Delphic Song

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

We had stopped at a large meadow. It was a thick quilt, vibrant and green, shimmering under the sun, and it took my breath away. The field sloped up to a grassy platform where an old park bench sat under the shade of an oak tree. Falls leaves danced across the ground in the wind, and a few birds chirped nearby. My ears perked up when I caught the slight gurgling of a brook. It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the hill. Wildflowers sprouted here and there in clumps: Indian paintbrushes, dandelions, black-eyed Susans, and other brightly colored plants. The atmosphere was peaceful, quiet like a pocket in the business of the world. "How did you find this place?" I gasped as I took it all in. I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh scent of grass and earth, clear and clean.

Nate smiled, his eyes scanning the meadow as well. "I do some exploring. My mom is busy all the time, so I thought I'd check out the woods. I found this place by accident."

"It's amazing," I breathed. "How did you find it again without a path or anything?"

Nate shrugged modestly. "Good sense of direction, I guess." He scuffed his boots against the ground.

"Or," I teased, "It was those Superman powers showing themselves again."

"Or it could be that."

I laughed. Nate grinned, holding out a hand. "Come on, princess," he said. "Let's get this date started."

We hiked up to the crest of the hill, where we spread out the blanket and opened up the picnic basket. When Nate pulled out a huge thermos of spaghetti and meatballs with a bag of garlic bread, I was reminded that it was still evening. I'd been so caught up in the whole scene that I hadn't even realized the light fading.

"Um... what happens if we get stuck out here in the dark?" I asked Nate. He was spooning pasta into bowls, but he paused to look up at me.

"Don't worry, princess. I have flashlights."

I smiled, managing to squish the nerves down for the time being. Just have fun, I reminded myself. It's a date with an amazing guy who you don't want to scare away.

"Smells delicious," I said. It really did. The sharp, buttery scent of garlic bread was making my mouth water, and the spaghetti induced a rumble from my stomach.

"It better," Nate said, passing me my bowl. The bottom of it warmed my hands. "I made it myself."

I choked on a bite of noodle. "You cook too?"

"My dad was a chef. He owned his own restaurant, and he taught me everything he knew about the kitchen."

I paused, picking up on his use of the past tense. "Was...?" I didn't want to be pushy, but I felt like I needed to ask.

"Yeah." Nate stabbed at a meatball. "He died six years ago."

"I'm sorry," I said, reaching out to touch his hand. He smiled, entwining our fingers tightly. My breath caught in my throat. He looked down at where our skin touched, then back up at me.

"You don't have to be," he said quietly. "It was a long time ago."

I closed my eyes as his thumb rubbed the sensitive skin on my palm. My heart sped up, and I opened my eyes and stared down at my food, forgotten next to me. If I guessed correctly, I knew what was coming. He would lean in; brush the hair away from my face, slowly edge closer and...

I jumped back, breaking our contact. "We should eat up," I said, trying to make my voice light. It sounded forced. "Wouldn't want our food to get cold."

Nate's eyes flashed for a moment, dark and stormy, before he smiled. "No, we wouldn't want that," he said quietly.

I swallowed and focused on my food. I could feel my shoulders creeping up towards my neck, but I couldn't bring myself to relax. There was something... something I couldn't place that was making me shiver. Something making me anxious.