my better half | c.w. ✓

Chapter 15

A/N: i feel like i should apologize for how long this chapter is...but kenna and cole are too cute to be sorry for tbh

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The days until Friday seemed like an eternity. I couldn't focus on any of my schoolwork, and was constantly zoning out at dance team practice. But finally, the day was here, and I was practically counting down the hours until our date.

Emma had come over to help me get ready, of course, since I was hopeless on my own. (Her words, not mine. Though I can't exactly argue with them.)

She kept my makeup light and simple, even though it was still more than I usually wear. My hair was curled and tied into a half-up, half-down style, and she had picked out my outfit days ahead of time: a blush pink sweater, white jeans, and beige booties.

When I finished changing, I stepped out of the bathroom and into my bedroom, where Emma was. She grinned when she saw me. "Cole's going to freak."

I blushed and went over to my bed, where the purse Em was letting me borrow was. It was simple but pretty: a gray crossbody-style bag with a crochet pattern on the front, just big enough to hold my phone, wallet, and lip gloss - the last one at Emma's insistence. Just before I put my phone in the purse, I turned it on to check the time: 6:56 p.m. I took a deep breath and tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach.

"He should be here any minute," Emma said excitedly. She was probably even more excited about the date than I was, since she was practically obsessed with the idea of Cole and me.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and Emma grinned while I tried not to freak out. It wasn't the idea of being with Cole that scared me - it was the setting, the fact that it was a date. I'd never been on an actual date before, and I was so scared I was going to do something wrong.

Before I knew it, Em was practically shoving me down the stairs. I glared at her before turning and walking towards Cole, who was standing just inside the doorway talking to my parents, a small bouquet of roses in his hands.

He looked so good it hurt.

His hair was left untamed, the curls almost covering his eyes, and he was wearing dark jeans and a light blue button-down shirt - with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

I am convinced that there is nothing more attractive in life than a guy wearing a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. (A/N: #truth)

His eyes lit up when he saw me, that same adorable smile growing on his face. I smiled shyly and walked over to him, ignoring the comments my mom was making about how cute we were.

"Hi," Cole said. "Um, these are for you." He held out the flowers, and I felt my heart grow about five sizes. "Y-you look...beautiful."

I smiled, feeling myself start to blush. "Thank you. You didn't have to get me flowers."

"It's our first date. Why wouldn't I?" He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I blushed. Again, what am I supposed to say to that?

My mom quickly reached over and took the flowers from me. "I'll go put these in a vase. You guys should probably head out soon," she said, smiling knowingly at me.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, bye!" I waved to my parents and Emma before hurrying out the door, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. My parents weren't really interrogative or overbearing like some others, but this was my first date, and I knew my mom would start getting emotional if I stayed there much longer.