"Ash,” I whined. I was struggling to keep up with him. His strides were longer than mine and he was walking quickly, like he had somewhere to be.
“Brooke,” he mimicked, slowing down so that I could catch up.
“Where are we going?” I shivered. It was 7:30 now and since we’d been inside, it had cooled down and the wind had picked up. The sun hadn’t completely set yet, so the sky was a light purpley-blue.
“It’s a surprise. If I tell you where we’re going, it won’t be a surprise anymore,” he said, like he was explaining it to a three year old. I groaned impatiently.
"Just wait a few minutes," he grinned and grabbed my hand in his own.
We walked for a few more minutes until Ashton announced, “Okay, we’re here.”
He turned to face the harbour and sat down on the edge of the footpath so his legs were dangling over the water. If he leaned forward too far, he’d fall in. He turned back to face me and patted the ground beside him.
“Sit here.” I took off the ballet flats and joined Ashton, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I’ve looked at this every day for my whole life,” I said quietly, “And it never stops being pretty.”
He nodded in agreement. The wind was still blowing softly, just strong enough to make me shiver slightly.
“Here,” Ashton said, offering me his jacket.
“Are you sure?” I asked, taking it from his hands. I didn't want to take his jacket and then make him cold.
“I’ll be fine,” he assured, and draped the jacket over my shoulders. It was soft on the inside, warming up my arms immediately.
“Sometimes I come and just sit here, and look at the water and the bridge and the city. It’s really pretty at night, especially,” he told me, and then I understood that this was Ashton’s Special Place. “I like to come here to relax.”
The sky was becoming a deeper blue with every passing moment, making the lights of the city seem brighter.
“This is my screensaver, on my computer,” I admitted, “I have a bit of an obsession with city lights.” When he didn’t respond, I just kept talking. “They’re just so pretty, you know? It’s like looking at stars, but better. They’re like multicoloured stars. And there are so many of them and it’s just something about the skyscrapers and all the lights and it’s just so… wow.”
Ashton nodded thoughtfully, not meeting my eyes. “Yeah,” he agreed softly. He seemed kind of quiet and preoccupied, and it sort of made me worry that I'd done something wrong.
“Are you okay?” I asked gently.
“Yeah,” he said again.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said, like he knew but he didn’t know where to start. “Everything, I guess.” I was about to say something, but he continued. “You’re something really special, you know?”
“Ashton,” I said softly. I wasn’t in the mood to be showered in compliments, and I could feel it coming. “This is kind of a weird thing to say, but, I don't really like being complimented.” I laughed nervously. I didn't want him to take it the wrong way, I really did not like being complimented. I did not enjoy them, they did not make me feel special. If anything, they made me uncomfortable.
“Why not?” He asked, looking at me. He seemed a bit upset, and I almost regretted asking him to stop.
“I’m just not into compliments,” I shrugged, but I knew I’d already made him confused, “I… they make me uncomfortable. I don’t really believe them,” I whispered, feeling vulnerable. It wasn't exactly something I planned on telling Ashton, especially not on a first date.
