All the Time I Can Steal

It had been a month since the bonfire with David. We hadn’t really talked about what had gone down, but by now everyone knew that we had a past together. And everyone was rallying for us to be together, again. At least most people didn’t want to ask about the past. It was still too hard.

But I had to admit that spending more and more time with David was making me see him how he used to. I saw that he was still the same David I fell in love with.

And to be honest it was scaring me. Yes, I will admit that I never stopped loving David. There was no way for me to be able to do so. I blew my bangs out of my face, and wiped some of the sweat from my forehead. I was now used to the heat and my sunburn seemed to have faded to a tan that I thought I would never be rid of.

I was lost in my thoughts, that I didn’t see the girl standing in front of the booth. She finally cleared her throat and I looked up.

“Sorry. Hey.” I said, looking up at her underneath my sunglasses.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure...?” I said a bit warily.

“Can I take a picture with you? You’re so pretty and cool. I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to but...”

I half smiled and nodded, “Sure.” I got out from behind the table and stood next to the girl. Abby took the girls camera and took the shot. I gave her back her camera with a smile, “There you go.”

Her brown eyes lit up, “Thanks!” she began to walk away and then walked back. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

I debated my answer. I decided not to be snarky and responded, “Depends on how personal.”

“Are you and David together? From Breathe Carolina.” I raised an eyebrow, and shook my head.

“Nope.” I said coolly.

“Oh. I just thought that since he’s over here a lot that something was going on.”

“Why me though?” the girl smiled, “He looks at you different.” She said, “He looks at you as if you’re the most important person in his life.”

I didn’t know how to respond. “No, we’re...just friends.”

She nodded, “Well you’d make a cute couple.” She said with a smile and walked away.

“Okay so even complete strangers/fans know that you two are in love with each other. What does that tell you?” Abby said, and I knew that she was smiling inside.

“That David isn’t very subtle.” I stated.

They groaned and finally I caved. “Okay. Fine. Maybe it’s obvious that we’re still very attracted to each other. But...that doesn’t change anything.”

“You two should go out on a date.” Abby said simply and Jess nodded. “Yeah. C’mon. there are places that are open late around here and you could go eat together.”

“No.”I said confidently. “It’s still...we are still relatively early in warped. Maybe further in-”

“How much further? Warped is over August twenty-third. That’s twenty days. And we’ll be back in Colorado in six days. So no, we are not ‘still relatively early in warped’. Warped is almost over.”

“Okay?”

“Go out with him-”

“I am not going to go out on a date with him in Denver.”

“Is it because that’s where you guys are from?”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re afraid of people seeing you together?”

I hesitated, “Yeah.” I said finally, “And that would bring on questions that I’d rather not have to be asked.”

“Alright then. Go out on a date before then. Just doooo it, and see how things are, okay?”

“Go on a date tonight.” a voice behind me said. I turned and saw Kyle. “You need to. You two are still so in love, that everyone can see it.”

“And what would we do?”

“Have dinner and get tatted.”

I bit my lip and sighed, “Fine.”

Kyle smiled, “Awesome. He’s going to be so happy. And I’ll set up everything.”

And with that Kyle walked away, and I was worried about what I had just gotten myself into. I hadn’t been on a date with David in such a long time and I was beginning to get nervous.

I sat at the booth, but my mind was distracted by the thought of my date tonight. I was nervous, David always made me nervous. And as the day passed I knew that I had honestly wanted to go on a date with him. But I wasn’t sure as to what would happen on this date.

David walked up to me later in the day, “Hey, Bee. Can I talk to you real quick?” I nodded and walked with him to the bus area. “Kyle told me to ask you out on a date, but I don’t know why he would considering you’ve already said that you don’t want to date me again. Or well, not yet.”

I laughed at his flustered speech and he flushed, “Look Bee, you know that I would give anything for things to be that easy between us, but you said yourself-” I don’t know what had come over me but I cut him off by softly grabbing his neck and pressing my lips to his cheek. When I pulled away his eyes were wide with shock, “Okay, so I’ll come get you at your bus tonight, I guess.” he finally managed to get out. I giggled and nodded, “Yeah. See you tonight.”

When the time for the date came closer, I was standing in the bus, trying to see what I should wear to my date. I grabbed a tank top and a pair of shorts, and paired them with my black Toms. I did some light make-up and then braided my hair in a fishtail braid. I nodded at my reflection and half smiled at myself.

I then sat on the couch and waited for either David or Kyle to come get me. When there was a knock at the door and then it opened, I felt butterflies fill my stomach and my heart began to race. My eyes landed on David and he smiled at me as I stood up.

“Wow, Bee. You look amazing.” I blushed, “Thanks, David.”

We walked off of the bus and then out of the gates. There was a cab waiting for us and we got in and David told the driver the address. We sat in the back, quiet and I figured that we were both nervous.

When the cab pulled up at the vegan diner, we got out and David paid the cabbie and we walked inside. When I slid into the booth, and David sat across from me, I wondered what would come from this. I knew that I still wasn’t ready to be in a relationship with him, but as the days passed and I was spending more time with him, I knew that all those feelings that I thought I had gotten rid of were coming back.

Our dinner reminded me of our old times, when we could just laugh and have fun and just be us. I had forgotten how comfortable I felt around David. He was so amazing and honestly is the only person who fully understood me.

After our dinner, David and I walked a few blocks to the tattoo parlor and we walked in. David knew that I had always wanted to get a tattoo with him, but I had never gotten the guts and then it had gotten to the point of we not getting the time.

“Bee, you nervous?” he asked as we sat on the leather couch, waiting for the artist to come talk to us about what we wanted.

I gave him a small smile and nodded, “Yeah, I am.”

He smiled and stroked the top of my hand lightly, “Don’t worry, I’m here for you. I’ll hold your hand if you want me to.”