If Only They Knew

Nick text me again the next day asking if I wanted to hang out, I accepted the offer and he took me to his favorite place in town, Starbucks.

I laughed as we walked through the doors of the infamous coffee house “are you for real?”

he turned to me with a smirk “deadly serious.”

I shook my head “out of all the beautiful places you could have taken me, your favorite place is here? I’m not knocking Starbucks but really.”

without hesitation he answered “no place we could’ve gone is as beautiful as you anyway.”

I felt my cheeks heat up as I attempted to fight a smile “that was way corny, Santino.”

he too was blushing slightly “I guess you just have that affect on me.”

I giggled “you’re cute when you blush.”

his cheeks got redder “that is so just the glare from your hair.”

I rolled my eyes as the barista took our order. We took our drinks and sat together on the sofa in the far corner,

“so tell me, why is Starbucks your favorite place?”

he sipped his coffee then replied “it’s quiet, I come here to get work done. I write lyrics and network from this very sofa.”

“so really, you’ve brought me to your place of work? What a catch.”

he laughed “how about tomorrow you take me to your favorite place?” I smiled back and agreed.

---------------------------------

That’s exactly what we did the next day, I gave Nick directions, as he refused to let me drive and we went to the record store.

Getting out of the car Nick said “I’d like to make fun of you, but it turns out your favorite place is actually pretty cool.”

I smiled leading the way into the shop, Sam, the guy at the desk greeted me by name then left us to roam. After a few minutes I picked up a record “awesome.” I muttered under my breath.

Nick glanced over “Ryan Adams, Demolition?”

I nodded heading for the listening booth “it’s his only album I don’t own on vinyl.”

Nick followed me into the booth “you have amazing taste.”

I just smiled as I placed the headphones over my ears, Nick mimicking my actions as the record came on.

We listened to the entire record before I went over to pay for it, Nick was leaving empty handed but insisted on paying for Demolition.

We got back into the car and before putting on my seatbelt I turned to him “you shouldn’t have done that.”

he ignored what I’d said then simply said “let me take you out for dinner tonight.”

I sighed “Nick! You just spent $20 on me, you can’t.”

he smiled “I want to.”

we pulled up in front of my house “you wanna come in?”

he glanced at the clock “sure.”

Mom was out and as you’ve probably noticed by now my dad’s never home.

We went upstairs and I sat in my window seat as I watched Nick look around my bedroom. He ran his finger down the spines of my record cases, reading the titles before moving onto look at the photo frames.
He stopped at one and turned to me and asked “boyfriend?” pointing to a photo of me and Halvo, “best friend.”

He smiled then carried on looking. When he was done he came over and sat with me “where would you like to go for dinner then?”

“I would honestly rather we got pizza or something, watch some movies and hang out here?”

“ok, will your parents mind?”

I glanced back out the window “Mom won’t. Dad, well he walked out on us a few months back.”

Nick bit his lip “sorry, I didn’t know”

I turned back to him with a soft smile and placed my hand over his “it’s fine.” He glanced down at our hands then looked back up to me with a smile. Whether I wanted to or not, I was falling for this guy and I barely even knew him.

We had watched a bunch of Disney movies while devouring a ham and pineapple pizza, mom had been home a few hours, she came in to see me but when she saw Nick she left us to it.

“I really like your tattoos.” I almost inaudibly said, playing with Nick’s hand, looking at the star tattoo by his thumb.

He chuckled before placing his hand under my chin and lifting my face “well, I like you.” he whispered slowly moving in closer.

He pushed my bangs from my face before capturing my lips with his. He kissed me slowly and kept his hand on the back of my neck while his lips moved in sync with mine.

He pulled away, blushing “sorry.”

I giggled, gently slapping his leg “shut up.”

he smiled again “you’re adorable, Reynald.” this time I was the one blushing, then he mocked me from the day before “you’re cute when you blush.”

Nick kept teasing me until my mom came in at 11pm “I’m off to bed, kids, are you staying over Nick?”

he bit his lip “I actually think I should head home.”

mom nodded “night, kids” we both said night to her then when she left the room.

I pouted at Nick “you’re leaving me?”

he smirked “cute. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

I sighed playfully “well then, I guess that’s ok.”

he smiled “I better head home then.”

I bit my lip as he pulled his shoes from under the edge of my bed, “Nick?”

he turned back to face me where I was sat leaning against the wall “mhmm?”

I shuffled forward slightly “my Gran has this barbeque every year in Tempe and she always asks me to take my boyfriend, but I’ve like never really had one before -”

he cut off my rambling with a smirk “short version please.”

I laughed nervously before saying “Iwaswonderingifyou’dliketogo?”

His smirk grew as he shuffled back to me “sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

I took a deep breath “will you go with me?”

he caught my lips again with a smile present as he kissed me “is that what I am then, your boyfriend?” he asked with his forehead against mine,

“if that’s what you want.” I replied quietly.

“I’d love to.” he smiled “that’s the answer to both, by the way.” he pushed his lips to mine again “but for now, I honestly have to go home.” he pulled away, standing up.

I smiled, looking up at him “fine but you have to text me as soon as you get in.”

“I will, girlfriend.”

I walked down the stairs to the front door with him “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

one last time he placed a gentle kiss on my lips “of course, beautiful."