Iridescent

Chapter 40: Maroon

Jason

"Where exactly are we going?" Joy asked me for the nth time.

I smiled and looked over at her, all bundled in the passenger seat of my car. She looked damn adorable that I just wanted to lean over and kiss her.

"For the millionth time, Joy. It's a surprise." I answered.

"You're not going to kill and dump me off the side of the road, right?" She stared at me with her wide golden eyes.

I laughed and shook my head. God how I missed this. How I missed her.

"Only if you don't stop asking where we are going." I chided her.

"Okay." She quietly answered.

I quickly looked over at her again and saw her staring out the window. She looked deep in thought and she looked deeply troubled. I stared back to the road and gripped the wheel. I couldn't shake the feeling of awkwardness and uncertainty that oozed from her. I knew it was because of the kiss and how things went on from there. I know I had a lot of ground to cover, and today was going to be the start of that.

I was just thankful she agreed to come out with me. She could have easily turned me away for the way I acted, but she didn't. She was right here with me.

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"Okay we're here." I exclaimed as I coasted to a stop on a clearing.

Joy looked around and pressed her nose against the window. "Uh, where is here exactly?"

"Just a few miles off from the city. Come on, we have a bit of walking ahead of us."

Her head snapped back towards me. "So..we're going into the woods...walking...in the dark?" uncertainty and fear creeping into her voice. " Are you sure you're not going to stab and dump me?"

I slowly reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "It's fine. I'm here." I smiled at her. "---and I have a flashlight." I chided her.

She laughed and nodded her head.

"Alright, lets go." I said as I reluctantly let go of her hand and exited my car.

I pulled out a pack from the back of the car before I made my way towards Joy who stood still on the other side of the car. She was rubbing her hands together and puffing out mist.

"Are you ready?" I asked as I extended a hand for her to hold.

She looked at my hand warily.

"It's dark, I don't want you falling over or getting lost."

She smirked. "Well, between the two of us, you're the one who has gotten into an accident, not me."

"Touché" I laughed then felt her small hands grip mine tightly. I almost choked as I felt a tingling warmth travel up from our bound hands up to my arm and through my entire body.

"Okay fearless leader, lead the way." She answered in a cloud of mist.

I grinned at her and intertwined our fingers together, gripping her hand tighter. Having her hand in mine gave me this inexplicable warm feeling blooming in my chest, and I could help but smile. It felt right, like she belonged with me.

We travelled the beaten path, hand in hand and silent. Only our ragged breaths and footfalls on the fallen leaves echoed through the woods. The sky was beginning to lighten, signaling the imminent rising of the sun.