Ready When You Are

“Wanna know something?”

“What?”

I coughed, pancakes filling my mouth causing me to laugh. “I’ve never been to a Denny’s before. Like ever.”

Garrett broke into laughter and slammed his hand on the table; look up at me from across the table. I couldn’t help but laugh a long with him. His laughter was so contagious.

“You’re shitting me.”

“Not even a little bit.” I admitted, sighing as I finished off my delicious plate of buttermilk pancakes. It was nearly eight, and Garrett and I were already at least half an hour out of Tempe. Everything seemed so far behind us. I didn’t recognize any faces, or places, and nothing was familiar. Nothing except for Garrett.

I laughed, leaning onto the edge of my booth as Garrett paid the waitress and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the restaurant.

“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me yet?”

Garrett smirked and shook his head. “I told you Lee, it’s a surprise!”

I nodded as Garrett flicked on the stereo and Ryan Adams began to blast through the car as we sped down the highway. My phone turned and set in the cup holder next to me, there was literally nothing that would distract me from Garrett. I didn’t think I had ever been so happy in my entire life. Garrett’s hand in mine, my fingers lightly running over the crevices in his hand as we sang at the top of our lungs like nothing in the world mattered. Because nothing did.

I laughed as we sang to Jimmy Eat World, Garrett tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat as I belted everything out, laughing with every word.

” I'm alone in this
I'm as I've always been
Right behind what's happening
She's all lost in this
She's all like she'll always be
A little far for me to reach.”

I stuck my free hand out the window, letting the crisp night air hit me as I rolled my head back and sighed.

“We’re here!” Garrett said, pulling onto a little dirt road and parking the car.

Quickly I hopped out, running beside him as he grabbed my hand and led me onto our destination in full force. What we ran on was a large patch of sand beside a lake, with grass growing all sides and a little dock waiting.

Garrett continued running with me all the way to the coast of the water, stopping right before it reached his feet.

But I didn’t stop. I kept running, pulling Garrett into the water with me as we toppled over, getting completely soaked. He pulled our bodies up as I laughed back into him.

“Hey!” Garrett smirked, wiping the water off his ray bans as he held me arm close to him. “You got us wet!”

I laughed and kissed him softly on the neck. “Oops.” I giggled, putting my hands around the collar of his shirt and pulling him closer to me before pulling us both back under the cold water. Slowly I felt my hand move to his neck as he embraced me in a kiss.

Garrett's hand moved to my hips as he pushed me lightly into the water. I splashed him with my feet as he pulled my hand and dragged me out of the water, both of us laughing hysterically.

He ran us back to his car, grabbing a blanket out of the backseat and throwing it around my shoulders. Quickly he ducked back in, grabbing an acoustic guitar out of the trunk. I huddled it around me as Garrett unbuttoned the top of his shirt and I led him back onto beach of the lake. Softly I propped myself down, sitting in his lap and shivering from the cold of the lake.

“You’re beautiful.” He whispered, kissing my cheek.. “I’m so happy right now, Lee.”

I nodded and smiled. “You make me happy Gare.”

"Are you cold?" He laughed, wrapping his arms around me as I nodded, my teeth chattering slightly. He stopped them for a second with a kiss.

"Play me a song." I said, pointing to the guitar. "Please?"

Garrett shrugged as I got out of his lap, sitting next to him as he set the guitar on him and strummed a few bars before nodding over at me. I smiled as he played, closing my eyes and humming the words to myself.

"Lemme hear you sing." Garrett said.

I laughed and shook my head as he made a face at me and nodded. "Do I look like a singer to you?"

"Yep."

I coughed, clearing my throat and began to sing lightly as Garrett laughed but egged me on. I couldn't tell if he actually liked my voice her not, but I loved the way he was looking at me.

"If you take me back, back to your place, I'll try not to bother you I promise. 'Cause it's cold in here and I wish it was hot. The sinks broke it's leaking from the faucet."

Garrett chuckled as he sang with me. "I'm fractured from the fall and I wanna go home. It takes two when it used to take one, it takes two when it used to take only one."

"Take it away!" Garrett said, strumming on the guitar dramatically as I laughed into his shoulder.

I spoke the next few lyrics in his ear softly. "I've got a really good heart, I just can't catch a break. If I could I'd treat you like you wanted to I promise."

Garrett put the guitar down and kissed me, bringing me back onto his lap as he turned on top of me. Softly he ran his hands through my hair and laid beside me.

"Do you remember that time we left that party and I took you on that mountain? Do you remember that?” Garrett said as I nodded. “I think that was when I knew that you were the one for me.”

I laughed and kissed his neck. “I want to be your one.”

“You fixed my heart, Lee.” I could feel his grin. “It’s all yours.”

“Can we stay here forever?” I said, looking up at Garrett. “Just you and me. No drama and no people and nothing but us.”

"Are you going to leave him?" Garrett whispered, not meeting my eyes. "I just need to know that you're going to leave him, Lee. I can't do this if-"

Quickly I reached over and kissed his neck softly, sending a little shiver through his body. "I want to be with you, and just you."

Garrett kissed me, biting my bottom lip as my hands moved into his hair. I could feel the tingle in my mouth and my stomach that went all the way down to my toes. It kept me kissing him until our backs fell onto the blanket.. Slowly he rolled on top of me, my hands still linked around his neck.

With every kiss I could feel him smiling. Slowly I unbuttoned the rest of the buttons on his shirt as I shimmied out of my tank top, linking my feet around his waist as he kissed me neck.

“Garrett,” I whispered. “Make love to me.”

I felt him stop for a second, meeting my eyes slowly as he smiled, kissing me again.

“I don’t know if I’ve fucking said it enough, but I love you Lee.”

My heart was beating faster and faster with every minute as he brushed my cheek and kissed me gently.

“I’m so in love with you.” I whispered.