Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Seventeen

Jacob wiped Merida's tears away. He felt awful whenever she cried.
"I'm sorry, baby. Brandon was right, I should've—"

"No, it's okay!" Merida sniffed and looked into Jacob's eyes. "It's not your fault. I wanted to try too. I wanted to make friends and—and... I didn't make any today. But that's okay, right? It was nothing."

Jacob held her close until she calmed down. He wanted to make it up to her.
"Do you want to have dinner with me later? I swear it's not with my friends."

Merida just nodded.

•••

The bell rang for afternoon classes, but Leo was lounging under a tree in the schoolyard. He let out a deep sigh and stared at the blue sky. Skipping class sounded better than sitting inside.

The festival was coming. It could either turn into a mess or end well. He just hoped he'd be in the right place at the right time—close enough to protect Merida's eyes from anything that might hurt her. With that thought, he closed his eyes and drifted off.

When he woke up, the sky was already darkening. "Damn," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He had overslept. He thought about going home but then remembered his car keys were still in his desk drawer.

Back in the classroom, he found it empty. He figured Merida must've already gone home with Jacob. Opening his drawer, he frowned when he saw a lunch box sitting inside.

"How about this one?" he read from the sticky note attached. He grinned—he knew who it was from.

Lifting the lid, he found egg rolls inside. He took one, bit into it, and smiled at the perfect taste. Pulling out his phone, he typed one word:

Perfect.

Then he sent it to "Egg Rolls."

Chapter Seventeen

Merida was busy choosing which shade of lipstick to wear for her dinner with Jacob. She spent so much time debating that she finally gave up and settled on just lip balm.

When she hurried downstairs, Jacob was waiting with a smile. "You're beautiful, Love," he said before kissing her.

Merida blushed, pulling back. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

It took them thirty minutes to reach an open-air restaurant high on a hillside, overlooking the city lights.

"It's magical! They look like stars beneath us!" Merida exclaimed as they sat at a garden table near the edge.

"Don't get too close," Jacob warned, but Merida was too caught up in the view.

Jacob secretly snapped photos of her glowing face. Under a sky like this, he had first told her she was beautiful. And now here they were, further along their story.

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her from behind. The wind brushed across both their faces.

"What's your favorite movie?" Merida asked.

"Uh, it changes every year," he admitted. "What about you?"

"A Walk to Remember."

"Wait—are you sick?" Jacob's heart skipped, remembering the heroine's fate.

Merida laughed softly. "No, silly. I just love how Jamie changed Landon. It was a beautiful story, even with her death."

Jacob turned her to face him. "Our story will be beautiful too. Except I'll make sure ours has a happy ending."

Merida whispered, "It wasn't a sad ending, really. For me, it was the happiest Jamie could have. She deserved it. She was beautiful."

"You're beautiful too," Jacob murmured before kissing her gently, like the wind surrounding them.

Dinner was served, and they returned to the table. They laughed, ate, and smiled—everything about the night felt perfect, like nothing could shake their love.

But love, even when it looks perfect, always carries a shadow of doubt. Merida was happy—truly happy—but inside she was afraid. Afraid of the day Jacob's love might change with the seasons. Still, she held onto hope, because that's also what love means.

Later that night, Jacob dropped her off at her house.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"Yes! I did. What's that place called again?"

"Lantaw," Jacob said. "It's Visayan for 'to view' or 'to gaze.' Perfect name, right?"

"I'm going back there someday," Merida whispered.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

Merida shook her head and smiled. "You should get going now. Thanks for showing me the place."

"You should try calling me your baby," Jacob teased.

Merida giggled. "You're so cute," she said, pinching his cheek before kissing him.

"Drive safe, okay?" she added.

"Yes, ma'am. I love you," Jacob said with a salute.

Blushing, Merida replied, "I love you too... with hearts." She waved as he drove off.

Inside her room, Merida checked her phone and smiled at Leo's text. Then she sat at her desk, opened her new notebook, and wrote down her thoughts for nearly an hour.

"I wonder if the festival is going to be fun," she murmured with a sigh.