Growing Pains

Chapter 32

"What do you mean, you want to go back home? I just got you back!" Sam exclaims as I roll my eyes.

"Sam, we've spent every minute of this week together, and besides, you'd be coming with me." I reason as he raises a speculative eyebrow.

"I'd be coming with you?" He repeats and I nod.

"Your mum would kill you if you didn't come with me, and she really wants to see you." I add, praying that this works. Sam huffs, knowing my argument has logic behind it.

"I don't see why you want to see your dad again so soon anyway." He mutters, his arms folded tightly across his chest.

"I feel like I've just gotten him back in my life, Sam. I want to make the most of it." I explain, patting myself on the back internally for how reasonable my argument sounds.

"Fine, but it's one night and then we come home. That's not home, this is." He grumbles and I nod enthusiastically. Couldn't agree with him more on that one.

"I'll book the tickets, you're cool about leaving tomorrow morning, right?" I say hastily and he nods absently, waving me off. Sam's been running a little hot and cold with me recently but hopefully I'll be able to cheer him up tomorrow.

After hours of wracking my brain, I finally decided upon how and where to ask Sam to be my boyfriend. I'm trying not to freak out, in all honesty, but internally I feel as though my organs are liquifying.

Sam's a hopeless romantic, he's cried during every rom-com we've ever watched. Don't even get me started on the time I accidentally let him watch Big Hero 6. Either way, he'll deny it every time and insist that his non-existent allergies are playing him up, but he's a softy and that's all the counts.

That's why this date has to be perfect. It has to be the perfect amounts of special, meaningful, romantic to hold his interest; to make this night the best he's ever lived. No pressure or anything.

I would be lying though, if I said that I haven't enjoyed planning this, because I have. Everything I do for Sam, I do out of want, not necessity. I want him to have tomorrow evening be the most special thing anyone's ever done for him, because it's an attempt to put into words how much he means to me. I have to figure out a way of saying all of this without making him explode, he's not used to me being quite so forward about this aspect of my life.

"Eli, what do I need?" He asks, poking his head into my room.

"Clothes, oh, pack your really nice shirt- that one with..."

"Oh yeah! I love that one!" He interrupts, immediately knowing what I'm on about and I grin.

He flits back to his room but never leaves my side for long. When he declares that he's done packing he slings his bag down into the hallway and flops onto my bed, watching me with rapt attention.

"What?" I ask, knowing he has something on his mind. He has a pensive expression. Not like him at all.

"Nothing." He mumbles, averting his eyes as he plays with the hem of his shirt.

I drop the things in my hands and walk over to him, sitting next to him as I peer into his eyes. I shift his head slightly so that it's nestled in my lap and lean against the headboard, waiting for him to speak to me. You can't rush him, so I'll wait until he can voice his thoughts out loud.

My fingers fiddle with his hair, which is in dire need of a cut but at the same time I don't want him to. I love it when his curls fall into his eyes, haphazardly framing his face. It suits his demeanour.

"Are you serious about me?" He blurts suddenly, gazing at me with his huge chocolate eyes, so vulnerable at this moment.

"I'm always serious about you." I state. He rolls his eyes, clearly not satisfied with my response.