Chasing Forever

9. One Year

     I woke up wrapped tightly in the blankets, Chase's bedroom walls seeming entirely too bright for my eyes this early. 

     "Ever, come on! I have a fun day planned for us! The perfect day, if I do say so myself." I groaned and rolled over to face Chase, and noticed his hair was wet and he was already dressed for the day. 

     Fifteen minutes later I found myself sitting in the passenger's seat of Chase's car, a blindfold over my eyes. When he took the blindfold off, we were parked in front of the bakery. 

     "This is just the first stop. Happy one year since our first date, right here." I felt my eyes go wide, as I realized it was really a year. 

      "Chase...you planned a special day for us because it was a year since our first date?" He nodded, and a shy grin spread across his face. 

     "You deserve the universe, Ever...so just sit back and enjoy this one day that I'm giving you. It isn't the universe, or forever...but it's me trying my best." 

     I had known for awhile now that I was completely head over heels in love with Chase. The fact that he did things like this, when I completely forgot, was just one of the many wonderful things about him. 

     My face already hurt from smiling so much by the time breakfast was over, but when he told me the next stop was the zoo I literally squealed out loud. 

     We took pictures with every single animal at the zoo, and ate a nice unhealthy lunch of french fries and ice cream cones. I was hot and sweaty by the time we made it back to the parking lot, but Chase had planned for that, too. The beach was his last stop of the day. 

     As we sat in the sand with our feet in the water watching the sunset, I laid my head down on his shoulder. 

     "You know, you were right. It was the perfect day." My words hung in the air for a minute, and I wasn't sure Chase was going to answer. 

     "Yeah, you're right. It was a perfect day. I knew it would be. Everything is perfect with you." I felt my cheeks getting red, and bit my lip to try to hide my embarrassing grin. "It's so hard to believe that you've been all mine for an entire year."

     I loved when he said that. I knew that we were dating, and exclusive. Hearing him say that I was his, though, felt so good. 

     "Thank you for all of this, Chase. How do you want to spend the rest of the evening?" He gave me a suggestive grin, and I slapped him playfully. "You're such a loser." 

     "You know I'm happy to do anything with you, sunshine. You can't blame me for looking at you like that when you're wearing that little swimsuit, though. I'm never going to get used to your beauty." 

     "Oh, please. You know you're going to get an even better view later." I winked at him, and then gave him a gentle kiss. "For now, I want to sit here until we can see the stars." 

     We sat there together at it got darker, and I smiled every time he smiled. I loved knowing that I was the only person who was able to make his face light up the way it did when he looked at me. 

     I knew wishing on the first star you saw in the sky didn't actually do anything, but I needed every bit of luck I could use right now. 

      As I saw that bright star in the sky, I closed my eyes and wished for Chase to love me back. I wasn't ready to risk letting him now how I felt about him, but maybe if he felt the same...he could be the first to mention it. 

     In one year I had become totally encompassed in Chase's charm, and I never wanted to lose him.