Too Close [Wattys2015]

Chapter 38: Check

"This is crazyyyyy!!" I giggled as Collins pulled me towards the edge of the building. He made me sit down, our legs dangling over the edge.

"Not as crazy as me," he said with a smile.

I pursed my lips. "True." I hand him the notepad. "Check it off the list."

He did. He turned to look at the sky, sighing and I saw his breath through the cold air. "This is amazing."

"So are you," I whispered but he didn't hear.

I slipped my hand in his, putting my head on his shoulder. It was cold outside and he was very warm.

I'll let him be my blanket.

"This is so pretty," I softly say. Stars were sprinkled across the sky like sugar on cookies. The moon hung high in the sky proudly lighting up the world.

"It is," he said looking towards the sky.

***

"What's next?" I asked as we drove away from the building.

He pressed a button and the sun roof opened, the cold wind filling the car. "Go ahead, stick half your body out like the girl in Perks of Being a Wallflower."

I unbuckle, grinning. "Don't let me fall."

He sped up the car, a soft expression on his face. "Never babe."

I don't question his little pet name, but as soon as I stick my head out of the sun roof cold gusts of wind hits my face. The cold, strong wind made me breathless and I cracked a smile. The lights were blurry as we sped past and I spread my arms out wide, tipping my head towards the sky.

My hair was flying everywhere and my face was stinging by the harsh wind. Suddenly I let out a yell of pure joy and laugh and close my eyes.

This moment was amazing. The wind was loud in my ears. "This is amazing!" I yell and laugh.

"Ivy!" He yells over the roar of the wind. "Get back in!"

I smile and slide back in. "Wow." I say breathlessly.

He looks at me after closing the sun roof. "Wow is right. Look at your hair!"

Sure enough, my hair was a crazy mess and wind blown. I run my fingers through the knots. "Oh well, it was worth it."

He grinned. "I am aware."

I pecked my lips on his. "What's next on the list?" I grabbed it and turned to the first page and checked off number two. I read number three.

3.) Climb a tall tree and sit there.

"We must search for a tall tree!' I exclaimed, looking out the window. "It has to be very, very big!"

Collins snorted. "Will do!" I didn't understand what his problem was with his laughs filling the car, so I kept looking for a big, tall tree.

The music was low and the sounds of us breathing was clearly heard, but it was comforting.

It was getting later. The radio's time said it was 10:55.

I will need to sneak back in my window and make sure no one heard me. If I was caught, I was dead. And my mom would-

"Tree!!" I yell out, seeing a big tree on the brink of the woods. Collins seems startled because he jumps a little, but drives towards it.

"Is it big enough?" I question when he looks at it.

A grin spreads across his face. "Uh, that's what she said."

I roll my eyes. "Seriously that, in my opinion, is something stupid to say and do."

He grins. "Come on, that was at least a bit funny."

I roll my eyes again. "Not really."

He gets out of the car and I follow him. "Loosen up a bit, cupcake."

He starts climbing up the tree. "It looked higher from further away," I point out.

He climbs back down. "Then what are we going to do?"

I shrug. "Maybe we can go further into the woods?"

He looks at me and then further into the woods. "Yeah we can, plus one of the things on the list is go ice skating. We'll have to find a lake or something."

I nod. "Lead the way." We joined hands and slowly we walked into the woods together.

"I swear," he whispers to me in the darkness. "If we die by getting attacked, I'll kill you!"

I smiled and squeezed his hand. "You wouldn't kill me."

"Wanna bet?" There was a playful tone to his voice that I loved.

"Because," I said a he squeezed my hand back. "you love me too much."

He stops dead in his tracks, cups my face and kisses my nose. Butterflies full my stomach. "I'd probably would just resurrect you."

I laugh mostly out of nerves from him being close, the cold was still present, swarming around us. But-somehow- his eyes had locked me in his little trance and I was suddenly warm by his body heat and the feelings he made me feel.

He was the only one who made me feel like this. No one ever had made me feel so much adoration, happiness, amusement, aggravation, annoyance, and many more, but mainly love so strong it hurt.

"Hey! Look." He suddenly said looking beyond me.

I looked at what he saw; a huge tree stood with all it's might not far away from me. It's branches were jumbled together, but were spaced out enough for us to climb through.

"Let's go!" I laughed and ran towards it. Soon enough we were both high up in the huge tree, sitting there and smiling happily.

We sat up there until my butt started to hurt from sitting on the tree branch for a while. "How are we supposed to find a lake in the middle of the woods?"

He thought over my question before answering. "I was thinking we could find it somehow."

"Key word somehow." I shook my head and started to climb down.

"It should be cold enough for a lake in the woods to be frozen." I waited until he climbed all the way down and we started walking again.

"If I get sick," I warn him as a gust of cold wind blew against us. "then you're going to be in some trouble."

He laughed. "I'm soo scared!" His tone was full of sarcasm.

I grinned. "You should be."

***

He found a small lake- it was frozen, but it had thin ice. When he stood on it, it creaked under his weight. But other than that, we could skate just fine.

"Run towards me!" Jerk face yelled at me on the lake sliding. "I'll catch you, I swear!"

I was standing on the grass, looking at him. It wasn't that I didn't want to go skating on the ice, it was just that I didn't want the ice to break.

He must have read my thoughts. "If the ice can hold me, it can hold you."

I sigh and step on the ice, it creaks under my weight and he slides towards me.

"Hiya," he says grabbing my hand. "Let's go!"

And we slide all over the lake, our laughs filling the chill cold air. Our hands intertwined together until we fall on the frozen lake. It cracks a little, but we don't move.

And I kissed him because it seemed like the only thing that was left on this cold night under the large moon.