As we pulled up to the restaurant, I could feel my heart beating faster. I don't know why I was nervous. Maybe because I had never experienced something like this before, maybe because deep down I thought it was all.. too much, and I felt bad that he'd go through all of this trouble for me, or maybe.. because it was so much, I thought that something might be happening tonight.. and if it didn't, I knew I would just be disappointed.

Jake made his way around, opening my door and holding his hand out for me to grab. I couldn't help but smile, holding on tight as he helped me out, intertwining our fingers and leading us towards the door.

I could feel all eyes on us as we passed the groups of people waiting outside, now wondering how Jake was even able to get us this reservation.

"Kiszka for two please." He said simply as we approached the hostess. She flashed us a smile, looking down her list.

"And.. I mentioned a table by the back window." He whispered. She nodded, grabbing two menus.

"Right this way, sir." She said. I peeked up at him as he looked back at me, flashing me an excited grin.

"Sir." He mouthed. I rolled my eyes, playfully hitting his arm.

As she placed our menus down, he came around, pulling my chair out for me. My cheeks burned as I took a seat, feeling him push the chair in for me. Looking around, I could understand why he wanted to sit back here. It was so much quieter, the floor length windows overlooking the water, nothing but twinkle lights to leave the table in a romantic glow. It was.. breathtaking.

"How did you manage to do this?" I giggled, taking one of the menus, immediately feeling my stomach drop when I noticed there weren't even prices on it.

"Oh, don't you worry about that." He said happily, grabbing the other.

"Jake.." I sighed. I heard him laugh, putting his menu back down.

"Okay, so.. everyone around town kind of heard about the record deal and.. I may or may not have told the owner I'd give his son some guitar lessons." I shook my head, trying my best to hold in my laughter.

"You're something."

"Well, it worked."

I continued flipping through, trying to find what I could only imagine wouldn't be too expensive. He noticed.

"Jaime, don't worry about it." He smirked. "Please. Get whatever you want. I mean it."

"Jake, this is beautiful, but-"

"Jaime.." He sighed, reaching over for my hand. My heart jumped. "I've never really.. gone on a nice date like this. So.. tonight is special, for many reasons, but.. in my mind, it's kinda like my first real date." I couldn't help but smile, finally nodding, loving the fact that he considered me another "first."

"Okay."

"And.. if it makes you uncomfortable, I promise, nothing this big again. Until.. the next special night." I bit down on my lip, feeling my face get hot.

"Okay."

And for the rest of the night, he didn't hold back. Ordering wine, appetizers, and whatever entrees he was in the mood for.

"You know, I don't think opening bands get paid this much." I laughed, finishing my glass. He shrugged, finishing his too as he smirked back at me, his face flushed from however many glasses we had had, but I'll tell myself he was just blushing.

"I'm having fun with you.. I don't care." He sighed, getting up and pulling his chair over to my side of the table.

I reached over for his shirt, pulling him in closer as he leaned into a gentle kiss. I felt his kisses get harder as his hand slowly made its way up to my face, his fingers gently gliding down my cheek. I had almost forgotten where we were, my heart practically beating out of my chest as he finally moved away, leaning his forehead against mine.

"Jaime.."

"Mhm?"

"So, will we be doing any dessert tonight?" I heard from behind us. He sighed, backing further away and giving me questioning eyes. I nodded.

"Yes please." He said happily.

"Excellent. I'll bring those right out."

I waited for her to leave before turning back to him.

"I think you're drunk." I laughed, playfully touching his chest. He shook his head, giggling to himself like he always did when he was drunk.

"Barely." He laughed, wrapping his arm around me, pulling me in, kissing my cheek. As beautiful as this all was, all I really wanted now was to go home and be alone with him. He leaned in close, whispering into my ear.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He said, his warm breath against my neck making my heart race. I nodded, looking back up at him, unable to contain my giddy grin. He pulled me into another gentle kiss, smiling back at me as he leaned his forehead against mine again.

"Well, good. And I hope you get used to it too, cause you're gonna have to hear it from me fore-"

"And here we are.." I peeked up to see our waitress placing down two pieces of chocolate cake, drizzled in chocolate syrup across the top and along the plate, garnished with chocolate covered strawberries.

"Enjoy." She said, giving him a wink. He smiled back, giving her a subtle nod. Before I could even register what was going on, I looked down at my plate, feeling a smile escape my lips.

Written out in chocolate syrup along the edge of my plate were the words "Jaime, I L-Word you."

"Did you really ask them to write that?" I asked. He nodded, giggling to himself again.

"Yeah, it.. it took a lot of explaining, but.. we finally got there." I sighed, hoping it would say.. something else, something more, but.. it was still so sweet nonetheless.

"I L-Word you, too." I said, pulling him into a long, tender kiss. I could feel him smile despite still trying to kiss me back.

We took our time finishing our cake, practically wiping the plates clean with the strawberries we fed each other, giving Jake enough time to sober up to drive us back home.

