Backroads

Chapter 10

A little ways down the road she shifts in her seat and clears her throat.

"I'm sorry. For all that drama back there, I mean." Charlotte says without taking her eyes off the road.

"It's okay. I feel bad honestly." She shoots me a questioning look as if to say, 'why'. "I don't want to come between you and your sister. Especially with the wedding coming up."

"We'll be fine, don't worry about that." She smiles slightly. "So. Where are we going?"

Luke's POV

I look over at Charlotte who appears to be a lot more relaxed now. She's leaning up against the door, staring out the window at the trees passing by. Despite the fact that she was just recently upset, she looked beautiful. If I wasn't for the fact I was driving, I could watch her all day. Which sounds a little strange but it's true. Every time I look at her, I notice something new about her features. 

"Where would you like to go?" I ask, my attention back on the road.

"You didn't even know where we are going did you?" She laughs. 

"Not really. I was just kind of driving." I admit with a smirk. I hadn't even thought about where we were going when I asked her out. I just said out. To hang out somewhere. I don't know where. I was going to ask before we left but never got a chance to due to the circumstances. 

"Well...we could always just go to the park, hang out by the lake or something. There should be some food trucks down there since it is Friday night so we could eat there too." She suggests.

"Jeez, Charlotte. You're better at coming up with date ideas than I am." We laugh and I shake my head. Date? Should I have said that? But this was a date wasn't it?

"You know, you don't have to call me Charlotte all the time." She says seriously, looking back out the window.

"I know." I smile when she turns and rolls her eyes at me. "So the park it is."

I turn the dial on the radio to find a station with something good on. I stop on one of the country stations when Charlotte perks up at the song. I turn up the volume and Granger Smith's voice sounds throughout the truck signing about a backroad or something. Charlotte seemed to really like the song. She hummed along and at some parts would sing quietly and, from what I heard at least, she had a really pretty voice. 

A couple songs later, we arrive at the park. We didn't talk the whole way here but it wasn't awkward like you think it would be. Something about Charlotte made me feel comfortable around her. Even driving with only the sound of country music coming from the speakers. 

I turn the truck off and rush around to the other side to help her out. The truck was only lifted slightly and I'm sure she was capable of getting in and out herself but I insisted on helping. Plus it was a good excuse to hold her hand again.

"Thanks." She smiles once her feet touch the ground. 

We start walking down the cobblestone path towards the lake to find somewhere to sit for awhile. Walking in silence was a little more awkward than the drive. I try to think of something to say as we walk. By the time I thought of something to say we reached the small boardwalk and sat down on one of the benches. The view was amazing. The sun was starting to go down slightly, casting a shimmering golden light over the lake.

"I uh..never got the chance to tell you that you looked really nice before we left." I said, scratching the back of my neck. Was that okay to say? I hope I didn't sound creepy or something.

"Oh, thank you." She smiles and blushes a little but surprisingly didn't look away like she always does when she blushes. She looks towards the lake and sighs. "It's beautiful isn't it?"