The rest of the bullshit waiting for me back home can just wait.
Screw it.
Chapter 19
Lyla
I rest against Thomas’s chest as we paddle through the small pond watching the swans. Kingdom Come is in a small town on top of a huge mountain. The scenery is beyond description. It’s beautiful here, but as amazing as the place is, the fact that Thomas is here, spending time with me, is what makes it special. We ate hotdogs and fries at a picnic table, went hiking, played miniature golf, and now, we’re in the small boat, moving through the lake, just enjoying being together. I’m exhausted, but I don’t want the day to end.
It's no longer when I fall in love. I know I’m in love with Thomas. It has happened fast, but it feels right. Thomas isn’t a player like Chad. He’s genuine and funny. He’s even a little shy—although I think that’s because he’s embarrassed because of his stutter. One thing I’ve noticed today, though, he is stuttering less and less.
“You okay, Sunflower?” he asks as I stifle a yawn.
“Really good. Thank you for today, Thomas. I know you had stuff to do. It means a lot that you ignored it to spend time with me.”
“I enjoy being with you.”
I hug him, burying my face against the side of his neck. I place a kiss against the inside of his neck. He doesn’t know and I couldn’t possibly tell him, but no one has ever put me first over everything else. Dad’s great, but the club always comes first. Chad obviously never put me first. He couldn’t even stay faithful. Mom is just Mom. She usually comes first—everyone else is an afterthought.
“I like being with you, too,” I answer into his neck, maybe a little worried that if he looked at me while I gave my admission that he could see how much I really care about him. I can’t let that happen because Thomas may like me, but that’s it. I’m not fooling myself enough to deny that. Still, he likes me a lot.
Maybe if I can show him how good I can be for him—how good we can be together…
“You sound sleepy. You want me to take you back to the dorm, or are you crashing at my place again?”
“You wouldn’t care if I came back with you?”
He gives me a grin that’s a mixture of hot cockiness and raw sexiness, and it makes butterflies take flight in the pit of my stomach.
“Babe, really,” he laughs like I’m being foolish, and it makes me grin like a fool.
“Then, your place it is.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get this boat in.”
“We get milkshakes on the way back, right?”
“You’re crazy as hell, S-Sunflower,” he laughs.
“Is that a yes or a no?” I press.
He shakes his head. “We’ll get you a m-milkshake.”
“And you too,” I insist. “I hate drinking alone.”
He laughs, shaking his head.
I love his laugh….
“Thomas? Can I ask you a question?”
“Sh-Shoot.”
“Why do you call me Sunflower?”
“Because y-you’re beautiful and draw attention. You warm up a room, Lyla.” My eyes close at the sweetness in his words. “You, okay?”
“Oh, yeah,” I answer, grinning looking at him. “Let’s get going. There’s a banana caramel milkshake calling my name, Tommy Boy.”
“Babe?” he says, shaking his head, laughter evident all over his beautiful face.
“Hmm?”
“Don’t call me that,” he laughs.
“Spoilsport.”
“Goofy as hell,” he mutters, but he sounds happy about it, and for some reason, I feel like I hung the moon the day I met Thomas.
“You like goofy, admit it,” I joke.
He reaches out, brushing his thumb against my cheek. “Yeah, babe. I like it.”
“Are you being sweet to me so I’ll pay for your milkshake, Thomas… Oh my God…”
“What?” he says, and his face shows his confusion—and maybe a little bit of worry.
“I don’t know your last name. We’ve slept together, and I don’t know your last name.”
“Sunflower, we haven’t slept together.”
“We have. Well, I mean, not that—you know—but we have been in bed together.”
There’s a gasp around us, and there’s a woman with two little kids giving me a dirty look. I feel my face turn beet red. The woman’s face gets worse. If looks could kill, they’d be putting me in a body bag and tagging my toe with the letters DOA. I frown at her and put my hands on my hips. “We had clothes on!”
The woman jerks back like I hit her. “Let’s go kids,” she says, giving another look that is full of censure.
I stick my tongue out at her, and that’s when I remember that Thomas is standing beside of me because he laughs so loud that I jump slightly at the unexpected sound. I turn to look at him, and he’s shaking his head at me.
“Goofy as hell,” he says again, and I roll my eyes. “Name is West, babe.”