Love Lasts Read online

  “I would never get back together with either of them, and I will never cheat on you. I was cheated on by both of them, so I know how horrible and painful it feels to go through that. I never want you to experience that.” I can tell Dane is watching my face closely, so I finally look at him and let out a sigh. I shake my head almost unconsciously and then shrug.

  “I guess there’s nothing I can do to change your past, and I’m glad you told me the truth. Let’s just hope they never become a problem for us,” I say. Dane nods, and I suddenly feel exhausted. I place my empty coffee cup on the table in front of us and lean back into Dane’s shoulder.

  “Thank you for trusting me,” Dane says, and I nod. He goes back to drinking his smoothie, leaving the conversation at that, but I don’t feel any better knowing any of this information.

  We sit in silence for a few minutes, and every possible worry runs through my head. I rub my face and almost wish I’d never asked about his exes. Or I wish I was his first girlfriend like he’s my first boyfriend. I wish this was as perfect as it first seemed. But I guess that was an unrealistic expectation. No one is perfect.

  “Would you want to go to church with me this weekend?” Dane asks suddenly. I look at him wearily.

  “Honestly… not really,” I admit. Dane nods.

  “Okay, well, the offer is always on the table.” I give him a small smile and lean my head back against his shoulder. I finally look around and realize the coffee shop has filled up quite a bit since we first arrived. I didn’t even notice all the people coming in, but a lot of them are our age. I wonder if Dane knows any of them. A few girls sit on another couch on the other side of the fish tanks, and a rush of nerves fill me. I look away.

  “Do you want to get out of here?” Dane asks, and I nod quickly. “Okay, let’s go.”

  After Dane drives me back home, we sit in the car in front of my house for a while, listening to the radio and holding hands. I can’t help but keep thinking about Dane’s exes, and now I wonder if they’re prettier than me. I wonder if they were more experienced than me. I wonder if they could still have a chance with him. I hope not.

  Dane and I kiss more than usual before I get out of the car and head inside. I know he’s trying to make up for our conversation, but nothing he does will stop me from worrying.

  As best I can, I try to ignore the gnawing anxiety inside me and enjoy every second I get to spend with Dane. I guess some time with him is better than no time, even if it all ends in failure.

  CHAPTER 7

  This year will be the first year I’ve ever had a boyfriend on Valentine’s day, and I’m honestly so excited. It was also my first time ever trying to buy a Valentine’s Day gift for someone before, but with Dane’s input, I was able to confidently buy him GTA V for the Xbox. Valentine’s day isn’t for another week, but I’m so excited to see what Dane will get me. I bet it will be amazing.

  All the time I spend with Dane is amazing. Even though I was worried about his exes before, I’ve allowed myself to forget about them. I can tell I’m the only person he wants to be with, and it’s obvious nothing will break us apart, not even crazy ex-girlfriends. He’s so perfect, even though he’s not. Everything between us is so easy that I can’t help but feel like I’m living in a fairy tale.

  Since Dane and I started dating, my weekends have become jam-packed. I work two shifts, sometimes only one, and then fill the rest of my time with Dane. And since it’s Friday night, we’re going out as usual. Tonight, we’re going out to eat and then to the movies.

  When Dane picks me up, I’m dressed in one of my nicest outfits, and Dane looks surprised to see me all dressed up.

  “What’s the occasion?” He asks and obviously checks me out. I smile.

  “Nothing. I just wanted to look cute,” I say.

  “You always look cute.” I lean over and give him a kiss, and he smiles.

  We eat at Applebee’s, which is becoming one of our favorites because it’s not fast-food, but it’s not too fancy either. Tonight, the restaurant is pretty full, which makes sense for a Friday night. A lot of adults sit around the bar with drinks in hand, and the TVs around the restaurant play different shows and sporting events on them.

  Dane looks up from the menu at me every few minutes with a smile on his face. I smile back every time.

