Rendezvous

stars

August 2, 2018

"Thanks," I said to Shawn as he handed me another clean plate. Ximena and Esteban had already fallen asleep while Shawn and I cleaned up. I dried off any water on the white ceramic before placing it on the dish rack.

"Do you want to run away?" He asked suddenly. I snapped my head in his direction and blinked at his shocking suggestion. "Just for a couple hours," he replied to my silence.

"Exactly how long do you plan to run away for?" I inquired.

"We'll be back before sunrise," he smiled. Something in his olive eyes hinted this midnight rendezvous would be worth my while, so I said, "Okay."

Only taking a flashlight with us, we walked out into the forest. Unlike Shawn, who was walking confidently, I noticed my palms become clammier. I was suddenly hyper-aware of my senses and my sorry heart pounded against my chest as I wondered, Am I nervous because I'm afraid of getting lost or because of Shawn's presence.

Not like I had any reason to be nervous about him. Sure, I guess his height was slightly intimidating but it wasn't worth worrying about. I jumped slightly at the sound of chirping crickets. It sent shivers down my spine knowing that all sorts of insects were hidden in the vegetation around us.

"Are you cold?" Shawn asked.

"No... it's just I don't like crickets or any kind bug for that matter," I explained with a shaky chuckle.

"Really? You didn't strike me as the type to be afraid of them," he shrugged.

"What did you think I was afraid of?" I proceeded curiously. "I was thinking heights or snakes."

"I actually like snakes."

"I can't stand them," he shivered. I laughed and stopped in front of his car. He walked towards the driver's side and nodded. "Come on!"

I caught up and slide into the passenger's seat. "Where do you plan on taking us?" I asked.

"You'll see," he replied.

"Alright then, surprise me."

His lips curled into a mischievous grin as he started the car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he reached his hand behind my seat and glanced out the rear window. I tried not to stare but it was impossible to ignore his sharp jawline.

His eyes were concentrated on the dirt path making sure it was clear. Before he could catch me gawking at his effortless beauty, I turned my attention to the dark road ahead. We were the only ones on the road. The lights from his car illuminated the path towards our destination. It wasn't long before we arrived.

"Close your eyes," Shawn commanded.

"You better not kill me," I warned before I shielded my vision.

"I promise," he chuckled. I heard the soft hum as he rolled down the windows.

"Try and guess where we are." I heard the loud song of crickets and the soft breeze howl.

"Do you want to get closer?"

"I'm trusting you," I said before he helped me out of the car.

"Don't worry I've got you," he told me as he took my hand in his. His hand was significantly larger than mine. They were soft, yet his fingertips were covered in callouses. Does he play an instrument? I noticed a new sound in the atmosphere. It was gentle and calming. It sounded like a steady water current.

"Are we at a river?" I guessed. "Close, open your eyes," he whispered.

I fluttered them open and examined the relaxing scene before me. There was a wide-open space occupied with a large body of water. The moon reflected over the water, which made everything much brighter. Shawn and I walked closer to the water cautiously.

"Wow," I breathed.

"Takes your breath away doesn't it," he grinned as he stared into my eyes.

"Yeah." I took a couple steps forward. I kicked off my shoes and slipped off my socks. I knew the water was bound to be negative degrees, but I didn't care."Are you coming with me?" I asked Shawn.

"Question is, are you going to join me?" He smirked. He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the ground. I choked at the sight of his chiseled figure. His pale skin was glowing under the moonlight.

"Bet," I recovered while mimicking his smirk. I peeled off my shirt as well and left it beside him. He sprinted towards the lake and jumped in.

I followed suit knowing that if I thought about it, I would chicken out. I inhaled and held my breath as I leaped into the freezing water. My sense was frozen within seconds after my skin meets with the icy water.

"Oh my gosh!" I breathed. Shawn laughed at my words and so did I. "Shut up!" I whined and splashed water at him.

"Okay then," he said rather threateningly. He dove into the murky water, and I knew what was coming.

I felt a pair of hands grip onto my hips and raise me out of the water. Shawn hoisted me into the air and launched me into the air. I gasped for air before I sunk into the water. I swam back up and looked around for Shawn.

"Are you okay?" I heard him laugh.

"Yeah," I coughed with a smile.

"Do you want to get out?" He asked as he swam to me. He delicately pushed back any strands of hair from my face. His lips curled upwards as I got lost in his eyes. I nodded. We swam towards the shore slowly. When our feet were able to touch the ground, Shawn interlaced our fingers. We walked back to the car hand in hand.

Shawn hopped into the trunk of the truck and popped it open. I noticed there was a large blanket sprawled out on the floor. I crawled into the back with Shawn and dried myself off with the towel he gave me. I threw it around my shoulders and laid down. I gazed up at the sky and was in awe with the number of stars that filled up the sky.

"I've never seen so many stars before," I admitted.

"Do you see the one that kind of looks like a penguin?"

"Where?" I scooted closer to Shawn and followed his finger. Slowly, he connected a couple stars that indeed looked like a penguin. I hummed and turned over to look at him. I didn't realize close we were until that moment.

I could smell the mint in his breath and the lake water on his skin. Before I knew it, his lips were grazing over mine hesitantly. Without wasting any more time, I smashed my lips onto his. His breath hitched, surprised at my sudden actions but melted into the kiss.

He sat up and I straddled his hips with my legs. I ran my fingers through his soft curls and he deepened the kiss with his tongue. His hands slid down my waist and pulled me closer to him. Our bodies were pressed together and I could feel his heart beat hard on my chest. Our lips broke apart just for a moment. I rest my forehead on his and held the sides of his neck delicately.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," He whispered. His breath unsteady due to the heat of the kiss.

"Me too," I smiled pulling him in so our lips collided.

We haven't talked since that day. We both went our separate ways, but I couldn't get him out of my head since. We made a promise to never meet again and preserve that memory in our hearts. It was stupid really, but I was never any good at keeping promises anyways.