I Won't Give Up (12 page)

“Um don’t get super pissed but my dad left for work already so we’re going to have to take my bike to your house.”
I braced myself for her reaction.

“Okay.”
I was surprised she didn’t vehemently argue with me
like normal
. She walked over to my dresser and pulled out a pair of my boxers rolling them up like shorts but not before I caught a glimpse of her panties then she put her boots on. Christ I’m going to have to take care of business again.

I handed her a helmet, her helmet that I bought for her hoping that she’d like to start taking rides here and there but as far as she knew it was just an extra. She was the only one I ever wanted on the back. She climbed on the back and wrapped her arms around me. I revved the bike to life and headed towards her house. I turned the bike off and helped her climb off not wanting her to burn herself on the exhaust since she didn’t have pants on.

“Thanks for last night.”
I said happy that she’d stayed.

“You don’t need to keep thanking me
.”
She smiled.

“I’ll wait here. We can race to school.”
She jabbed at my ribs causing me to laugh. She
was playful today. S
he’s never playful. The thought excited me
,
maybe she w
ould finally give me the chance.
I’d
planned on
talk
ing
to her at dinner tonight
and feeling her out
.

“You can come in.”
I followed her to her room.
“I’m gonna shower quick.”

What I wouldn’t do to be in that shower right now. I mentally slapped myself telling
“
little Cooper
”
to stop being a pervert
, he could probably bend steel right now
. After she was done she came back into her bedroom in a towel and ordered me to turn around again. I felt her little hands cover my eyes; she really is playful today. She ordered me to turn around and placed a tiny silver box in my hands. She looked so beautiful today.

“What’s this?”
I asked curious why she got me a present.

“Just open it.”
I opened it carefully
. I
t was a mini version of my bike. I’d never seen one before. I remembered when I took her out last week on it.
I took her on a bunch of back roads that I’d found since I’d moved here then we stopped and had lunch by the river.
I think she secretly liked it
but I don’t think I’d get her to admit it just yet
.

“This is so cool.
It looks just like mine. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Ready to go?”
We headed to her car. I handed her helmet
to her, she put in the
trunk.

“Start at the end of the driveway?”
She teased. Our race
she had me so distracted
I almost forgot.
We lined up and took off heading towards school.
I didn’t even shift through the gears like I could have because frankly her safety was more important than winning even though she was surprisingly a really good driver. She said her dad had arranged lessons with some ex-NASCAR guy before she got her license. As we got closer to school I quickly squeezed between a couple cars before pulling into the parking lot. It was the best morning I
could ever imagine plus i
t was Wednesday
, our date night
. I looked forward to them all week. I knew she tried to think
of them as anything else
but I had a feeling I was finally getting through to her.
The day was going incredibly slow.

“Hey Crash.” I said walking up next to her
at lunch
.

“Cooper.”
She smiled slightly
but it was genuine
.
Yes, I could tell the difference.

“Where are we doing dinner tonight?”
I always let her choose what she wanted to do then I’d do my best to make it special.

“Chucks?”
Again
.
My little munchkin
was addicted to that place.
I just took her there
on
Sunday.

“Sure. You’ll pick me up at the regular time?”
She always had to drive since she
didn’t like
to get on the bike
.
I was trying to get her to change her mind about it
but she was still apprehensive and I just wanted her to feel safe. G
oing out and buying a car was
getting
more and more tempting.
My dad had offered a few tim
es to get me one maybe I should take him up on the offer.

“Yep. See you at six.” The rest of the day
dragged
.
I couldn’t wait to see her again.
Tabitha was in my last class of the day, chemistry, too bad she didn’t see that we didn’t have any chemistry. She was annoying me, she didn’t understand why I didn’t want to hang out with her, I guess no one told her that throwing yourself at someone usually has the opposite effect and her clothes left nothing to the imagination. I blew her off telling her Fiona and I were an item because as far as I was concerned we were. She huffed away going to sit by Nate. When the final bell rang I practically skipped to my bike like a
love-struck
fool. I texted my dad reminding him that it was date night. He was good in the fact that he gave me space and let me make most of my decisions. While I was waiting for her to arrive I cleaned the house, I even vacuumed.
F
inally it was ten of
,
I decided to go sit on the porch and wait for her.
She was grinning when she pulled up.

“You wanna drive tonight?”
She said tossing me the keys.
She looked happier than I’d ever seen her, relaxed even.
Today was shaping up to be the best day ever.

“Really?”
I was shocked but frankly I’d been dying to drive this car.

“Yeah, I was actually thinking maybe we could
head somewhere out of town
tonight and ditch tomorrow?
”
Out of town? Ditch?
I was glad to be anywhere she was.

