Her Secret Garden

Chapter 9

Lilibeth awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee filtering into the bedroom. Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was 7:28. She stretched and hopped up from the bed. Lilibeth sneaked her way into the main room of the cabin where she saw Blaine sitting by the empty fireplace, reading a book. Shyly, she entered the room.

“What are you reading?” Lilibeth questioned softly.

Blaine looked up from his book and looked at her. It seemed as if his look lingered on her, and Lilibeth blushed slightly upon remembering that she was still in his clothes.

“I’m in the book of Matthew,” he responded.

“Matthew?” It sounded familiar to her.

“Yeah, Matthew. First book of the New Testament. Bible.”

“Oh,” she said simply. “I don’t think God has any interest in me.”

“Really? It’s funny actually, I was just reading a passage about that. Come here, let me show you.”

Lilibeth hesitantly walked over to Blaine and leaned over him. She felt jittery and all too aware about how close they were together.

“Chapter six, verse twenty six,” Blaine said, "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

“I guess I see what you’re saying, but I still don’t know.”

“How about you come with me to church later this week? We can grab lunch afterwards if you want.”

Is he asking me out? Lilibeth thought. Even though some of the words that Blaine said last night hurt Lilibeth, she still liked Blaine. Sure, it’s not what I expected, but at least I can be with him.

“I’d love to.”

“Then it’s a date.”

Lilibeth blushed slightly at the notion, but she still saw something hesitant in Blaine. It looked like he was still holding something back.

After eating a small breakfast of granola and oatmeal, and after finishing their ritual coffee drinking, they heard motors coming from outside. Lilibeth and Blaine quickly gathered their things, but Blaine started to chuckle at something.

“What are you laughing about?” Lilibeth asked.

“Oh, I was just wondering if you were going to change into something else, or if you were just going to keep my clothes,” Blaine said.

Lilibeth felt the blood running back up to her cheeks when she remembered that she was still in Blaine’s clothes. She quickly changed back into her own clothes, which had thankfully dried overnight, and went outside to find Sarah and Jake with two four wheelers. Lilibeth was just about to ask where the rest of the group was, but Sarah answered her question before it left her mouth.

“They stayed behind to prepare the van for our trip back.”

Lilibeth noticed Sarah get off the vehicle she was driving and hopped on the one that Jake was driving. Lilibeth shifted nervously when Blaine took over the empty four wheeler.

“Are you coming?” Blaine asked, oblivious to the nervousness that Lilibeth was feeling.

“Yes, just a moment.”

Lilibeth approached the vehicle like she would a feral animal. She had nothing against riding one, but she knew how close she was going to be to Blaine. She lifted one leg over the side and slid comfortably into the seat, falling towards Blaine. Blood rushed to her face as she wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned in close to him. She could sworn that she felt a slight gasp, but she shook it off as her imagination. She could smell his cologne, the smell of fresh, crisp rivers, when she leaned towards him. He must have showered in the morning when she was sleeping, because she didn’t smell the sweat or lake water on him. She slid on her helmet and tried to be as comfortable as she could be, being so close to Blaine.