Exposed

5- Never Be the Same by Camila Cabello

I sit in front of the computers going over the pictures I took of him, most of which had been edited or needed very little editing. I gently toss my hair off my shoulder, rubbing the kink from my neck when I glance at the time in the bottom right corner of the screen.
"2:30 in the morning." I yawn stretching in the chair before going back to the photo marked thirty nine. I still couldn't pick one I liked, so I was determined to edit all the good ones and pick from the edited ones. I'd been in the same position for well over six hours working constantly to get the photos done before my father started to bother me about getting them done, but with the new store, it was easier said than done. I knew once a decent hour hit he'd be blowing up my phone with "Buongiorno amore, dov'è la mia foto." Just thinking about it made me sigh.
Finishing up the pictures took far too long, the late morning light peeking through the curtains. Yawning loudly again I download the pictures onto a flash drive just in time for my father's text.
"Li ho appena terminati." (I've just finished them) With that I dress in a pair of jeans and a loose fitting T shirt and a pair of flats, snagging my car keys I head from the front door, but as I leave I run into someone, literally. "Cazzo di Cristo Jay!" I jump back.
"I didn't mean to scare you." He chuckles.
"What are you doing here so early?"
"I wanted to come and see you is that so bad?"
"It's been two days since you've seen me last." I chuckle letting him in the house, keeping us away from prying eyes.
"I know, but that wasn't enough." He grins pushing me back against the wall. "I can't seem to get enough of you." His lips meet mine in a soft kiss.
"I didn't notice." I chuckle, giving him a few more kisses before pulling away. "I have to go see my father."
"Okay, dinner at my place, I'll pick you up?" Yawning I nod.
"Sure."
"Tired?"
"I spent all night working on these." I hold up the flash drive. "In less than twenty-four hours your fans are going to be killing each other for these pictures." Laughing he reaches for the flash drive.
"Aht." I pull it away from him. "They're a surprise."
"Can you bring your camera with you tonight?" He asks a sly grin on his face.
"Why?" I question.
"Just do it, it's a surprise for you."
"Hm, we'll see." I turn on my heels toward the door again. "I'll see you tonight handsome."
"Can't wait beautiful." He grins his hand smacking my ass as he pushes me out the door, toward my car. Waving he walks toward his jeep. "Bye." He calls. Brushing my hair out of my face, I wave back at him before getting in my car. I take the pictures to my father before going back home and taking a nice long nap. Five O'Clock comes around and Jared's at my door. "Ready?"
"Yeah." I flash a smile at him before walking toward his car, still dressed the same way I was this morning. I climb up into his Jeep, the sound of the engine roaring to life leaves me grinning. He takes off down the highway, my hair whipping around as the wind blows through the open top, the sun starting to set. I couldn't keep the giddy feeling away, I was blissfully unaware of everything around me, everything but one thing. Him. I never thought I'd meet a man that brought me such immense joy, but here he was, sitting beside me, my father's best friend a man I'd just met but known for years. My heart flutters involuntarily when he looks over at me, smiling before he returns his eyes to the road.
I hated keeping us a secret already because I wanted nothing more than to shout from the rooftops how happy I was, how happy he made me feel. But I knew better. I knew the real world, what it was like to have people nudging their way into your life, to have a history not worth stirring up, what it was like to be shamed and put down, but nothing prepared me for him. The things that came with him, the pain, the anguish. It all seemed so far away, like driving off into the sunset with my heart in my throat was worth every minute of pain. It was like a sugar high, high one moment and crashing the next.
"Where are you taking me?" I finally ask.
"To my house, I told you that."
"I didn't realize you lived in Nebraska." I tease. "It feels like we've been driving for hours."
"That's because it's been two hours, but I'm taking you somewhere, where we can be at peace without anyone finding us."
"Oh." That caught my attention. "And where's that?"
"You'll see. I swear you're going to love it." He flashes me a grin, turning off onto a dirt road.
"Jay." Laughing I hold on, the rocky terrain tossing me back and forth. The Jeep climbs the mount side with ease until he finally stops, putting it in park before getting out, me following after him, trying not to kill myself on the small shrubs moving toward the edge of the cliff. Gasping I scan the terrain, the purple and pink of the sky blending with the dark rocks on the California soil. The mountain range in the background looked like the one you'd see in a brochure picture, and I guess that would be what a picture like this would be best used for. Spread out like a multi-color blanket was a sea of wildflowers and tall grasses, stretching for miles, reaching out to the setting sun.
"See why I wanted you to bring your camera." Grinning to myself more than him, I pull out my camera snapping pictures before the sun sets completely. I reposition myself crouching on the ground, to angle it up at Jared as the sun sets behind him. He doesn't pay me any mind as he looks out over the field. "Let me see that." He says suddenly looking at me. Obeying I hand my camera over to him. "Act natural." He says adjusting the lens.
"Jay no." I shy away from him, my cheeks turning a deep crimson as I smile sheepishly. The shutter echoes out over the peaceful landscape. Modestly I turn to look at him as the wind picks up, Jared's timing meeting it perfectly. He captures a few other pictures of me before the sun's completely gone, basking us in darkness. After that we go to his house. "Jesus." I mutter looking around his bare house.
"I don't stay here too often."
"I didn't notice." I chuckle. His house was simple, expected of him honestly, he only had the bare necessities, but the view from his picture window in his living room was to die for. "I love it." I mutter.
"That makes two of us. So, what do you want for dinner?"
"I don't care, whatever you make me."
"You're easy to please." He says chuckling softly before going into the kitchen. I sit on the other side of the counter watching him cook before speaking up.
"Jay."
"That's me kitten."
"Are you alright with keeping this to just us?"
"Are you?" He asks looking up at me.
"It feels... wrong."
"So then we can tell people, I don't care."
"I don't know." I shrug brushing it off.
"I like that it's just between us, but we can tell our families what's going on if that makes you feel better, but it's best the world doesn't know."
"Yeah, that's true, but I don't think we should tell dad just yet."
"Whatever you think is best."
"What are you making?"
"Vegan gyro kind of things." He says his brows coming together in confusion.
"Are you sure about that?" I ask chuckling softly.
"Positive." He grins looking up at me. My heart flutters again like my body knew how much I was in love with him before I could even think about being in love with him. He was so different than how my father described him, he was crass and brutally honest, yet he was smart and sweet, he cared genuinely which was the cause of his brutal honesty I'm sure. He's unlike anyone I've ever met before and maybe I do love him, but it's far too early for something like that. Right?