  We’ve only been dating for a few weeks, but it feels much longer. I don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable with someone in my life, and I certainly haven’t felt more connected with anyone before. All our conversations flow with ease. We comfortably tell each other anything about ourselves. It’s so honest and real, and I’m amazed every day that Dane shows me more of the world. And I’m humbled every day that Dane is willing to teach me, be patient with me, and slowly tear the layers of insecurity away from me. I can’t even imagine how much of a changed person I will be if Dane and I stay together for a long time. I hope we do.

  “What are you thinking about?” Dane asks, putting his menu down.

  “Just about how amazing you are,” I tell him, and we both smile.

  “Thanks,” Dane says sweetly.

  “You’re welcome,” I say in the same tone.

  We look into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, and it doesn’t even feel awkward. I look at the world when I look into his eyes, and it’s bright and hopeful.

  “So what are you going to get?” Dane asks.

  Our waiter comes over to take our orders, and only fifteen minutes later, both of our plates come out. Dane’s plate is full of chicken and mashed potatoes, and mine is chicken pot pie. I scoop into it with my spoon, and hot steam hits my face. I lean back to let it cool and take to watching the people around us.

  A woman yells quietly to the man across from her. I can’t make out the words she’s saying, but her face says she’s not happy. The table next to them seats an older woman with three young children next to her. Two of the children glare at each other, and the older lady waves her hand in front of their faces. The other child sits and watches quietly.

  “Are you going to eat?” Dane asks. He’s already taken a few big bites from his plate.

  “Yeah. I’m letting it cool,” I say but try to take a bite. It isn’t too hot, so I start eating.

  When we’re both finished, I check my phone and realize that there’s still an hour before our movie is supposed to start.

  “We still have an hour to kill,” I announce to Dane. He checks his phone too and nods.

  “Well, what should we do?” He asks. I look out the window and think for a second of the places we could go for free.

  “We could go to Target. It’s right there,” I point out the window towards the Target across the street, but Dane looks displeased. “Or we could walk around the mall. It’s right by the movie theater, so that would be easy.

  “Or we could go make out,” he says, and I laugh.

  “Yeah, for an hour? I think our lips would be swollen after that.” Dane smiles and tries to give me puppy dog eyes, but I shake my head. He makes a pouty face instead.

  “It would be more fun,” Dane says, and I roll my eyes.

  “Let me text my dad that we’re changing plans,” I say.

  “Are you going to tell him that we’re going to make out?” Dane asks with a mischievous smile.

  “No! I’m telling him we’re going to the mall because we are,” I say, and Dane makes a pouty face again. My dad texts back a few seconds later, telling us to have fun. I’m pleasantly surprised.

  “Okay, are you ready?” I ask, and Dane nods.

  We head out to the car, and when we get in, Dane starts it but doesn’t leave. He looks at me with a serious face, but I already know the dumb question he’s about to ask

  “So we’re not making out?” Dane asks. I stare at him with a blank face.

  “I don’t care. Let’s just get out of here,” I say, which I realize is the wrong answer after it’s already left my mouth. Dane smiles and starts to drive.

  I close my eyes w
hile he’s driving, and after we’ve been in the car for twenty minutes, I can assume we’re not going to the mall. Nerves bite at my insides. I don’t want to lie to my dad about what we’re doing, but there’s not much I can do in the passenger’s seat. I stay silent with my eyes closed until the car stops moving.

  When I open my eyes, I see familiar surroundings. We’re at Freedom Springs, the same place we came for our first date. This time, though, we’re in the main parking lot. The park still looks closed, but another car is sitting in the parking lot. So I assume it’s okay for us to be here.

  Dane turns the radio up, which is playing soft indie music, and I watch him closely. He moves slow but leans over towards me. Our lips meet, and one of his hands finds my neck. My heart races. His kisses become faster and messier, and I suddenly feel a tightness in my chest. I lean away from him. His face changes, and he looks hurt and confused.

  “What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” He asks. I shake my head but don’t say anything. I look out the window and no longer see any other cars in the parking lot.