But there was no rush.

I didn't want the night to end.

Finally, our waitress came out with the bill, immediately placing it in front of him.

"And how does she know that you weren't treating me?" He laughed, looking it over. I could see his eyes go wide for a moment, but he tried his best to cover it up.

"How bad is it?" I asked, reaching for my bad. He shook his head, waving me off, taking out his card and leaving it on the end of the table.

"Not that bad." He lied, giving me a gentle smile.

When we finally got home, I wondered if there would be anything else, anything at all to make this date.. as special as I was hoping it would be. He came around to my side of the car, opening the door for me, helping me out again. I held on tight to his hand, intertwining our fingers as he slowly lead us up the lawn and to my front door.

"So.." He sighed, staring back at me with dazed eyes and a permanent smile on his lips. "I.. I had so much fun tonight."

"Me too." I said, reaching out for his blazer, pulling him in closer.

"But considering.. this is supposed to be like.. a first date, I'm not gonna beg to spend the night with you." He laughed, gently running his fingers through my hair, his eyes moving down to my lips.

"You wouldn't have to beg." I assured him. He bit down on his lip, holding his stare on me.

"Jaime, I'm trying to do a thing here." He laughed. "But you're making it impossible."

"Well, I don't want you to go."

"But then it'll give you the opportunity to miss me." He giggled, leaning in closer. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss.

"I never want to have to miss you. I'm already gonna miss you enough when-" He cut me off, pulling me back into another long kiss.

"No, no, no.. not tonight. Please.. don't think about that tonight." I couldn't help it. The more time we spent together, the deeper I fell, and the harder it was going to be to say goodbye when the time finally came.

It was impossible not to think about.

Especially when he never let me talk about it.

As if pretending it wasn't going to happen would keep it from hurting when it did.

"But.. I'm gonna let you go in. And I'll.. see you tomorrow?" I nodded, finally accepting that it wasn't going to happen tonight.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"Okay.." He said, almost as if waiting for more.

"You sure you don't want to stay?" I asked, refusing to let go of him. His smile grew.

"Jaime, I'm trying to be a gentlemen." He laughed, leaning into another long kiss.

"But what if.. I don't want you to be?" I asked. He stared back at me, his eyes getting wider, as if contemplating it now.

"Jaime, I.. I think you're just drunk." He laughed, kissing me one more time before backing away. "I had a great night, and.. I can't wait to take you out again, okay?" I nodded, leaning back against the door, holding my stare on him.

"I can't leave until I've seen you go inside so I know you got home safe." He smirked. I playfully rolled my eyes, finally getting my keys out of my bag and let myself in, peeking back at him one last time before shutting the door behind me.

I slowly made my way back upstairs, trying my best to contain my disappointment. I don't understand. It would have been perfect? Why didn't he ask me?

I changed out of my dress into my sweatpants and one of the shirts he had let me borrow, loving how it still smelt like him, but wanting nothing more than to have the real thing here with me. After the night we had, the last thing I wanted was for him to go.

Plopping down onto my bed, I grabbed the pillow he had slept on, clutching it against my chest. It smelt like him too. It hadn't even been five minutes and I already missed him. So much. Too much. There was no way I was going to be able to survive them being gone for months on end. This was going to be unbearable. But what more of a reason for us to spend every second together that we could while he was still here. I appreciated him wanting to do things "right," but I didn't care about right anymore, I just wanted him.

I got back up, going over to my dresser and grabbed my phone, but before I could press call, I began to hear something coming from outside. I shrugged it off for a moment until it began to sound familiar. I went over to my window and my heart stopped. Tears filled my eyes, a beaming grin escaping my lips when I saw Jake standing just below, holding a boombox overhead, playing the song from the car.

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I couldn't believe it.

He stared up at me with those beautiful eyes and that smile that made me melt every time it made its way across his lips. For those few minutes, I was lost within this world he had created for the two of us, a world that I had once longed for so deeply, and now that I was finally here, it all felt like a dream, and any moment, I was going to wake up.

I had never felt like this before and couldn't help but wonder if this was the way my mom felt every time she saw my dad. Being able to look at someone and feel everything and then some, and somehow, just knowing, you wanted to give them everything in return.

As the song ended, I was slowly brought back to Earth as he placed the boombox down.

"You didn't think I was really just going to leave you after a night like this, did you?" He asked. I wiped my eyes, shaking my head, now suddenly much more aware of how much my face hurt from smiling so much.

"I really hoped not." I managed.

"Jaime, I swear the only tears I will ever make you cry ever again will always be happy ones. You deserve nothing but the best, and I will do whatever it takes to give that to you.. if you'll let me." I nodded again.

"I know you wanted to wait but.. with what time we have left, I just.. every second I'm not yours is just.. a second wasted, so.. I have something to ask you." He said, flashing me a wide grin.

"And.. what's that?" I asked, wiping my eyes again, hoping this could only mean one thing.

"Jaime, will you be my girlfriend?"