like a soundtrack to their moment.

They ended up at a small diner on the edge of town, the kind with vinyl booths and a jukebox that didn't work anymore. It was quiet, intimate, the kind of place where the world felt a little smaller.

Chandler slid into the booth across from Dana, his usual smirk replaced by something softer. "You're not what I expected, you know."

Dana blinked. "What do you mean?"

"When I first asked you to help me with that essay, I thought you were just... shy. Smart, but quiet. I didn't realize how much I'd look forward to seeing you. How much you'd get in my head."

Her cheeks burned, and she looked down at the table, tracing patterns on the worn surface. "You get in my head too." A lot more than she would dare to admit. Her brain used to be fogged with due dates and college essays, now Chandler is her only assignment.

He reached across the table, his hand finding hers again. "Good."

For the first time, the tension between them didn't feel heavy. It felt easy, natural, like everything had led to this moment.

They stayed there for hours, talking about everything and nothing, the world outside fading into the background. By the time Chandler drove her to his house, the stars had come out, and the air was cool and crisp.

As he walked her to her car door, he stopped her, his hand brushing against hers.

"Dana," he said softly, his voice like the music they'd left behind. "This... whatever it is between us... it's not too fast, right?"

She disagreed, her throat tight with emotion. She thought it was too slow. "Not at all. It's actually what I've been waiting for. Some sort of explanation to this madness."

He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers for a brief moment before pulling back with a grin. "Goodnight, Dana."

"Goodnight," she whispered, watching as he turned and walked away, her heart fuller than it had ever been.

And as she sat inside, she couldn't stop smiling, the lyrics of About You still playing in her head. She wanted to relive this night a million times allowing each moment to feel as if it never happened before.

She couldn't contain the excitement flourishing throughout her bones. A big grin on her face and her forehead rested against the stirring wheel. Her knees jumped up and down rapidly in an attempt to relieve some of the built in energy.

Dana started to pull her phone out and send a long detailed paragraph to Lana and Jessica but remembered what Lana was currently going through. She figured it to be insensitive so she tossed her phone back in her bag.

She sat in her car for a moment longer, letting the night sink in. Chandler liked her. Really liked her. And as she drove away, the warmth in her chest only grew. For once, things felt like they were falling into place.