☙❦❧

stared at herself in the mirror.

Her hands laid by her side fidgeting as the anxiety she worked herself into since the moment she woke up started to show its physical symptoms. Biting her lip, a little too hard, she winced as the pain brought her back to reality.

"It's all good," she mumbled to herself. "It'll be fine. We've been through this before. I'll be fine."

"That's right babe. Don't be nervous!"

Rolling her eyes, Evelyn jerked her attention to Tiana who was sitting propped up in her bed with the most unhealthy food keeping her company.

"You know you're talking to someone with extreme anxiety? Shouldn't you, as a person who also suffers from anxiety, know that telling me not to be nervous is the worst thing to say?"

Tiana shrugged. "Yeah but sometimes my brain is too tired to say the smart thing," she said as she let herself fall back into the cushy bed.

Evelyn scoffed, "When do you ever say the smart thing?"

"Um excuse you," Tiana jumped in once again, "I'll have you know that I am on a schedule. Between 8 and 5, you can expect me to say smart things. After 5 though I'm done. You gotta let me recharge for the next day ya know?"

"I think you need more recharging than that."

Evelyn found herself being hitting with pellets of popcorn as she laughed at her snarky remark.

"Stop being such a smart ass Evelyn."

Evelyn shot a cheeky smile towards Tiana who couldn't keep her own smile off her face. However, both of them soon sobered up as the reality of the evening settled back in. Studying Evelyn's slightly panicked face, Tiana sighed before she sat up on the bed once more.

"Look Evelyn," she started, "I know it's scary. I know it's gonna be different because you guys are starting on different terms, but that doesn't mean it's gonna end on the same terms again. Don't think about the future, think about right now. The more you freak yourself out by worrying over the future, the more you might jeopardize what you have with him." She paused to take a deep breath before offering Evelyn a reassuring smile. "He won't run. Not now. Not ever."

Looking up from her hands, Evelyn sent a gracious smile towards Tiana before shaking her head and getting up. Heading over to the bedroom door, she stopped once her hand reached the doorknob. She turned back to Tiana before twisting the knob and letting the cool air from the hallway enter the room.

"Wish me luck," she squealed out before stepping out and walking into what would once again be her first date with Maddox Lohan.

~•~

"Where are you taking me?"

Maddox's knowing smile piqued Evelyn's curiosity as she begged him to tell her where they were going.

"Wait and find out."

She grumbled in annoyance. "How will I ever find out until we get to the exact place?

They were starting over.

And that meant from the beginning.

Apparently that also meant the whole 'surprise me' scenario at the end of a date. She forgot to mention she was so over that. The very little Spanish Evelyn could speak was playing in her brain on repeat.

Ay caramba.

What if Maddox decided to take her out to the middle of the woods and murder her in cold blood? What if he got someone else to do it?

"Oh my god are you taking me to get assassinated?!" Evelyn exclaimed suddenly.

The boy in front of her sighed and let his head hang low as he turned towards her. His posture fell and his shoulders stiffened as he lifted his head to look at her in the eye. "Yes Evelyn. I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

She huffed at him as he gave her a look that screamed 'Are you serious right now?'

"You never know," she mumbled shrugging her shoulders hearing him sigh from beside her.

The rest of the time was spent in relaxed silence with her cautiously taking Maddox's hand—which was resting comfortably on her thigh— into her own. Her breath hitched at the contact and her boldness at her actions surprised herself too.

It seemed like a small thing, but this was Maddox. And she was Evelyn.

For them, everything was a big step.

Her hand remained stiff as did her whole body and she tried to keep calm. It was weird. How easily she could get so flustered around him at the littlest of contact.

However, he calmed her racing heart as he squeezed her hand and brought it up to his lips before gently kissing it. Her cheeks flushed at his actions and she peeked up at him only to see him glancing down at her embarrassed figure with a small smile.

Her shoulders dropped and she let herself slouch a little more as she smiled back at him before quickly glancing away. Taking in the scenery around her as they continued to drive deeper into the woods had flashbacks go through her brain.

"Don't bullshit me Evelyn. Why the hell do you care so much?" he gritted out harshly, tugging her closer.

"Don't make me say it," she spoke pleadingly.

"Then give me a reason why you care so much."

"Because I like you!" she screamed loudly.

