"Quite the bella notte" Rachel said, as she and Chloe walked past a sign saying: West Brook Park. Chloe looked up and had to admit, she was amazed at the night sky above.
"Yeah" she agreed, taking in the sight of the twilight sky. It was a relatively cloudless night and the sky looked like a dark blue, twilight colored sea. The large oaks dotted around the park and the metallic lampposts lining the pathway added to the calm atmosphere. The stars couldn't be seen with all the light pollution, but Chloe imagined they'd look pretty if they had been visible. Damn, Rachel's artsy aesthetic really was rubbing off on her.
Being so mesmerized by the sky, Chloe forgot to take notice as to where exactly she was walking, and a loud bang sounded as her foot came in contact with one of the lampposts. She cringed in slight pain and was slightly embarrassed as Rachel laughed next to her.
"Come on, Chloe" she said, grabbing her hand. "We better go sit down before you decide to become friends with a garbage can, or another lamppost."
Chloe playfully rolled her eyes and let Rachel lead her through the park. They continued to walk along the main path, listening to the sound of the crickets and other night insects before veering off to a large patch of grass. Luckily enough, the park was devoid of its usual crowd, probably because it was a weekday and around eight at night. And all that meant was more room for the two of them. At least until the park closed in an hour.
Rachel let go of Chloe's hand and gracefully laid down on the grass. She patted the empty spot next to her and Chloe followed suit, lazily flopping down next to Rachel. After digging around in her pockets, Chloe took out her phone and earbuds, handing Rachel the left wire. She graciously accepted it and Chloe set her phone on shuffle before leaning her head back.
As Rachel closed her eyes and swayed her head to the music, Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and took in the scenery. Autumn was in full swing in Arcadia Bay, with the leaves turning their usual vibrant colors. The light breeze made the trees sway in the wind, sending a few leaves into the air. The lampposts along the main path bathed the park in light, making it seem warm and inviting.
Chloe turned her head and couldn't help but smile as she watched Rachel. She loved the way the wind blew her blonde hair gently back, or the way her turquoise feather earing gently swayed whenever a breeze gusted by them. Chloe still found it hard to believe that someone as perfect as Rachel had feelings for her. She remembered the spark in Rachel's eyes when they discussed their plans of living life together, heading out to LA and Santa Monica. She remembered the warmth of Rachel getting closer to her, putting her hands in Chloe's. She remembered Rachel leaning forward and kissing her, cupping her face in her hands and putting Chloe into a state of safety and happiness she hadn't felt as long as she could remember.
Present day Chloe found herself staring at Rachel without realizing it, and as she propped herself up on her arms, she smiled at Chloe.
"Did you forget how to blink?" Rachel teased.
"Ugh, shut up"
Rachel laughed and handed Chloe her earbud back.
"Hey, I actually wanna talk to you" she said, her smile faltering. "About what I said last night."
Chloe's heart sank. A million worries ran through her head: Did Rachel not mean that kiss last night? Does she really not have feelings for her? Did she ever even have feelings for her?
Almost as if reading her mind, Rachel placed her hand over Chloe's and laced her fingers through her's.
"Don't worry, it's not about what you think." she said, encouragingly squeezing her hand. "It's about running away together."
"Oh." Chloe replied, a wave of relief coming over her. "So, what's up?"
Rachel nervously brushed a strand of loose hair away with her free hand.
"Remember how you said that we had no money, and no real plans at all?"
"Mhhmm"
"Well you're right"
"That doesn't sound like the Rachel Amber I know" Chloe replied with a smirk.
"I know, but if we're going to do actually do this, we need to do it right." Rachel sighed. "So, maybe we should stay in Arcadia Bay for now? If you want, that is."
Chloe replicated her sigh and leaned her head back. She hadn't expected Rachel to take her half hearted advice, but maybe it was the right thing to do. Chloe wanted nothing more than to live an adventure filled life with Rachel, but maybe they should hold off until they can create a plan that's more thought out than 'run away'.
"Alright" Chloe conceded. "Rain check on Santa Monica, then?"
"Oh, we'll get there soon, Chloe," Rachel said with a relieved smile. "We'll be having dinner on the pier before you know it."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The two girls shared a smile and Rachel scooted closer to Chloe, resting her head on her shoulder.
"You have no idea how nervous I was to ask you that" Rachel said with a relieved laugh.
"Don't worry" Chloe replied. "I'm known for being a nervous screw-up"
"Not to me you're not"
Rachel reached up and kissed Chloe's cheek before nestling her head back on her shoulder. Chloe would be lying if she said that simple act of affection didn't make her blush even slightly. Still holding hands, the two of them enjoyed the rest of their time in their quiet section of the park. Which lasted a whole twenty minutes before a man told them to vacate as they were closing the park up for the night.
As they left the park holding hands, Chloe couldn't help but smile. Sure, she was expelled from Blackwell, and her mom refused to get rid of the dicktator David, and she had an old, rusted truck in the junkyard that refused to work. But the one thing Chloe did have, was Rachel. As the two of them danced (which was mainly falling clumsily for Chloe) and aimlessly wandered down the sidewalk, Chloe wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist and kissed her. It may have been short and a little clumsy (seeing as this was only her second kiss ever with the Rachel Amber), but it was sweet and in that moment, Chloe was truly happy.
Thanks for reading this folks! I've been trying to get back into the swing of writing and improving, so any sort of critiques you may have are always greatly appreciated!