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"Hey," I said, just sht, and swept over one shoulder She earing tight black pants and a dark blue sweater that hung off one shoulder Her exposed skin drove me wild instantly, and I just wanted to take a bite out of it, but I had to take baby steps, so after giving her a once over, I forced h, at her eyes

"Hi," she said softly, unsure of herself I noticed the slight tremble when my hand touched hers as I handed her the flowers, and I took it as a good sign "These are as in here Ionfro to set her at ease "I wasn’t sure if you had a vase or anything I think they’re okay in a cup or whatever," I said, looking around her roo still in its place But somehow, it seemed darker, lifeless It made me sad Nolan found an e the flowers on her night table It ood to know that she’d wake up to such a vivid reht Now all I had to do was not fk things up "Easier said than done," I thought

I held out uided her from her room out to the Jeep We were both quiet, and with each minute that passed without conversation, the

"So…do I get to knohere we’re going?" she asked, flittering her lashes at h school God, I was done I took a deep breath, and turned to her with a full sht now? We’re going bowling," I said, buckling up and starting the engine Nolan’s face lit up a little She liked bowling, but we’d only ever been once Tonight was going to be about doing all of those stupid little things we never did, or didn’t do enough And bowlingonalley was dead quiet I tried to fill the air with h the various radio stations, and when I caught Nolan tapping her leg to the rhythm of one of the oldie stations, I stopped I loved that she liked the old songs She had an old soul That’s what Pops always said And so, while I looked at Nolan’s sht about reaching for her hand alked into the bowling alley, but she had grabbed her jacket and purse, and was hugging them close to her chest, I think partly to shield herself from me She wasn’t herself anymore, and she was so da me I hadn’t kissed her in weeks, and all I wanted was to taste her lips, crush round, reaching for neck and hair God, the way she used to tug at s around my waist like I was some sort of tree, and she was the spider ht was about taking it slow And right noas seconds fro that theory out the

We picked up our shoes and headed to our lane I found a ball right away, but Nolan was always picky She wanted the perfect weight, the perfect thuly lime-colored ball and set it on our return

"Really? All that time, and you come back with the sli, and I watched her shoulders relax while she swapped out her boots for her retro black-and-white bowling shoes

"Hey, fancy-ass quarterback You skin, but I bet me and slime ball can school you out here," she sassed at me as she lifted her ball and propped it on her hip like a six-shooter Sloas going to be really fking hard tonight

I considered her wager for a bit, and it gave me an idea "Okay, let’s have so her pose "If you win, you get to pick e do next But if I e go skinny dipping"

ThisNolan Lennox--that I saw her jaw actually drop I also knew she didn’t like to back down from a bet I raised the bar with this one, and probably threhole plan to shit, but I didn’t care She was chewing on her botto it side-to-side when she finally nodded once "Okay, you’re on," she said, a flash of passion in her eyes I hadn’t seen this side of Nolan in months, and if I had to throw 10 strikes in a row to keep it alive, I was going to su I had