Finding the Wolf Within

Chapter 16

I took in another deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Eddie…?”

“Yea?”

“Do you have practice tomorrow?”

“No, coach gave us the day off because of Thanksgiving. Why?”

“Well, I wasn’t planning on going to the shelter either. So I was wondering if you wanted to spend the afternoon with me.”

“Of course. Do you want to meet in the woods right after school?”

“Umm…no.”

“Okay…,” he said, clearly confused.

“What I mean is that I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me. You know. In public.”

Gah – I was so bad at this. I had never, ever asked a guy out before. And I obviously wasn’t doing a good job right now.

But Eddie didn’t seem to mind. “Really?!?”

“Yea. I thought maybe we could catch a movie or something. I don’t know. What do people normally do on dates?”

“So it would be a date?” He clearly wanted to make me work for it. I could hear the laughter in his voice. He was surprised and pleased, yes, but he was obviously also amused at my inability to just spit out what I was trying to say.

I took in another deep breath and released it in a huff.

“Yea. It would, definitely.”

“Soooo, you’re asking me out?,” he teased.

I let out a frustrated sigh. Of all the times for him to make fun of me, now was not one I would have chosen. I was already embarrassed enough. But I decided to suck it up. This was, after all, the first and only time I would ever ask a guy out.

“Yes, I am. I would get down on one knee, but since this is over the phone, you can just imagine me doing it,” I said before continuing, “Eddie DeForest, will you go out with me?”

Eddie’s POV

Oh. My. God.

She was mine. Finally, truly mine. I hadn’t thought that she would give in so quickly. She had been so hesitant, so careful that I had prepared myself to wait weeks, months for her. But now she was asking me out. I had broken down whatever barriers she had built up around her heart, and she was finally going to let me in. And I knew that I would cherish and protect it forever. Now that I had this opportunity, now that she had opened up to me, enough to trust me with her thoughts and emotions, I wouldn’t let her down, I couldn’t.

Dozens of fireworks went off in my head. I couldn’t even think properly I was so ecstatic.

“Uhh… Eddie? Now’s about the time you’re supposed to give me an answer. My knee’s starting to hurt here.” Her voice wobbled a bit and she let out an unsteady chuckle, as if suddenly unsure of my reply. Silly girl.

“Sorry. I’m just so happy and relieved. I never thought that you would ask me out.” 

“Yea, well…you still haven’t responded, which isn’t making me all that confident about your answer.” 

I grinned at that, even though I felt guilty for making her wait. She was acting like she really had no idea what kind of affect she had on me. God – she was beautiful and her self-consciousness only made her more appealing. She was so fresh and honest and good. I was addicted to her and I couldn’t believe she didn’t know it.