Drop Dead.

And of course, just as Laker said, no one interrupted us. Although I tried my best to come up with any and all kinds of excuses to get out of this date, Laker still managed to drag me out of the house. Grumbling in the passenger seat I curse myself for allowing this. How long has it been since I’ve gone so soft?

Letting people in isn’t so bad though, as long as I let in the right people.

“Where are we going?” I sigh, agitated. I really hate surprises.

“Don’t worry your sweet little head,” Laker replies, a grin spreading from ear to ear. “It’ll be awesome, I swear.”

I fall silent with a roll of my eyes. Laker may think it’ll be awesome but our definitions of awesome differ greatly. However, when Laker pulls up to a small painting shop I begin to question myself. I glance at Laker, who is smiling shyly at me. He bites his lip and waits for me to say something, anything.

“Painting?” I ask, cocking a brow.

He nods. “I thought it’d be fun.”

Maybe I smile but I jump out of the car too quick for Laker to notice it. The two of us quietly enter the small shop. Other than us there’s an elderly couple and a mother with two younger children. One of the female workers notice us and smile, she waits patiently for us to pick out what we want to paint.

Laker chooses a guitar while I grab a large coffee cup, deciding to paint it for dad to use in the morning before heading for work. The two of us pick out our paints and take a seat. Surprisingly, Laker is quiet as he paints. The silence isn’t awkward or unpleasant. It’s nice, really.

I feel Laker’s eyes on me so I look up and send him a soft smile. He sends one in return.

“You know…I’m really glad you came to me, Jinx,” Laker whispers with his eyes trained on his art. I feel heat in my cheeks.

“I didn’t come to you. I was adopted,” I mumble, trying to make things less…couple like?

Laker chuckles. “Fine, I’m glad you were brought here, to Ken and Mimi. I’m glad I was able to meet you and I’m glad you let me make you mine.”

“I didn’t let you. I just got too annoyed and gave in,” I tease, smirking at the pout Laker is making. The pout turns into a smile though when I lean over to ghost my lips over his before pulling away and continuing to paint.

Laker pays for our art work and we leave it there for them to work on. We’ll come retrieve it in three to four days. After we paint, Laker takes us out to eat. Sadly, he isn’t as quiet at the restaurant as he was at the paint shop. Actually, he hasn’t shut up since we arrived.

“And then Dylan decided it’d be funny to use my iPod as a baseball and my guitar as the bat. Let’s just say the iPod did not survive and the bastard wouldn’t even buy me a new one! I had to save up money, again to fix it, dirty bastard.”

I press my fist against my cheek, leaning across the table while listening to Laker. I roll my eyes. Does he ever shut up? This boy has to have an off button somewhere. His parents wouldn’t have kept him if he hadn’t.

“Where’s your off button?” I sigh, banging my head against the table. Laker finally stops talking and says something along the lines of me being mean, which I completely ignore. Before the boy has time to say anything more, our food arrives.

“Did you have fun on your date?” Gel giggles, tugging at my arm with a grin.

“Die.”

“Oh, come on Jinx! Tell me how much fun you had!”

Laker is about to reply but I slam my heel into his foot. The boy cries out and I reply, “It was terrible. We’re never going out again.”

Gel leaves to take a seat with mom and dad in the living room. The three busy themselves with watching TV while Laker and I head up to my room. We’re lying side by side in my bed. Laker yawns and turns onto his side, lazily throwing a hand across my waist, which I grab and toss back at him. He grunts.

“Now that wasn’t very nice.”

“Why must you always cuddle?” I huff, shutting my eyes as I do. It’s not like I don’t like cuddling…it’s just…I’ve gone soft enough. I don’t need Laker affecting me anymore than he already has.

Laker’s quiet for a moment and I expect him to keep his mouth shut but when I feel his arms around me again I know he’s ready to say something. Opening my eyes, I look to my side. He’s staring at me with a blank expression, green eyes dark and questioning. I raise a brow. “What?”

Laker, for once, seems to be at a loss to words. I wrap my hand around his wrist and squeeze, my way of saying go ahead. Sighing, Laker moves closer so that my side is pressed against him. With his head nuzzled into my neck, he inhales deeply and says, “I…I don’t know if you care or not or if you even feel the same way but…I love you, Jinx.”

Explaining the feelings running wild through me would be pointless. The only way someone would understand is if they went through the same thing. So, unable to form words, I bite my lip and use my fringe to shield my eyes and hopefully my blush as well.

Suddenly, I can’t breathe. My heart is racing and skin tingling. I know I have to say something, anything. Laker is waiting for it, staring at me with worried eyes. I look towards him and just the way he’s looking at me makes me believe him. I smile.

“Jarrod.”

“Huh?” Laker seems a little angry that I have mentioned a name that isn’t his but when he goes to ask about it, I peck his lips.

“My real name…its Jarrod.”

Laker, realizing that I hadn’t thought of another guy, lets out a relieved sigh and reaches up to brush his fingers across my cheek. With a smile mirroring my own, he says, “I love you…Jarrod.”

“Yeah…m-me too.”

So maybe I didn’t say it like he did but I implied it and that seemed to be enough for him because he rests his head on my chest and hums happily to himself. I throw my arms around him and hold his body against mine. Feeling his heart and mine beating together makes my toes curl. It’s a feeling that I welcome but never will verbally admit that I like.

That’d just make his ego go out the window.