Love's Rapture

Talon

"Are you dating that guy you just met?" I asked. We'd been quietly sitting in the waiting room since arriving at the hospital, and the curiosity was killing me.

"I'm not dating anyone," she said. "Camden is just my friend, and we went to the movies as friends."

"It made me jealous," I admitted.

"Why?"

"Kelly, before you ever started dating Breton, I thought you were beautiful. The more I got to know you, the more I liked you. I'm surprised you don't know this because it's obvious to everyone else."

"I don't understand how you can feel this way at all. What's your reasoning for liking me? You haven't seen me in years. I was dating your brother when we were in school, so it isn't even like we hung out."

"We did hang out, though," I corrected. "It may have only been a few months, but I saw you almost every other day.

"You're basing these feelings you have off of a teenage crush and our friendship that only lasted a few months."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Why does it make you so angry that I like you?" I asked.

"I don't know," she answered immediately, and I knew she was lying. There was something that she wasn't saying out loud, but I didn't want to pressure her about that. If she wanted to tell me, she would.

"I'm only asking you for a chance." I sighed. This was my last chance to convince her, and if I failed now, Parker would get involved. I didn't want that.

"But I don't understand why! I felt hated by you before Breton passed away. You can't even give me one real reason for why you have any feelings at all for me."

"You probably won't remember this, but in my freshman year, the teacher asked our class to write a paper on how we viewed love. It was anonymous, and our teacher ended up hanging a few of them in the hall outside her class. Everyone hated it because they thought it was lame and intrusive, but I wrote that paper on how I felt about you. I'd been around you so much and gotten to know the kind of person you were from a distance. Then, I overheard you telling Bretton about this paper you'd read and how you thought whoever did it should be a writer. It meant so much to me that you had seen my passion in that paper." I laughed. "Ironic that you thought it was amazing, and you were the inspiration."

Kelly shifted uncomfortably in the chair beside me. "I do remember that paper," she admitted. "But it still doesn't tell me why or how you have current feelings for me."

"I love that you have a passion for art. I like to write, so I appreciate all art, and I like that we have that in common."

"Okay, I can understand that," she said.

"I think you're beautiful." Her cheeks flushed red, and she ducked her head. I clasped my hands together and squeezed to stop the shaking, and I prayed that she would say yes this time. "I'm not asking you to fall in love with me. I'm only asking for a serious opportunity to see if there can be something more between us. What's holding you back from letting me take you out a few times?"

"One, you're two years younger than me. Two, I was in love with your brother. Three, I haven't been around you in a long time, and I don't even know you anymore. Four, well, to be honest, I almost wonder if you're asking me out to prove to yourself that you can. According to you, you've liked me for a long time, so maybe this is just you proving something to yourself. Maybe it isn't about me at all."

"I can assure you; it's absolutely about you."

"But you don't know me, Talon."

"Isn't that why people date to get to know one another?" I asked.

"Yes, but-."

"We can deal with your other issues with dating me later. Just answer my next question honestly."

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise," she said hesitantly.

"Are you attracted to me?"

Her face turned red again, and she looked away. "That isn't fair."

"You promised you would be honest," I reminded her. "Are you attracted to me?"

She took a deep breath before nodding. "Yes."

My grin stretched across my face. "Then please, let me pick you up tomorrow afternoon. We both have the day off, and I can find something fun for us to do."

She stared at me for a few minutes, and I could tell she was thinking it over in her head.

"It's a date, though. A real, one-on-one date," I added, just in case she tried to rationalize it as two friends hanging out.

"Talon," she sighed.

"Please don't turn me down when, according to you, you don't even know me. Give me one shot, and I promise you on our friendship, if you have an awful time, I will never, ever ask you out again."

She was quiet for a minute before finally whispering, "Okay."

"Okay?" I asked a little too loudly. The older woman sitting a few chairs away grumbled something about the noise, and Kelly giggled.

"Yeah, one date, and if it doesn't work out, you have to promise you won't get upset with me and ask me to give you another shot. This date is it, for real."

"I promise I won't be upset, but if you have fun, can I ask you on a second date?" I asked.

"I think that sounds fair," she said, but I could tell she didn't think she'd have fun. She completely doubted there'd be a second date.

We sat in silence again, waiting for Robby to come back out. I wanted to ask her a million questions, but I decided to wait for our date.

Our date.

Nerves and excitement fought against each other in my mind, trying to win the prize of my strongest feeling. At nineteen years old, I'd finally be going on a date with the girl I'd been in love with since I was thirteen.