Starry Night

My heart was racing when I sprinted up the stairs, and I didn’t even second-guess anything Connor had said. He was just so hard to resist, standing there so perfectly in my doorway with that smile. Somewhere inside of my head, I still couldn’t believe he was mine.

When I stepped into my room, turquoise light reflected off my walls. I barely took a glance at Brandon’s necklace. My heart didn’t ache yet again, and it was just now that I realized how all the time we had spent together wasn’t anything compared to this moment right now as Connor waited downstairs. Brandon was a friend now, and had barely ever been a boyfriend to me.

I slipped on some faded jeans and a lightweight sky blue sweater. My fingers ran through my silky, soft brown hair and pushed it back away from my face. It seemed that I blinked and Connor was at my side by the time I reached the base of the staircase.

His hand was soft and warm in my palm, and nothing in that instant would make me let go. When we stepped out the door, that red truck looked out of place in my driveway, but I was already used to it being there just because I knew it was Connor's.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

He thought for a moment climbing into the driver's side, "No because you don't know what it's like to not know." I didn't understand what he meant, but I didn't ask him. Somewhere in my head, I figured it would make sense eventually.

The truck began moving with a jolt, and I let my gaze drift out the window and into the woods flying by. A red fox was sprinting through the snow and gracefully jumping over any obstacles without breaking step. Its fur was a light mahogany color and reflected the sunlight whenever it broke through the bare trees above. The sly animal began to slow as if sensing something was up ahead and carefully jumped in between the trees. Finally it stopped near another darker fox and rested its head on the others back. The truck sped by before I could see any more.

A feeling washed over my heart and almost gave my stomach butterflies. I couldn't help but feel that the fox was me, and in some strange way it told me that I would run forever to have Connor.

The guy sitting next to me seemed so real, but I felt as if I would wake up any second and he wouldn't be true. Those green eyes were bright with thought and his dark blonde hair was messier than ever from the wind outside. I loved it. When he saw me looking at him, the slightest smirk appeared in his lips. "What?"

"Nothing," I nervously ran my fingers through my own soft hair and turned my gaze away from him.

Connor's hand slowly moved up to my shoulder until my eyes turned back into his. "What is it?"

Someone behind us honked their horn, and we pulled off onto a rocky, side road. A small sign approached us and read "The Green Mountains."

Slowly, the truck climbed the steep ridges and rocks. I tightened the seat belt as my eyes found the small town below us, and Connor laughed, but never said anything about it; he only kept his gaze on the gradual climb in front of us and turned the radio up louder. Finally, after an hour of bumpiness, he put the car in park and stepped out. Next thing I knew, he was leaning over me to unbuckle the seat belt. My heart jumped inside my chest and thoughts ran through my head before I could truly think about them. This moment only proved that I was positively in love with Connor Wheeler.

My arm wrapped around his strong back and he brought his face dangerously close to mine. I let out a soft sigh and closed my eyes, his gentle voice ringing in my ears as he whispered for us to go. We slowly walked the rest of the way toward the top of the mountain. I leaned up against Connor and he took me into his secure arms. Within minutes a clearing came into view.

The summit was breath-taking to say in the least. A sea of evergreens and snow-covered branches were spread out in front of us. The sun had risen directly in the middle of the sky and only a few gray clouds from last night's storm surrounded it. A few fresh-water springs glistened as the sun broke through the occasional tree canopy, and the faint crashing of a nearby waterfall relaxed every muscle in my body. Standing here on this mountain made me feel as if I was looking out over the world. Although I knew it was only a small part, the feeling was still exhilarating. All of life's interruptions had disappeared. It was serene, peaceful.

I had all but forgotten that Connor was there by my side. His even breathing was quiet when he said, "Do you like it?"

"This is amazing, Connor."

He sat down casually on a nearby rock, and I took the seat next to him. His arms were comforting as they wrapped around me. Corny as it my sound, that sweet cologne filled my nose and it instantly reminded me of every time we had been together. He leaned back and looked up into the bright blue sky, “I was thinking…”

“What about,” I asked studying his calmed face.

A quick flash of Connor’s green eyes met mine, “You.” My pulse quickened and my cheeks started to burn red. I didn’t know what to say, so he continued. “And I realized that I like you, a lot.”

A smile spread across my lips slowly, “Well, I think I like you a lot, too.”

“You think?” My dream from so many nights before flashed through my mind. Connor had said those exact words and everything seemed so perfect, as if would wake up only to find it wasn’t true.

“I know,” I whispered. And finally, I understood. He was going to kiss me.