And that was a bit of a problem.
“Hey!” Chloe walked over to me, and it looked like she was going in for a hug, but then she stopped herself. It seemed like she wasn’t sure what to do. I felt the same exact way.
“Hey, thanks for driving me to the mechanics.”
“Of course. It’s my pleasure.”
We walked over to her car and got inside. I couldn’t stop glancing over at Chloe. She was wearing a simple outfit – jeans and a black t-shirt – but even that was enough to have me antsy. I wanted to touch her, but I was worried she might find that weird. I knew she had a good time last night but was she feeling the exact same way I was?
“How’s your day been?”
“Okay, not too busy. A bit tired because I… didn’t get much sleep.” Chloe glanced at me as she said this.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I shifted in my seat nervously, slightly smiling.
I hadn’t even done much during the day. I had helped my grandmother out around the house a little, but I spent most of the day sitting and reading. Spending the night with Chloe made me realize I didn’t allow myself to just relax very often.
“I don’t regret staying up, though. It was… fun?” Chloe glanced at me, a small smile on her face. I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Yeah, I agree.”
After almost three decades of being on this earth, you would think I would have been better at this stuff, but it always felt awkward. But with Chloe, the uncomfortable felt kinda good.
“Definitely something I’d do again.”
If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up all over Chloe in this car. I wasn’t sure if one night was enough or if I could walk away.
We arrived at the mechanics and got out of the car. Walking into the shop, the two of us stayed close, our fingers casually brushing against one another.
Chloe stood to the side as I spoke to the mechanic. They just needed a few more minutes to get my car ready. So, the two of us waited just outside of the garage.
“Thanks for helping me out so much, Chloe.”
“Of course. Happy to do it. You were nice to be around, too.”
“Really?”
Chloe hadn’t given me a reason to think she didn’t like hanging around me, but it was something else to hear it.
‘Yeah,” she paused, looked at the ground, then took a deep breath before looking back up at me. “I was actually wondering if –”
Before Chloe could finish, the mechanic came out with my car. I had to go get my keys and pay for the repairs. While it felt nice to have my car back, I would miss calling up Chloe for a ride.
“Thanks for all the help, and I know I’ve thanked you like a hundred times.”
“Anytime.”
I was about to get into my car when Chloe’s voice stopped me. “I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the reunion… with me. Because I’d like to go with you.”
I was pretty shocked hearing this. I hadn’t expected Chloe to want to hang out with me in public. At least with so many other people around. She had told me that she was concerned with popularity, and it made me nervous. What if she abandoned me the moment we got there? What if people laughed at me? I knew it was mainly high school trauma because why would Chloe do something like that. It would be highly childish, but a part of me was having a hard time letting go, but that wasn’t Chloe’s fault. I didn’t want to miss out on a fun night because I was insecure. Plus, I doubted it was some kind of prank given the night Chloe, and I spent together.
“Yeah, let’s go to the reunion together.”
Chloe’s shoulders relaxed, and a huge smile broke out across her face. “Awesome. I was so nervous to ask you. I don’t know why.”
“You were nervous?” Chloe nodded. I found that fact particularly reassuring. It made me realize that Chloe had some feelings invested in this whole thing. I reached out and took her hand. “Are you still nervous?”
“A little…”
I gently pulled her closer to me.
“How about now?”
Chloe seemed surprised by my bold move. Honestly, I was surprised too. I was feeling a little more confident.
“Sean,” Chloe looked up at me, biting her bottom lip. It felt so nice to be holding her hand, having her body close to mine. It was scary how nice it felt. “I have to go get ready for tonight. I’ll meet you there?”
“Yeah, meet you there.”
Chloe smiled before turning to leave. I felt her hand start to slip out of mine, but then she suddenly turned back around and kissed me. I was so surprised that it took me a second to react. I kissed her back, wrapping my arm around her waist. Her hand went to my chest, her fingers slightly digging into the fabric of my shirt. I used my tongue to open her mouth. I loved how every inch of her tasted. I could get lost in Chloe for hours, but we didn’t have that much time.