“I remember everything.” I wink. “I was going to suggest we have a picnic on the beach, but since…” I wave my hand towards the black sky and heavy rain. “I think we’ll eat inside so… ah shit!”
We reach the door to find an obnoxious, in your face, closed sign. “What the hell? I called ahead. It’s supposed to be open.” I turn to Cory in apology. “God, I’m sorry about this… I… are you laughing?”
She’s pulled her lips into her mouth, and one of her hands hovers in front of it, trying to hide the evidence, but her eyes give her away. She shakes her head a few times before bursting out in laughter. “Oh, Nate, don’t look so sad. The place next door is open.”
“It’s pizza,” I complain. I’m practically pouting, which she clearly finds hilarious.
“I love pizza. Come on.” She links her arm through mine and walks me toward the shop, laughing again when we’re inside.
She has this ability to make everything feel okay in the world… in me… and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about her. But it’s special, that’s for sure.
Back in the truck, we eat our pizza and talk. It’s no five star sushi, but it’s not half bad, and at least the company is nice. The rain falls even heavier, pelting against the roof of the car, and Cory smiles. Tonight, I’ve discovered that she loves storms. Specifically, she loves listening to them when she’s curled up inside under a blanket. The thought of her snuggled up to sleep brings a question to mind.
“What keeps you up at night, Cory?”
Her eyes find mine briefly before turning back to the sky. “Good question.” She nods. “Right now, the biggest thing is probably losing my mom.”
I swallow a lump in my throat and take her hand in mine. “Is that a possibility?” Shit! Of course it is, for everyone. “I mean—”
Cory squeezes my fingers to cut me off. “It was a very real possibility recently, but it’s getting better every day. She’s in remission for Breast Cancer, and while I should be grateful for that, it still keeps me awake.”
“I can imagine, but wow, remission… That’s great, Cory. She must be a fighter.”
“She’s kick ass.” She laughs and then shakes her head. “Sorry, that brought down the mood.”
“No. God, I want to know everything about you. I love hearing about your family, about anything. Things that keep you awake, things that don’t. Things that...” I trail off, not even sure what I’m trying to say.
Cory smiles at my rant. “I’m generally a good sleeper, so that’s my main concern, but sometimes... Never mind. What about you?”
My eyebrows pull at her statement. “Never mind? What is it?”
“Are you a good person, Nate?” she asks instead of answering. Or maybe that is her answer?
“I… I hope so. At least, I try to be. I’ll always try to be. Does that keep you up? Worrying about me?”
“Yes, no, kind of? I just…” She shakes her head again. “I hope you’re one of the good ones.”
I move so that I’m facing her completely and turn her head so our eyes meet. Her gaze is timid, showing me the true depth of her concern. “I am.” God, I hope that’s the truth.
She nods and smiles. “What keeps you awake, Nate?”
I want to know more about her. About her reasons for possibly doubting me. Instead, I sigh and share my own fears. “Not becoming the person I want to be.”
Her brows furrow as she takes in my words. Words that could have many meanings. And for me they do, but... “Put simply, my family has certain expectations for me, and they don’t exactly match up with what I want.”
“Do they know that?”
“Yes and no. It’s not always that simple.”
I catch her nod in understanding as another spark of lightning draws my attention. I stare out at the beach in front of me. Ninety percent of the time, it’s dark, but when the lightning brightens the sky, I can see the waves crashing at the shoreline. I get why Cory likes it; it’s actually quite stunning, but…
“This is not our first date,” I say, turning to face Cory again.
Her eyes flash to mine to see if I’m serious. “Oh, it definitely is.”
I’m shaking my head before she’s even finished talking. “Nope. It’s not. I get a do over.”
She rolls her eyes and raises her brows in question. “I’ve had a wonderful time, so I won’t be forgetting it… but you can have a do over… If you must.”
“I must.”
Cory laughs before resting her head on my shoulder and patting my thigh. We watch mother nature’s show in comfortable silence until she sighs in contentment and twines our fingers together, squeezing tightly.
“I’ve had a great time too, Cory,” I say after a few minutes. “Spending any time with you makes me happy.”
“So you agree, this is our—”
“Nope. I still get a do over,” I protest, making her laugh again.