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Haley

Seven Years Ago

I’o totally quiet The hands on the clock drag across its faceone second feel like an entire hour How is it possible for tied itself in the stickiest et out of this house because Jace is probably already down the street waiting for iddy Come to think of it, I’m practically delirious and absolutely punch drunk on love Jace couldn’t be any more perfect, not even if he tried

The waiting is really the worst part All through dinner, I was ticking with exciteht No one is allowed leave the table untilroo he was in love with Yet he chewed everything so slow and thorough and –

Ugh! I know I just saw Jace at school h He’s ignited soer with each day My senses are being overpowered I wish my dad would be a little more open-minded and let me date him out in the open because it really doesn’t have to be this hard

Quietly, I slide out of bed, going toan ear to the wooden slab There are no footsteps, and no rustling around All is silent The only real “noise” is just the forbidding emptiness that underscores every day in the Jones Estate However, the quiet ood time to leave

Grabbing the few things I need, I departto the kitchen The door in there is the easiest to sneak out of It doesn’t creak and there are good places to hide if needed But as I’ stills except foraway A chill crawls up my body as I wait for the inevitable The next few seconds haveThe house is old andYes, thatis fine, and everything will be fine Leaving the rounds without a hitch

Jace waits for h down the street that no one can see hi my dorky smile

I open the door, clier side seat and there’s a beautifulinside, all for me Whenever I’m with him, happiness and security suffuse ht here, in his ar

“You really shouldn’t look at rowls

I tiltabout I’m pretty sure I look at him like this every day

“What do you mean?” I ask

Instead of answering, Jace places a small kiss on the top of my nose and then starts his truck We don’t talk much on the drive That is, until I realize I don’t knohere we’re going any into the part of Lenville where there are barely any houses I sit up in ure out where the truck is headed

“Hey Jace, where are we going? Isn’t Rachel’s house the other way?”

My nose wrinkles I thought ere going to Rachel Gold’s for her graduation party although we don’t get our diploun a bit, but that’s okay

My boyfriend nods but doesn’t do anything to turn around and go back the other way I furrowto hear our destination

“I was thinking,” he starts slowly, “that we could have soet a lot of it,” he adds I so to Rachel’s party anyways

“Ok,” I say softly He’s right We really only ever get stolen moments with one another My dad disapproves of our relationship and does his best to keep us apart It’s hard to get away I’d rather go wherever Jace is taking us

We don’t drive forup away from the main road in a shady, secluded spot The field is open, so the ht we need Jace sets a blanket down before we cliet into his lap and he wraps his arhts up his face, giving hilow