Forget Me Not [Original]

Chapter 17- This Was More

Jen

"Now?" I ask, anxious to regain my sight. My hands hover over the knot tied behind my head, yearning to release the blindfold.

"No," he reiterates for about the fourth time, swatting away my attempts to unveil his surprise. I hear him stifle a laugh at my impatience.

His touch moves on to my shoulders, guiding me to God only knows where. All I know is that we are somewhere in the woods. The air is chilly and I can hear the chirp of the crickets, their symphony the only thing keeping me sane at the moment.

My senses are on high alert, taking into detail how the dirt must be soft beneath my shoes and how my outstretched hands grasp nothing but the wind.

"Stop squirming, you're going to fall." He huffs in annoyance, his hold now tracing its way down to my arms. His hands are warm and large, leaving a trail of heat as he locks my arms to my sides.

"Okay, okay." I say, submitting to his control. My breath is now becoming ragged, I'd rather be able to see. If only he hadn't restricted my hold; I would not hesitate to rip the piece of linen from my eyes right now.

"Hold on," he says. All at once, his hands retract from my arms and his warmth, as well as his presence, leaves me. I hear the sound of his rapidly fading footsteps jogging away behind me. Great.

I try to remain composed, not allowing myself to focus on the thought that he left me in the woods. At night.

Breathe, I think, reciting this mantra to soothe my nerves. I just stand there for a few moments, resisting the urge to tug on the blindfold, knowing Shawn would surely be disappointed. I groan inwardly, starting to count to thirty. If he isn't back by then I will take off the damned blind fold.

"One." I count softly, taking a small step forward. I drag my feet slowly, not wanting to trip on anything let alone fall on my face. What a story that would be.

"Two." I say, taking another step.

I repeat this process, counting to twenty until I hear the clink of glassware. A thought occurs to me and I wonder why I hadn't thought of it before. He went back for the mason jars.

"Shawn?" I breathe, relief flooding my senses. I feel my shoulders sag before my body begins to buzz with anticipation.

"We forgot the jars." He pants.

I feel him walk in front of me before hearing the jars clash together as they meet the ground.

He then makes his way over to me, his heavy exhalations an indication of his position in respect to me. His steps are slow, seeming to be hesitant.

He stops right in front of me, sharing his breath as his fingertips run from my elbows down to my hands before playing with my own. The atmosphere alters, somehow becoming more intimate with his touch. I struggle to breathe, trying to cope with the sudden change. He is standing so close.

"Jen?" He whispers near my ear, his voice breaking on my one syllable name. He clears his throat before continuing. "Is it too late to ask you on a date?"

I'm at a loss of breath, something that has occurred too many times to count in the span of the last few minutes.

"What?" I whisper, my lips parted in surprise. This was more than him just wanting to show me something. I thought, God I thought, that we were just going to simply watch the rest of the sunset, assuming it hadn't disappeared yet. I thought that we would only be fueled by the simmering warmth as it hid away to rest. I didn't expect this.

"I planned all of this for you. I really want you to see something." He says, softly, still awaiting my response. He presses his head against mine, still playing with my fingers.