Meadow Valley book series- Everything's changed

Chapter 43: Uneasy emotions

    After the sun had went down Zach had told Ana that they better start heading back to the car. It was starting to get dark and the temperature was dropping. Now Ana understood why they needed the flashlight because she could barely make out the tree lines ahead of her.

     Zach had softly grabbed Ana by the hand and led her through the dark woods with the flashlight. Ana started to shiver a little bit because of the cool night temperature and because she was starting to get nervous around Zach. He stopped and asked if she was cold and then wrapped the blanket around her and took her by the hand again. This time their fingers interlocked with one another on purpose and they both held on a little tighter to each other. This was not the type of hand holding that was meant for leading through the dark woods, it was starting to become more than that. They were both intentionally starting to get closer to each other.

     Ana had never felt these kinds of emotions for a guy before and she was feeling a little uneasy with herself. Zach wanted to be close to Ana but he was afraid of going too fast with her. He wanted to do things right with her. For the first time in his life he felt that he had met a girl that he could actually see himself marrying one day. Zach was feeling very nervous because he didn't know how to act properly around her. He had no idea what to say so he just kept quiet as they walked back to the car. This was the first time that Ana has ever allowed a boy to hold her hand on purpose. She wasn't sure if what she was feeling inside was normal.

     Ana was too busy with dancing that she didn't have time for boys before. It wasn't like there was never any boys back home that were interested in dating her, it was more like she wasn't interested in any boys back home. Zach was completely different than she first thought him to be. He funny, sweet, charming, sensitive, gentle, good looking, a complete gentleman when he opened up doors for her and a lot of fun to be around. These were all qualities that she hoped for in a guy one day. Ana had nervously thought that Zach was the kind of guy that she could see herself marrying one day but was starting to have no idea how she should act around him. She was a little scared and wanted to make sure to take things slowly until she understood what she was feeling about him.

     As they approached the car Zach let go of Ana's hand and he turned towards Ana and thanked her for coming there with him. Ana leaned up against Zach's car slightly and shyly looked at him and thanked him for sharing this place with her as well. The two of them just quietly stared at each other for a minute then Zach grabbed both of Ana's hands and locked their fingers together and started to move their hands and play around with her. He asked her what she was thinking about and tried to tell her a joke just to hear her laugh. They flirted with each other and Ana bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Why do you bite your bottom lip like that? I've seen you do several times before."

"I don't know. I guess it's just a nervous habit of mine."

He joked around with her "So I make you nervous," he chuckled as he squeezed her fingers harder. 

She squeezed his fingers back even harder as if they were playing a little flirtatious game "I don't know. I mean I guess, sometimes." She mumbled back.

     She was starting to drive Zach crazy the way that she flirted and looked at him. Zach wanted to kiss her so badly but wasn't sure if he should try to or not. So he squeezed her hands and pushed them away from him and then pulled her in closer to him again. Ana's heart was starting to beat faster and she was overtaken by the emotions she was feeling. Her stomach felt like the first drop on a steep roller coaster. Ana had never kissed a boy before and for the first time she was curious to what it would feel like if Zach kissed her.

     He closed the distance between them by pulling her even closer until they were only inches apart. Zach thought that she was breathtaking beautiful. He could feel her sweet breath against his skin. Then he dropped her hands and placed his hands on her arms. Gently stroking downward. Ana took a big nervous gulp, wondering if Zach was going to try to kiss her or not. Zach was as equally nervous because he really liked her a lot and didn't know if she felt the same way about him.

     Ana closed her eyes when Zach gently placed his right hand on her cheek and they both leaned in closer towards each other as if they were about to kiss. Here was the moment that she had hoped for and dreamed of and wondered about. Though everything about it was wrong. Ana couldn't help herself. She leaned closer as their lips almost touched.

     Then all of a sudden Ana's cell phone rang and startled both of them to point of Ana jumping a little bit. She looked back at him and apologized as she searched for her phone in her pocket. It was her mom calling to ask when she was coming home because she was starting to get a little worried from her being gone so long. Ana was slightly embarrassed by her mother always checking up on her and being a little protective. It had only been one and a half hour since she last spoke with her.

"I best get you home right away. Sorry if I got you in trouble."

     Zach opened up Ana's car door and helped her in then he opened up the trunk and put the blanket and flashlight away and then drove away. Ana didn't know what to say to Zach so she remained quiet. The truth was Zach had no idea what to say to Ana as well. He was embarrassed by their almost kiss.

     Zach turned on the radio to break the awkward silence and hummed along with the song. He kept glancing over at Ana to see what she was doing. She just smiled back at him as he started to sing along with the song. Ana was amazed at how Zach had the ability to make her laugh in the most awkward situations. She just shook her head and laughed as he continued to sing out loudly and make funny faces and hand gestures towards her.