She Will Be Loved

Chapter 6

"Jason, why are you doing this?" I asked while we ate our French fries and hamburgers.

"Why am I doing what?" He asked after swallowing.

"Wasting your time on me? No one ever talks to me like this. Or asks me on a date." I said, not looking at him.

"You're clueless, aren't you?" He chuckled. I looked up just in time to catch his crooked smile.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You're totally clueless!" He laughed again.

"I don't know-"

"Sophie," He cut me off. "Do you not know how long I've been in love with you for? You really have no idea?"

"What?"

"Ever since you broke up with Ryan, I've been trying to get you to notice me. You didn't realize it!?" His sparkling blue eyes glistened with wonder.

"I guess not." I said and blushed.

"Sophie," He took my hands from across the table. "I've been in love with you for 6 months."

"I-I don't know what to say." I felt my cheeks get red again.

"You don't have to say anything."

We finished our dinner and got back in the car. He started driving. He went the wrong way.

"You went the wrong way." I said quietly.

"I'm not taking you home yet."

"Where are we going then?"

"You'll see."

I sat there quietly until we pulled to a stop in front of a park. It was dark out.

"Why are we here?"

"I wanna show you something." He said and smiled. He took my hand and we ran through the forest and stopped in front of a huge tree house.

"Wow." I whispered under my breath.

"My dad built it for me when I was younger."

"And it held up all this time?"

"Yeah. It did." After 30 seconds of looking up at it, he tugged on my arm. "Come on."

We climbed up the ladder and went inside. He lit candles that smelled like vanilla. He opened a wooden window at the top as I watched him. He sat on the floor and patted the spot next to him. We layed on our backs and looked at the stars. The late May breeze sent chills down my arms. In reaction, I shivered.

Jason sat up and took off his leather jacket and handed it to me. I put it on.

"Thanks." We layed back down and he took my hand.

"This is amazing." I whispered.

"I know it. I've always been waiting to take someone up here."

"So I'm the first one?" I asked. He propped his head on his hand and looked at me with that crooked smile on his face.

"Yeah, you are. But that makes it ten times more special."