Thanks again everyone for the lovely feedback I really appreciate it. This chapter sort of has SPOILERS for the place they're going to be. I'm pretty sure everyone has seen the photos online though lol I just kind of took that scene and made it my own. Hope you like it! xo Ash
Castle gave the cab driver money, and walked over towards the park Beckett had asked him to meet her at. He looked around for her, but didn't see her. There were some young children playing together on the slides, as their parents watched. Castle looked at his watch- 12:04pm. He took his black jacket off and folded it over his right arm.
Beckett walked from her apartment to the park since it was only a few blocks away, and she needed the fresh air. She was wearing her usual heels, with dark denim skinny jeans, a white low-cut blouse, and a black leather jacket that fit her body perfectly. You would never guess she had been in the hospital from being shot in the chest if you walked past her. Her hair was long and wavy as it blew in the wind. She crossed the street and arrived at the park. She walked past a hotdog vendor and smiled, because she knew how much Castle loved eating hotdogs. She looked around and spotted him right away in the distance near a swing set. He had his back to her as she approached him. Her stomach felt nervous, and full of butterflies. The wind blew and made the trees sway, along with the flowers planted in the ground. The wind also blew past Beckett and her light brown hair lifted up into the breeze, and the sweet smell of her perfume drifted its way to Castle. He immediately picked up on the familiar scent of cherries and turned around to see Beckett a few feet away. Castle smiled.
"Hey Castle." Kate smiled.
"Hey." Castle smiled back.
"Thanks for meeting me."
"Yeah, of course. I was actually planning to call you today. I would've come over to your place if you wanted." Castle offered.
"No, I need the air. If I sat inside for another minute I would explode." Beckett replied, smiling at him still. He looked good.
"You look great." Castle was so in awe of her beauty still. Beckett blushed.
"Oh a…" Castle pulled out his book from under his jacket, "I brought you this." Kate took the Heat Rises book from Castle. She smiled looking at it. Nikki Heat was holding a gun up, on a golden cover with the city skyline in the background.
"Wow, she's not naked." Beckett joked. She hated the naked silhouette of Nikki on the last two books; it just made things harder at work.
"I decided to leave that for inside the book, chapter seven." Castle winked. She rolled her eyes in a cute way and shook her head.
"Thank you Castle." Beckett said, as she looked at the book.
They looked at each other for a moment, letting the sounds around them fill the silence. Castle's heart felt light and he was so happy to just be near her again. Beckett took another step towards him, their feet were just about to touch. She was only inches from his face. He stared at her beautiful, caring green eyes. Beckett used her eyes to look at his lips to his blue eyes staring into hers.
"Do you like swings?" Beckett asked, nodding her head to her left to the swing set. And she started to walk towards the swing set, leaving Castle with a grin. He followed her over to the swings and set his jacket down on one, and sat next to her.
"So how are you feeling?" Castle asked, as Beckett was looking at the back of the book cover.
"Better. It's hard to sleep though, knowing there's someone still out there." Beckett replied, looking up at the street.
"I haven't been able to sleep, I just keep thinking about that day. You falling and there was nothing I could do."
"It all happened so fast Castle. And you did do something for me," Beckett paused, "you made me feel…safe." Castle looked up at her. He wondered if she remembered anything else.
"I just wish I could've done more." Castle said.
"After my mother was killed I was so determined to find out more, to get the truth. I closed myself off from everyone around me. The only thing that helped me get away from it all was a book I bought at a book store. And after I finished, I bought two more from the same author." Beckett spoke, and she rubbed her hand over Castle's picture on the back of the book when she said author.
"You helped me before you even knew me Castle." Beckett admitted. Castle took this all in, he felt so touched by her words. He knew it wasn't easy for her to open up like that, so it made it even more special to him.
The wind blew past them again and the smell of Castle's cologne made its way to Beckett. She inhaled the smell, and felt butterflies.
"Where's the motorcycle boy at?" Castle asked, not really wanting to know.
"We broke up, last night." Beckett admitted. Castle felt so relieved, but didn't want to show it on his face in front of Beckett.
"I take it you heard about what happened between Josh and me." Castle assumed, as looked down at his hands. Beckett nodded. He folded them together on his lap and looked back at her.
"You were right, what you said to me that night, about hiding. I just didn't want to hear it." Beckett said.
"Kate I was angry and saying things in the heat of the moment. It wasn't my place."
"And sometimes that's when you get to really say what you mean and how you feel, I'm a cop remember?" Beckett smiled and continued, "A lot of things can be said in the heat of the moment. Sometimes you mean them…sometimes you don't."
Beckett was referring to Castle saying "I love you." He got a hint of where she was headed with this and wasn't sure what was about to happen next.
