The mixing of textures is my favorite, the soft ice cream with the crunch of sprinkles plus the doughy consistency when I get a bite of cookie dough. It’s just the way I like it.
“How is it?” I swear his voice drops even more, and I look up at him; even in the dark I see the way his eyes are focused on me.
It has me thinking about something I heard before. My mouth moves faster than my brain can think about what I’m saying. “Do guys really get turned on when a girl eats ice cream?”
Parker sputters out a laugh before leaning forward and licking the top of my treat.
“Hey,” I scold, yanking it away from him.
“I’m not going to answer that because you may not like my answer.” He backs away from me with a smile. “Come on, we have our next stop to get to.”
“Why won’t I like the answer? I asked the question, didn’t I?” I jump down to follow him, but he still doesn’t answer. “Where are we going next? It’s not like we have a schedule to follow.”
“Maybe we do,” he retorts.
“Then I guess we’re done pretending to be teenagers because we never would have followed a schedule back then,” I grumble.
Parker glances back at me with a smile. “Now you’re getting it, Lil.”
I hate to admit how much I missed him calling me Lil. And how hearing it again has my stomach clenching. Again, I use my ice cream as a distraction and keep my mouth full as we leave the store. He locks the door and hides the key exactly where he found it and we get back to his truck. I don’t let him open the door for me again, doing it myself, hopping inside and feeling sad that it won’t be long until I don’t have the dessert in my hand to distract me as needed.
When we start to drive, I roll down the window to let the cool spring night air flow through the cab. I stretch my arm outside to feel the breeze as we drive somewhere I’m unsure about. I keep my eyes up at the sky, finding familiar constellations and trying to make up my own. One kind of looks like it could be Jerry Lee.
I turn to face Parker to tell him that but see him already looking at me.
“You might want to watch the road,” I tell him.
“You’re much more interesting.”
I sigh, slumping back against the seat. “I know I am. I know I can be a lot sometimes.”
“You’re not, and I swear if you tell me that dickhead said thatto you, I’m going to find him, and he’ll wish he just had a broken nose.”
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth and bite down, turning back toward the window so Parker can’t see my reaction.
After another quiet minute he speaks again. “You’re never a lot or too much. You’re perfect.”
I drop my chin into my hand; I know I can’t look at him because I may launch myself into his arms. That’s also a stupid law in Washington apparently. I won’t risk us going to jail for that.
Parker drives us into the empty area that’s so familiar to me, and I can’t believe he brought us here. He cuts the engine, cloaking us in silence; he keeps his headlights on, hopping out of the cab. I hesitate to follow because I think I know where this is going.
We’re really going back to our past if he did what I think he did.
When I walk around to the bed of the truck and see the giant blankets and pillows back there, it takes me back fully. Except Parker is grown up now and looking better than ever as he stands in the bed, stretching his hand out toward me. “You going to join me?”
“I don’t know if I should.”
“Why not?”
“You know why.”
“C’mon Lil, friends just like the old days.”
I sigh, giving in and letting him pull me up to join him. His hand lingers on mine, but I break the contact sitting in the perfect spot where I can lean back to look up at the sky. Parker lays back by me, but not too close, clearly giving me some space.
Neither of us say anything at first. We just lay here with the sounds of crickets around us. I’ve never been good with the quiet, though.
“Do you think I’m heartless because I’m not sad Aaron left?” I ask.