Between Two Eternities || Travis Hamonic

(11) Drops of Jupiter

"There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison."

-Jane Austen, Persuasion

Like I said before, I tell Matt everything.

But I didn't tell him this. I didn't tell him that Travis was picking me up today in his fancy car.

"Hi," I say to his "Hey."

He drives with one hand again, and I still find that attractive. He didn't say where we were going. Not like those surprises guys always try to do, not like that. I just didn't ask. He would've told me if I asked.

I tried to look nice, if jeans and a sweater counted as nice, hopefully to impress him. I wonder to myself why I think so hard about Travis's thoughts. I'm wearing a coat and scarf also because it's cold as hell.

Well, that doesn't make much sense. Hell isn't cold. Okay, it's as cold as hell is hot. Or, it's as cold as a hell that froze over. Better? I hadn't put this much thought into hell since me and Travis went to church.

I had been greeted with that bright grin and a pair of sparkly eyes when I opened the front door; he had knocked politely. How come my stomach always swirls when I'm around him? It's rather annoying, but I don't want it to go away.

Downtown traffic isn't as heavy as usual. It's a weird time in the day after all. Three in the afternoon isn't exactly rush hour.

"Ice skating?" I ask as he pulls into a public rink. "Don't you get enough of that?"

He smiles over at me. Maybe I shouldn't have been sarcastic. His smile is so nice.

I could never skate. Like many things, I'm horrible. But it's not like I'm afraid to try it again. Maybe I'll be better this time.
Fat chance.

Travis was at my door before I could unbuckle my seatbelt. He opens the door for me and offers me his hand to get out of the car.

The snow crunches under our feet. That sound is one of the many reasons I love winter.

"Do you skate?" he asks. He opens the rink door for me as well. Wow. There's just something about chivalry that gets me.

I shake my head and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. "I'm horrible. Matt makes fun of me for it."

A light laugh escapes Travis's lips. "That's okay. I'm not that good either," he jokes and I playfully roll my eyes.

I'm the last person that should be trying to flirt, but here I am making a fool of myself.

The uncrowded rink is very light, and open, and very welcoming. It smells like hot chocolate and I can feel the cool air radiating from the ice.

"Here, sit here," he says. I force my eyes away from the ice and sit on the beach he points to so he can tie my rental skates for me. He kneels in front of me and takes the laces in his hands.

"Ow," I say through my teeth. "Travis that is way too tight."

He laughs (presumably at my lack of knowledge). "It's good for them to be tight. It'll be easier to skate."

I purse my lips before saying, "I don't see how. I never like to have tight shoes."

He looks up at me with a smile. "Trust me, okay?" he says when I complain. I nod without even thinking.

The air from the ice is cold and makes my teeth rattle. I slip the first step I take ...

"Woah," he says and easily pulls me up so I don't completely fall on my ass. "Easy there."