Classics in Summertime

I still couldn’t believe that Dylan was going back to California, even if it was only for a short time. I knew that I was going to miss him while he was gone, and I was also certain that my father would have something to say about him leaving so quickly. Of course, I still had to act supportive because I know Dylan would have done the same for me and I didn’t want to be a Sour Sam on the last night Dylan and I would have together before he left.

“We can start up a fire if you’d like,” Dylan said, looking at me as the two of us sat on his sofa. The sun was beginning to set outside, and it would probably get chilly enough to justify a fire as the night went on. Dylan was always big on building a fire, probably because it was the one outdoorsy thing that he could do really well.

“Yeah, that sounds great.” I nodded my head at him, to which he smiled and stood up from his seat. I got up next to him and followed him out the back door, where he had a pile of wood still set up from the last time we’d had a bonfire on his land.

Dylan lit the fire easily and pulled out his stash of s’mores ingredients, as well as a drink for each of us. I sat down in one of the fabric chairs he’d had set up, and he sat in the one next to me once he had everything together.

“So, do you think you’ll miss me while I’m gone?” Dylan asked, looking over at me with a mischievous smile on his face and his eyebrows raised up. He always looked so sweet and innocent, even when his questions weren’t.

I shrugged my shoulders at him and looked at the fire. “I guess so.” I didn’t really want to admit just how much I’d miss him lest I give him a bit of an ego or something of that nature. He already had a pretty big one from starting up that fire.

“You guess so?” Dylan fake gasped, leaning over the arm of his chair so he was closer to me. “I think I’ve earned more than that.” He chuckled a bit and I shrugged my shoulders again. He paused and clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “Well, I’m going to miss you quite a bit, Ev.”

I looked over at him again and he was still smiling at me softly, always so patient. I couldn’t help but smile back at him, even though I was still upset he was leaving. “I’m sure I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

Dylan chuckled and sat back in his chair, taking a drink of his soda. “I’m counting on it,” he said with a smile on his face. He was looking at the fire with a far off look in his eyes, still smiling softly.

“Why’s that?”

He looked away from the fire and back at me again, and when his eyes met mine his smile widened. “Because if you miss me, I’ve got a better chance of getting you to come to Cali to visit me.”

There was probably a 50/50 chance that I would end up actually going. On one hand, I was really going to miss Dylan and going to California seemed like it would be a fun adventure. On the other, the idea of up and leaving, even for only a few days, and pissing my parents off was a tad bit scary. Maybe I’d just end up giving it a coin toss to make it easy.

“What are you going to do while you’re down there?” I asked. I knew he would probably have a somewhat busy schedule since he had to film, which would also mean that I would be alone for at least some of the time I was there. If I actually decided to visit, that is.

Dylan shrugged his shoulders and took another drink. “Probably just film and visit a few of my friends. I know they’d love to meet you, too.”

That made me wonder if his friends actually knew I existed, and if they did, what had Dylan told them about me? They probably thought I was some dirty, country girl who loved horses and was covered in mud all the time, which was only half true.

“And what would you do if I went?”

Dylan gave me a half smile as he looked back at the fire. He sat for a moment and thought before he relaxed in his chair and folded his arms, his smile widening. “Well, I think first I’d take you back to my place so you could get settled in. Get an idea of what things are like. We’d relax and I’d cook you dinner. Maybe watch a movie or something. I think the next day I’d take you to the beach, then have you meet my friends afterwards. They wanted to throw a party of some sort, so we’d go to that. And Disney Land, of course. It’s the best part of Cali.”

“You mean the best part besides you,” I joked.

Dylan chuckled and nodded his head. “Well, of course.” The two of us paused for a long moment before Dylan spoke again, looking at me with his eyebrows raised. “So, what do you think?”

“It sounds like a good time,” I said with a soft nod.

“So, you’ll go then?” Dylan asked with a bright smile on his face, leaning over in his chair so much I thought he might fall out.

I raised my eyebrows up, pressing my lips together. “I didn’t say that.”

Dylan didn’t slink back in his chair or fake a pout like I expected. He just kept looking at me with a smile on his face until he let out a quick breath. “You’ll cave eventually,” he said, then sat back in his chair, eyes still on me.

“You seem so sure of yourself.”

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I’m a confident person.”

It had been dark for quite some time, and I knew my father would want me home soon, regardless of the fact that Dylan was leaving for Cali in the morning and I wouldn’t see him again for at least a week.

“I should probably be going soon,” I said, looking over at Dylan who still had his eyes on the fire. He turned his attention to me quickly.

“Really? I thought maybe you’d stay later so I could convince you to go with me.”

“I’m sorry. We just got on my father’s good side and I don’t wanna ruin it already.”

Staying on my father’s good side was part of the reason I hadn’t agreed to go to Cali yet. The other reason being that staying alone with Dylan for a week was somewhat terrifying.

“Right, of course,” Dylan said, standing up from his chair and holding out his hand to me. I gripped onto his hand and he lifted me up, still keeping his hand wrapped around mine. “I better get you home safe and sound then.”

He left the fire going, probably going to stay out for a few more hours before he went to bed, and walked with me towards the road. Our hands were still wrapped together and the feeling was nothing like what I had experienced with Wyatt. It felt so nice and sweet to have Dylan holding my hand like that, almost like just that simple gesture could protect me from all of the bad in the world.

When we finally got to my house, Dylan stopped at the door, taking both of my hands in his while I faced him. “I’m really going to miss you, Ev,” he said, looking at me with his eyes blinking softly.

“I’ll miss you too.”

“If you change your mind and decide to come, just let me know and I’ll buy you a ticket. Even if it’s the last day I’m there, I’ll buy it.”

I smiled at him and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He smiled back at me, but I could tell it wasn’t his usual, happy Dylan smile. “You promise you’ll still be here when I get back?”

I chuckled at him, raising my eyebrows up. “Where on earth would I go?”

He shrugged his shoulders and gave me a half smile. The two of us paused until Dylan finally cleared his throat. “I guess I should say goodnight then.”

I nodded. “I guess so.”

“Good night, Everly,” he said, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “If I don’t see you in Cali, then I’ll see you when I get back.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Dylan smiled at me again and reached his hand out to my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed against my cheek so softly that it gave me chills, and this time when he leaned forward, his lips pressed against mine in the most convincing manner.

He pulled away from me with a smile then turned and hopped down the stairs, his hands in his pockets as he began walking away. He just barely made it onto the lawn before I was calling to him.

I don’t know what it was that made me change my mind. Maybe it was out of fear of what would happen when Dylan was gone, or maybe it was excitement about spending a week with Dylan with virtually no rules and absolutely no parents.

“Dylan, wait!” I called to him, and he turned around immediately with a small smile on his face. “Are there any empty seats on your flight?”

Dylan’s smile widened and he hopped back up the stairs, reaching into his pocket as he pulled out the thick paper. “I already bought you the seat right next to mine just in case.”

I smiled at him and he smiled back, reaching his hands out as he met me on the porch. He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me as close to him as he could, looking down at me with a smile as he slipped the tickets into my pocket.

His fingers rubbed against my hips and his smile dropped as he spoke softly. "I promise you won't regret this." He smiled again before he leaned down just a little bit, so that our lips met in a sweet and satisfying kiss that nearly took my breath away.