Faces (Lannan Eacott) *Under Editing*

Chapter Five

     "I don't think I'll ever get used to this heat." Nikki and I had decided that morning that we would explore the town around us. "But the scenery is what makes it worth it." She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of a child and his mother. He was working on an ice cream cone while his mother typed away on her phone. The people around us are what made this experience so extraordinary. You could spend hours trying to figure out the people around you, but their stories were simply that; theirs. Nikki continued to take pictures of the people around us and the sights we were seeing.

     "You know what is so amazing about this place?" She looked up at me before looking back down at her phone.

     "No snow." Raising my eyebrows in agreement I glanced around at the ones around us. My phone began to ring. I answered it excitedly, assuming it would be Lannan.

"Hey! How are you?" All I could hear was what sounded like static and someone rustling around.

"Sam? Do you have a minute to talk?" His voice startled me. Why was he calling me? Why now? "I got to thinking about you today. I know I don't deserve anything from you, but I just wanna go back. Can I come over?" His words shook me to my core.

"Jacob." Nikki suddenly glanced up from her phone and ripped mine out of my hand, ending the call.

"Do not do that to yourself. No. You have Lannan now." She paused, sighing. "Well, kinda. But you're finally doing better. Please don't let him take you ten steps backwards." I looked over at her to see her dialing another number. "Call Lannan. And I'm not saying use him to forget about Jacob. But wouldn't it be nice to finally move on?" She handed my phone back to me, and I slowly put it to my ear.

"Hey, Sammie. I was just about to call you. Are you ready for tonight? I was just about to get the hotel's address." A smile broke out on my face and I could see Nikki sigh with relief.

"Absolutely. I'm actually in town right now. Would you mind dropping Nikki off before we go?" He said he didn't mind and we chatted for a minute before hanging up. "Nikks, I know that you're worried I'll fall back into his mind games, but I'm doing okay. I know Jacob destroyed me in ways that take time to repair, but I'm really okay. I wouldn't be stupid enough to make the same mistake again."

"I just know how heartbroken you were. It was hard to watch you try to pick yourself back up. I still think you're missing some pieces that you weren't able to put back together." I shrugged.

"And that's okay. Everyone is a little broken in some way. But when you've been hurt the way I was, it takes more than yourself to repair what's been broken. I mean, honestly, some days I miss the life Jake and I had. That doesn't mean I miss him. I just wish things would have ended better. I'm trying to give Lannan a chance, which is a huge step for me. Two days isn't much, but I know what red flags to look for. And you're right, so far, he's nothing like Jacob. I just hate to think that this thing Lannan and I have is gonna end before it even begins." Nikki sighed and placed her phone in her pocket.

     "Look, Sam, I know a lot has happened to you. And from that you've closed yourself off. But wouldn't it be nice to be with someone who truly cares about you for a change? I'm not saying marry the guy, but at least give him a chance. It might be nice to have a decent guy show you how you deserve to be treated. Even if only for two weeks. Plus, I'm positive there are girls who would die to go on a date with Lannan." She glanced down at her shoes and then up at me. "He actually asked me if you even liked him. If you even had any interest in going out with him. Sam, you can't keep yourself closed off. You're just gonna push everyone away. And that's not healthy."

     "I don't want to hurt him. And I know that's a cliche thing to say, but it's honestly how I feel." My phone vibrated in my pocket, signifying that Lannan had arrived. Nikki and I finally spotted his car and when we got close enough we could see he had Elliot with him as well.

     "I figured you wouldn't want to be alone at the hotel while Sammie was gone." Nikki rolled her eyes and hopped in the backseat with El. "So, the plan is, I'm gonna drop these two off, then we will go see what the night has in store for us." His face broke into a smile and I couldn't help but lose myself in it. His smile covered nearly half of his face, but it was breathtaking. And it didn't stop there. It seemed as if that smile and travelled to his eyes, and you could see how happy he truly was in that moment.

     The ride to the hotel was fast. Considering I spent most of it, completely lost in Lannan's smile. Nikki mumbled a quick "use protection" before her and Elliot all but ran into the building. Lannan had his left hand resting on the center console between us. And in any romance movie, this is the scene where I would be brave and just grab it. But this isn't a movie, and my courage was all but gone. The car came to a stop in a fairly rural area of the beach. The sun was close to setting, but Lannan promised we had just enough time to enjoy a small dinner and maybe even a walk. A walk in which I knew I would steal a kiss from him. Of course, I would read any signs that he let off in the case he didn't want my kiss. But it's all I could think about. Grabbing his jaw with my hands and kissing him. No hesitation. No regrets. Just me and him. In that moment. He grabbed my hand and led me to a small cove where you could practically see everything. Once there, I could finally see the small setup he had prepared. There was a blanket with what looked to be candles placed around it.

     "I know it isn't much. But I didn't want this date to be something you would regret. I wanted it to be perfect. Would you sit with me?" I nodded and we sat there for a few minutes just enjoying each other's company. The waves crashed against the shore as the falling sun reflected off of them.

     "It's so beautiful." Lannan looked over at me and smiled.

     "Compared to you, it's nothing. I would take looking at you over this any day." I could feel my face begin to burn and attempted to cover it with my hands. "No, no. Please don't cover your face. I don't want to miss a second of seeing it."

     "You never told me about your life. I mean, your life now." He leaned back, putting his weight on his arms.

     "Well, I live in Sydney. I'm currently making videos all the time for my channel. I have three siblings and a puppy. I guess you could say I'm living every person's dream." I smiled and leaned into his side.

     "But are you living yours?" I felt him rest his head on top of mine and him exhale at the touch.

     "I was-I am. It just seems like it takes up 90% of my life now. I knew what I was getting into when I started uploading videos and putting my heart into it. But these days it feels like I'm losing interest. I use to love this job. It was my favorite thing. I just wish it wasn't so demanding." I moved forward and turned my body completely towards him.

     "Then take your time. Don't feel obligated to post four videos a week. I understand where you're coming from because I've watched my favorite creators go through it." I placed my hand on his thigh and leaned forward ever so slightly. "You have to do what makes you happy, then everything else will follow in pursuit. At the end of the day, you're the only person you have." At this statement he leaned forward, placing his hand firmly under my jaw and tugging me forward, pressing his lips against mine. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When I finally opened my eyes, I immediately saw the smile plastered on his face. "What was that for?"

     "You said I had to do what made me happy, and everything else would follow in pursuit. I've been waiting to do that from the moment I met you in that airport." I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against his chin. "You're unlike any girl I have ever met." He wrapped his arms around me and we sat in that position until the sun was finally at rest.

     "Do you think we should head back?" I asked finally looking up at him. He nodded and packed up the blanket and candles. "Thank you for tonight. It truly meant a lot to me." I felt him lightly tug on my hand and turned to face him.

     "When you head home, I want to make this work. I'll do anything it takes. But what I felt in that moment we kissed, I don't want to lose that." I quickly wrapped my arms around his torso and nuzzled my head into his chest. "Is that a yes to the question I didn't have to ask." I nodded my head and finally accepted that if I was going to get hurt, I was fully prepared for it. But what I felt in this moment would be worth every ounce of pain that would come with falling for someone again.