“What did you have in mind?”
I asked curious.

“Honestly I have no idea, I guess wherever the road takes us.
Go pack.
”
It sounded so cliché.
We broke out laughing.

“Alright let me just grab a bag quick.”
I ran in
side
taking the stairs two at a time. I grabbed the first bag I could find and stuffed a few things in it then headed out
small duffel in tow.
I quickly
threw it in the back and climbed into the driver’s side
adjusting the seat and mirrors
.
I backed out of the driveway and lightly tapped the gas, the car flew forward.
Holy shit this is awesome!
Once I got the hang of how sensitive the car was it
drove like a dream.
Fiona sat next to me giggling like a crazy person.

We drove
for
about three hours away before we ende
d up somewhere near Levittville. It
was some rinky-dink town
I’d never heard of
in the middle of nowhere
, it looked like it was stuck in the 1950’s
. They had a little drive-in theater so we decided that would be our first stop, we pulled in and there was only one other car there besides us.
She seemed really deep in thought about something
but I decided not to pry since she didn’t seem upset
.
I took her hand in mine and watched the movie
wishing she’s initiate a make-out session
.

“Where to now?”
I asked when it ended.

“How about a bar?”
She
asked nervously
.

“A bar? I’m not sure that’s such a great idea, remember last time you drank with me?”
That was the night I first kissed her
, the night I knew I had to make her mine
.
I replayed that kiss in my head at least ten times a day.

“Oh it will be fine, just one drink then we can go.”
She pleaded making the
cutest
puppy-dog face
I’d ever seen and I couldn’t resist
.
She was so beautiful and m
y resistance to do anything that made her happy was pretty much non-existent
, I’d made it my life’s mission to make her happy
.

“One.”
I held up my finger trying
to sound firm
.
I’d do anything to see her smile like that.
She clapped my hands as I
started towards the bar.
I parked the car and went to open her door, offering her my
arm. I
opened the door and the smell of smoke and booze hit me,
brin
g
ing memories to the surface that I quickly squashed back down
.
I took a quick look around trying to look inconspicuous about it. Fiona grabbed my hand and pulled towards the bar. She
ordered us a each a
beer
and placed a twenty down.
I watched as she walked her perfect derriere over to the
jukebox.
Damn.
She sashayed back to me looking sexy as hell and relaxed. I wish she could be like this all the time.

“Dance with me.”
Sh
e
pulled me off the
bar stool,
we headed to the tiny dance floor. As soon as we were on the floor I pulled her
into a slow dance to Patsy Cline’s
I Fall to Pieces
.
How apt.
I sang
the son
g
softly in her ear
.
Everything lyric was true.

I fall to pieces each time I see you again

I fall to pieces, how can I be just your friend
You want me to act like we've never kissed

You want me to forget, pretend we've never met

And I've tried and I've tried but I haven't yet

You walk by and I fall to pieces
I fall to pieces each time someone speaks your name

I fall to p
ieces
time only adds to the flame
You tell me to find someone else to love

Someone who’ll love me too, the way you used to

But each time I go out with someone new

You walk by and I fall to pieces

She climbed onto her tippy toes and planted a soft kiss on my cheek making my stomach flutter. Wow I’m smitten. I dipped her
backwards
and leaned in brushing my lips over hers
relishing in
the feeling.
When the song was done we headed back to the bar
, I pulled her onto my lap not giving her a chance to refuse but surprisingly she went along with it. She was so carefree tonight
I wished she could be like this more often
.
I wondered if she was like this before all the shit happened and she turned defensive in order to protect herself.

“You know you could do much better than me.” What! Did she really just say that?

“You can’t perfect perfection Fiona.” She was perfect
and I wanted nothing more than to marry this girl one day.
I know it sounds crazy being just eighteen but it’s just something I felt from the first time I
saw her. I kissed her cheek.
Pleading with her to
just let me in.

We were joking around and laughing when
some
guy that looked like he was in his early twenties
sauntered
up to her
.

“Why does it feel like you’re the most beauti
ful girl in the room?” He asked.

“Because she is.”
I said
.
No one here could even come close to her beauty.

“Mmm. That she is. How ‘bout a dance there sugar.” He crooned.
Not tonight, please.

“No thanks.” She
said. He reached towards
her and tried pulling her off my lap.
Not happening asshole!
I tightened my hold on her.

The guy growled.

“Listen buddy if you’re gonna b
ark you’d better have some bite
.”

I said, hoping he would take the hint
. The guy raised his hand again.
I stood quickly carefully sliding Fiona onto the barstool.
He puffed his chest up looking for a fight but I wasn’t even going to let it get to that point.