Find Her, Keep Her (CFTM Sequel)

Chapter 29 (Part 3)

*NOTE: Check out the Audiobook version of this chapter voiced by Kristen aka kaelking12! Featuring Music by Hey Violet, The Band Camino, The Victors, Jet, and Valley. Enjoy the listen!

Elias

After twenty minutes of trying to battle a demon boner and super slow traffic, I manage to make it to La Jolla without ruining my only clean part of shorts.

I pull into a tiny parking lot about a block away from my first destination. Jersey's been too busy staring out the window, drooling over the ocean view to pay much attention to anything. Not that I mind. She'd freak if she knew I've been trying to keep the Little King from popping out of my pants by thinking about literally anything else aside from her. But every time I come close to getting Jersey out of my head, I look at her, and things get worse.

I need to calm down. I need yoga or some really hideous old lady to walk by, so I can chill the fuck out before Jersey freaks out. Real talk.

"Where are we?" She asks.

I fold my hands over the crotch of my shorts real quick and smile at her like nothing's wrong.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out. Did you ever go to prom?" I ask.

"Random much? What does prom have to do with anything?"

"Answer the question, it's important that I know."

She shoots me one of her sideways stares that silently answers the question before she does.

"I didn't. I was basically a social outcast during junior and senior year, so instead of going to prom I stayed in and cracked out on Netflix instead. It was fun."

An image of her sitting sprawled out on her bed in a pair of frumpy pajamas flashes across my conscious, and I can't help but smile. Even if Rory hadn't fucked up her last half of high school, I can't see her being the type to flaunt around prom in some overdone dress trying to impress her date like so many girls do.

Jersey's the type to cuddle up to a bowl of popcorn on prom night instead of cuddling up with some guy. And that ladies and gentlemen, is exactly why she's future wifey material. Quote me.

"Did you wanna go?" I ask.

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and stares out over the dashboard like the past is painted on the window pane.

"Yeah. More than anything. My mom and I had this whole plan to pick out my dress together and have my dad document the entire thing with this old camera he's had since he went to prom, but all that went to hell after Rory, so what can you do?"

"This."

I open the car door and wave at her to follow me outside. I stand up and stare down to find that all that prom talk calmed the Little King.

Thank God.

Jersey pops outta the car, stuffs the rest of her brownie in her mouth, and looks at me, confused.

"What are you doing, and where are you going?" She asks.

"We're going on an adventure."

I waltz over to her and take her by the hand before she can fight me about it.

"An adventure where? To some shopping district I can't afford? This whole area reeks of rich people, Elias. I don't belong here."

"Sure you do."