  “Then, what’s wrong?” He asks again. I shrug.

  “I’m still new at this. Sometimes, it still makes me really nervous,” I say.

  “You’re not nervous of me. Are you?” Dane asks. His expression is filled with sadness.

  “No, of course not! You’re amazing, but I still have to get used to, you know, making out with you,” I say and give a light smile. He nods.

  “Okay, well, let’s not rush anything. How about we just relax for a while?” Dane asks. He opens the sunroof and leans his chair back, so I lean mine back as well. We look up through the sunroof, and stars fill the sky. I can’t remember the last time I looked at the stars, but it feels nice. It’s tranquil, and I can already feel my anxiety lessening.

  I reach for Dane’s hand, and we sit and listen to the music while holding hands for a while. I lean onto my elbow and look at him, and he smiles at me.

  “You’re beautiful,” Dane says. I smile and then notice something out of the corner of my eye. I look out the front window and see a car driving towards us, but it isn’t a normal car. When it gets closer, I realize it’s a police car. I must look terrified because Dane sits up and looks to where I’m looking.

  “It’s the police,” I say. My heart starts beating out of my chest, and I quickly lean my chair up. Dane does the same, as the police officer pulls around our car.

  The officer gets out and walks towards Dane’s window, so he rolls it down.

  “What seems to be the problem, officer?” Dane asks when the police officer is in view.

  The officer shines a flashlight right into my eyes, forcing me to cover them with my hand and look away. Then, he turns it off, so I look at him again. He has greying hair and a deep line in his forehead. He narrows his eyes at us.

  “I got a call from someone who was worried because they saw a car in this parking lot. Have you seen anyone else in this parking lot?” The officer asks. Dane shakes his head and looks at me.

  “Actually, there was one other car here awhile ago. It was parked over there,” I say and point to the direction of where the car was, “But it must’ve left.”

  The officer doesn’t seem to care because he continues staring at me with a blank face.

  “Okay. Have you two been doing anything illegal here?” The officer asks.

  My heart jumps into my throat.

  “No, sir,” Dane says.

  “Do you have anything illegal in your vehicle? Weapons? Drugs? Alcohol?” The officer asks.

  My legs start to tremble, and I grip my hands together as tightly as I can.

  “No, sir,” Dane says.

  “Can I see your license and registration, please? Your license too, ma’am,” the officer says. I start to reach into my purse for my ID, and my hands shake horribly. I hand it to Dane who hands it, his own license, and his registration to the officer.

  “Are we in trouble for something, officer?” Dane asks.

  “You’re in a park after closing,” the officer says as if it’s the most obvious piece of information ever.

  “So?” Dane asks.

  “It’s illegal to be in a park after closing,” the officer says. Dane looks confused.

  “Well, the gate wasn’t closed when we got here. How were we supposed to know when it closes?”

  “It’s on the sign. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  The officer walks away, leaving Dane shaking his head.

  “I don’t understand why we’re in trouble,” Dane says to me. I feel my body shutting down. My hands won’t stop shaking. Dane takes my hand and squeezes it. “We’re going to be okay.”

  “What’s going to happen?” I ask.

  “I don’t know. I’ll find out,” Dane says.

  The officer comes back a couple minutes later with two extra pieces of paper, and he hands everything through to Dane, who receives them with narrowed eyes.

  “What’s this?” Dane asks. I can’t read them, and I probably don’t want to.

  “I’m giving you each a ticket for being in a park after closing,” the officer says. I breathe in deeply and let it out slowly. Dane hands me one of the papers and my license, so I start to read it. But it doesn’t make any sense.

  “What does this mean?” I ask the officer. He looks at me with a blank stare.

  “It means you got a ticket,” he says.

  “What do I do with it?” I feel incredibly dumbfounded. The officer must think I’m stupid too because he blinks at me like I asked the dumbest question he’s ever heard.

  “You pay it.”