Her scream echoed through her mind as she frowned at the memory. She bit her lip watching the familiar trees fly by as the car eventually came to a stop by the same clearing they had argued at long before.

Taking his hand away from Evelyn's, she barely felt the warmth leave her skin as her body stayed stiff to the bone trying to process why they were there. It was the sound of the gear shift being put into park that she finally turned her head to look at Maddox.

Her frown refused to leave and the memories refused to go. Swallowing hard, she finally brought her hand into her lap, attempting to find comfort within herself.

"Why are we here?"

Looking over her sullen features, Maddox has suddenly realized that she was not taking the surprise well.

"Come on," he said softly as he got out of the car. Luckily Evelyn didn't stay rigid and also got out. She followed him to the back of his truck where he had already laid out pillows and blankets. She didn't even notice his laptop in his hand.

Grabbing her hand gently, he placed his other one on her hip as he helped get her up to the platform of the truck. She struggled a little, almost losing her footing, but Maddox was quick to grab both her hips and hoist her up further. She blushed as his hands touched her scorching hot skin, but refused to get flustered.

Once she was properly in, he hoisted himself up before clambering in beside her. She watched him get comfortable before his eyes finally landed on hers.

"I remember you said you always wanted a move night in the back of the truck," he offered uneasily. He wasn't sure if she was happy or sad at the moment.

Her heart melted at the fact he had remembered something so insignificant and the fact that she had told him months before.

Grinning from ear to ear, she threw herself on top of him, wrapping her legs around his torso like a monkey to a tree. He propelled backwards at the force of her body colliding with his and a laugh bubbled up from his chest. She giggled as they found their footing in the midst of the blankets and their tangled limbs.

"Thank you," she murmured softly resting her forehead against his. She was so happy just to be with him, she hadn't yet gotten flustered over the intimate position they were in.

"Thank you so much Maddox," she whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips.

He responded by deepening the kiss and bringing her body as close to his as possible. He bit her lip and she opened her mouth to let him in. He tasted like strawberries and chocolate and she couldn't get enough. Eventually, he broke away before placing a soft kiss on her collarbone.

"You're welcome sweetheart," he murmured back to her in the most alluring tone ever. She could barely concentrate on his words as his fingertips left a blazing trail of fire on her skin.

She was scorching hot and he was the cause and cure for it.

"I do love you," he continued as he lifted his head to look into her eyes. "And I don't ever want to be the one to hurt you again. I want to be the one to help you through the pain. But I don't want to be the cause of it," he whispered letting his lips graze her ear. "And I'm sorry for hurting you so much."

As the apology left his mouth, Evelyn felt as if it brought her back to earth. The earth where she wasn't horny.

She brought her hands up to his cheeks and let them explore into his hair, giving him a nice scalp massage in the process.

His eyes had flitted away from hers once it was obvious she had sobered up a little. "Maddox," she softly started, lifting his chin up to look at her once again, "We both hurt each other. We'll both hurt each other again. But I won't walk away again."

His breath hitched at her words and her heart broke at the fact she had spent a little too much time thinking about her own pain. He was still hurting too. A mother's death would never be easy to overcome.

She should've been there, but she wasn't. The minute she felt like his sadness would put a damper on her newfound happiness, she ended it all. She forgot to think about maybe trying to make him happy again. Instead she left him to fend for himself. And it was only then she realized her newfound happiness was him.

She loved him with every atom in her body. And even that didn't feel like enough to describe her feelings for him.

"I won't either," he faintly responded as he captured her lips once more before turning them over so he was on top. She giggled at his actions and moaned at his kisses.

"So I'll love you always," she stated confidently as she kissed his nose quickly.

He smirked at her antics as he dropped a kiss on her cheeks, "I guess I'll love you forever then."

She blushed at the statement and shook her head at their cliche stupidity.

"Then it's settled," she mumbled out as his kisses left her feeling a pleasure a thousand times better than eating cake.

"Okay," he whispered.

"I don't want to quote The Fault in Our Stars but," she paused with a crazy stupid smile on her face.

"Okay."

☙❦❧

maybe they had found forever at the wrong time...

but time gave them a second chance.

maybe they never had to force love...

because they seemed to be drowning in it from the moment they met.

☙❦❧