Every Breath

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Calla had enjoyed Gino's and found it quite unique. She'd never been to a restaurant with such completely opposite influences. Her dinner with Bright was fun and wasn't anywhere near as awkward as she had thought it would've been. They saw his sister, Amy, and her boyfriend, Colin, who was Bright's best-friend.

She was currently sitting quietly beside Bright as they drove down a desolate highway. Staring out the window, she tried to ignore that fact that she was heading down the highway at sixty-seven miles-per-hour with a teenage boy she hadn't even known for a week towards some unknown destination. She decided to focus on the comfortable silence they shared and the pure starlight that illuminated everything she could see.

The car slowed down as Bright turned down a narrow gravel road. Soon, he took another turn, and, after a few minutes, they ended up at a clearing. He parked the car, shut it off, and got out. After letting Calla out, he reached into the backseat and pulled out a big blanket. He set the blanket down and smoothed it out then stood back up and went over to Calla. Taking her hand, he led her over to the blanket. He sat down and tugged lightly on her hand, indicating he wanted her to do the same. As he leaned back, his words were soft. "I found this place a little over a year ago. . .You know Colin? Well, last Fourth of July, we were in an accident with his dad's truck. We were off-roading at Miller's field. We had been drinking. . .And I was driving. . .Colin ended up in a coma - he finally started remembering things a couple of months ago. . .But for a while after the accident, I would drive the gravel roads for hours and I came across this spot. It feels like the only place that is still uncontaminated by the rest of the world. From here, everything seems so perfect. Everything just kinda. . .goes away."

Calla looked down at him, smiling at how content he seemed to be, then laid beside him. "This is beautiful. . .You don't see this many stars that often." The sky was alive with tiny lights - appeared to be a black canvas marred with pin-pricks and backlit by the sun. A long, quiet moment ensued. "Bright?" she questioned, rolling over onto her side to look him in the eye. When he looked up at her, moving to lean partly on his elbow, she continued. "Why did you ask me to dinner? Guys like you don't ask girls like me to do anything - none that I've met, anyway. . ."

"Cale, I honestly don't know why I asked you out. I like you, and I guess I want to be on your good side, you know? You're not like the rest of the girls here - you don't seem to care of what other people think. I like that, too. And I want to get to know you better. . .I don't want to miss an opportunity."

"Oh." That wasn't quite the answer she was expecting to get from him and she wasn't sure how to take it.

"Did I say something wrong? I have a tendency to do that type of thing. A lot." He reached out and grasped her wrist lightly.

"No. You didn't." She attempted to smile, disappointed that he didn't know why he asked her out and unsure why this news affected her as much as it did. She looked down, studying the pattern of the blanket. "It's okay."

"It's not. I did say something wrong." He gently lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye again. After searching her eyes for a moment, he leaned in and softly kissed her. His hand rested on the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek.

Calla didn't know what to do. As she kissed him back, her hand found its way to his upper arm where she held onto him with a firm grasp. All she heard was the faint chirping of crickets and all she could see was the night-sky that would now be permanently ingrained into her memory. Stars dancing behind closed eyelids, the warm glow they cast spreading through her body.

Bright slowly pulled away, moving his hand to hers which was now busying itself with fuzz on the blanket. "Did I say it right that time?" he asked.

"Every breath," she replied, grinning as she looked back up to the starry night sky.

"It's getting late and I should get you home. Plus, we've got school tomorrow." Bright stood and helped Calla stand as well.

She sighed, not wanting to go yet. "Okay."

Bright folded the blanket back up and put it in the backseat, and opened Calla's door for her, closing it when she was seated. Soon they were back on the highway, and he would glance over at her occasionally, smiling at the smile that was on her face.

They returned to Calla's house sooner than she desired, and he opened her door for her. He walked her up to her door - something she figured was standard after-date doings. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Tonight was wonderful."

"You're welcome. I had a great time, too." He kissed her again. The stars were still there with their filling warmth. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She watched him walk down the porch steps and down to his car. Watched him get in and drive away. Leaning against the door, she decided it no longer mattered why Bright Abbott had asked her to dinner.