  “How?” I ask. Dane sits in silence. He must already know how tickets work, but I obviously have no clue. And it’s making me want to cry.

  “There’s a number at the bottom that you can call,” the officer says.

  “How much is it?” I ask.

  “Like I said, there’s a number at the bottom that you can call.” I look at Dane, and he looks at me.

  “I don’t think we did anything wrong,” Dane says, facing the cop, “So we’re going to fight these.” The officer shrugs.

  “That’s fine. You two have a good night,” the officer says before walking away.

  I’m shocked. He was so rude, and I don’t even know what we did wrong. I lay my face in my hands and hold in the tears that want to explode from my eyes. I want to curl up into a bawl and cry forever because that would make me feel so much better, but I can only shake my head. Actually, my whole body is shaking.

  Dane stares at me. I finally look up at him, but he looks away and puts the car into drive.

  We drive away from the park, and I tell Dane to stop somewhere. He chooses a McDonald’s, and we take our tickets and walk inside. We’re the only customers there, and we sit as far away from the front counter as possible. My head pounds like it could explode, and my body feels so tired at the same time.

  “My parents are going to kill me,” I announce. My stomach churns, and I want nothing more than to rewind time and force Dane to go to the mall like I said.

  Dane doesn’t seem to be worried, but he looks at me sadly.

  “I’m really sorry,” Dane says.

  I pull out my phone and start a conversation with my coworker, Cindy. I send her a photo of the ticket and tell her what happened. She tells me I can figure out how much the ticket is worth in a few days, and I can pay it online.

  “Who are you talking to?” Dane asks.

  “My friend Cindy. She says all parks close after sunset. Who is supposed to know that? That’s not something they teach you in school,” I say. The irritation is clear in my voice, and I want to be so much angrier. I want to be angry at Dane for taking us to that park. I want to be angry at the police officer. I want to be angry at the person who called us in. But all I can feel is anxiety and fear. My parents are going to kill me.

  “What am I supposed to do?” I ask, but Dane offers nothing.

  Finally, I stand up and start to walk outsi
de.

  “Where are you going?” Dane asks.

  “Take me home,” I say, “There’s nothing I can do about this now. I have to tell them the truth.”

  Dane looks scared now too, but we both get in the car.

  As he starts to drive, I pull out my phone and call my dad. Everything inside me tells me not to. My brain tells me that this will go horribly wrong, and I know I have to brace myself for a lot of yelling and a lot of crying. But there’s nothing else I can do.

  He picks up after two rings.

  “Hello,” I say.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Dad asks.

  “I got a ticket,” I say bluntly. Somehow, my body is running on a high and crashing at the same time, and it’s painful. Only silence persists on the other side of the phone for a few seconds.

  “A parking ticket?” Dad asks. My voice shakes, as I talk.

  “No. Dane and I were in a park, and apparently, it’s illegal to be in a park after dark. Someone called the cops on us.”

  Dane glances at me, but I barely see him. I blindly look out the window, not registering anything except the sound of my dad’s voice.

  “I thought you were going to the mall and then to the movies.” His voice stays calm, but I can hear the irritation setting in.

  “I thought so too, but we ended up at Freedom Springs. And then the police officer came. I didn’t know.” More silence. My heart beats in my ears.

  “Where are you right now?”

  “Dane is driving us home. We’re passing the mall right now,” I say.

  “Don’t go anywhere else. Come straight home, and we’ll talk about this.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay, bye.”

  “Bye,” I say and hang up. I put my phone down and close my eyes to focus on my breathing. My body shakes terribly, and I dig my fingernails into my palms.

  “Are you okay?” Dane asks. I shake my head and don’t say anything.

  Dane and I sit in silence the rest of the drive home, and I mentally prepare myself for what’s to come. I already feel defeated, horrible, and guilty.

  When Dane pulls into my driveway, I sit and stare straight ahead for a minute. Dane stares at me, so I finally face him. My face hangs heavy, and I can only imagine how depressed I look. Dane looks sad too.