Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, they are so sweet :) Those of you who gave me feedback, thank you! It was really helpful :)
BTW guys I just wanted to point out I will not always update as frequently as I have been lately, especially in the upcoming few weeks. Exams and summatives are right around the corner, and those (sadly) are a priority! They are such a pain in the... behind! But I will write as often as I can :)
Summary: Eddie had just gotten home from the premiere when he got a call from his friend. After this phone call, he rushed to the hospital to find his parents. He saw his dad in pretty bad shape and learned they had been in a car accident. When he asked where his mom was, he was told she had been killed in the accident.
This chapter is not depressing like the last one, so I hope you enjoy! :)
"So, what do you think Mel?" Loren asked her friend as she stood in front of the computer screen. She was getting ready for her date, and Mel had called her on Skype to see her prepare for it. Tonight was her big date, and Justin was going to come pick her up in less than half an hour. She had curled her hair, put on a light touch of makeup and she was wearing the outfit she planned a week ago. She looked at her friend's face who looked mesmerized. "Mel? Earth to Mel? What, does it look awful?"
"Lo, you are beautiful! Justin will be the one fawning over you when he sees you!"
"Ha ha, thanks Mel! I thought I lost you for a second there," she teased her.
"Very funny," Mel retorted, "So, are you excited? Justin should be over any minute!"
"So excited," she exclaimed, "I can't believe this is happening!"
Ding-Dong. Loren looked up nervously, "That was the bell, he's here! Bye Mel!" she squeaked. Loren then shut her laptop and walked over to the mirror to look at herself one last time. She liked what she saw. Simple, but she looked good. She could hear her mom and Justin talking at the door, so Loren made her way to them. The look on Justin's face was pure admiration when he saw her. He smiled shyly at her and said, "Hey." She looked at him and smiled.
"Honey, you look beautiful!" her mom exclaimed, running over to her to give her a hug.
"I agree, you look beautiful Loren," Justin smiled sincerely.
Loren couldn't help the blush that crept up onto her cheeks. "Thank you," she told them.
"So, ready to go?" Justin asked.
"Yup, good to go," she answered with a smile. She went to give her mom another quick hug. "Bye, see you later, Mom."
"Bye honey!" Nora called out as Loren walked out, closing the door behind her.
Loren walked to the car with Justin in a comfortable silence. He opened the door for her like a perfect gentlemen. He waited until she was seated before he went around and got in.
"I'm really happy to see you," Justin stated, flashing that gorgeous smile of his at her.
"Me too," Loren was honest.
"Can I tell you something?" Justin asked her as he started driving.
"Sure, anything," she looked at him and smiled.
"I was honestly so excited for tonight," Justin confessed timidly, "I couldn't wait to see you again, and you really do look beautiful Loren."
Loren turned to look at him. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. She studied Justin from the side. She loved his big green eyes sparkled when he was happy. She loved how his short light brown hair always appeared perfectly mussed. It was the same colour as her own, but she thought it suited him much better. She liked the way his faint tan left from this summer made his eyes appear more lustrous. She loved how he was much taller than her. She had to look up at him when they were talking. And that smile. God, she loved that smile. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
When Loren finally snapped out of her trance and realized she was staring at him, she replied in a soft voice, "Thank you. And I was really anxious for tonight too."
Justin looked over at her and smiled. He didn't even attempt to hide the childish grin that spread across his face. Loren couldn't help herself, she started laughing.
"What, what is it?"
"Nothing, that was just really cute," Loren admitted sheepishly. Justin looked away, suddenly shy.
She felt the car come to a halt and she looked out to see where they were. They were outside of Hollywood's hottest restaurant; Rumor. Loren was astonished that he had brought her here. Not only was it the most sought after place in town, but it was also quite expensive.
He must have sensed her hesitation because he looked at her and asked, "Is this okay?"
"Yeah, this... is great. I'm just really surprised you brought me here that's all," she responded, "Plus, now I feel a little under dressed!"
"None sense, you look gorgeous."
The butterflies in her stomach started dancing around cheerfully. She smiled again. What is it about this guy that just makes me so nervous? she wondered. Loren saw Justin get out of car and again, open the door for her. He was such a sweetheart. They walked into the restaurant and Loren took a moment to take everything in. She could see why people loved coming here, this place was stunning. It looked so rich and classy, she had never been anywhere like this before. She saw Justin talking to the hostess and she led them to their table.
"Wow, this place is so nice!" she whispered to him excitedly.
"I know right? It's my first time here too, I thought we could try it out," he beamed.
As they settled into their seats, a waitress came by to take their order. Loren continued to search the place with her eyes. It was really busy here, and she could tell Justin had gone out of his way to get into a place as nice as this. She looked over at him and placed her hand over his and said, "Thank you."
He smiled that smile of his and replied, "Hey, it's not just for you, you know. I get to spend time with you."
Loren found herself blushing again, she couldn't help it. Twenty minutes later, their waitress arrived with the food. When she took the first bite, she understood why this place was so popular. The food really was phenomenal, and the staff was so kind. As the night progressed, Loren found that she really was enjoying herself. Justin was so sweet and considerate, he was so caring and he just made her so happy. They spent most of their evening laughing, and she just felt so comfortable around him. When they had finished eating, they got up to leave. Justin helped Loren into her jacket, and he held her hand as they walked out.
"So, ready for the movie?" he asked her as they got into his car.
"Yeah, what movie?" she replied.
"Umm, I actually don't know," he admitted, "I thought you might want to choose the movie."
"What?" Loren asked, laughing. She hit him playfully on the arm, "You don't even know what we're gonna watch? Did you at least check movie times?"
"Nope! Let's just go and choose randomly, make it spontaneous," he winked at her, as he pretended to rub his arm in pain.
"Spontaneous, huh? What if... we ditched the movie?" Loren suggested, a big smile plastered across her face.
Justin looked disappointed and asked, "You want to go home?"
"Oh, no! But what if we did something else?"
Justin's gorgeous features lit up once again, "Okay, like what?"
"Hmm, I don't really know! But some where we can talk some more?" she commended.
"I know where to go!" he exclaimed as he started the car, "Close your eyes, I want it to be a surprise."
Loren couldn't help but laugh at him as she covered her eyes. He was so cute when he got excited. Twenty minutes later, Loren felt the car stop.
"Can I open my eyes now?"
"Yup!" was the excited response.
Loren opened her eyes and looked to see where he had decided to take her. They were parked in the Venice Beach parking space. She had been there before during the day but at night, it was a totally different experience. It was so quiet, so peaceful. She could hear the waves crashing against the shore. The moon was the only thing lighting it, and it was such a beautiful sight.
"Wow," she whispered.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Justin said softly.
"Yeah, it really is."
"Come on, let's go for a walk," he smiled encouragingly.
As they headed down towards the beach, she felt his hand brush hers and he took a hold of it, their fingers intertwining. He looked at her for a second, as if to see ask if that was okay and she smiled in response. They walked silently for a minute along the beach, just enjoying each other's company.
"So, what is your all time favourite thing to do?" he asked, breaking the silence.
She thought about it for a second before truthfully replying, "I love to write songs. Or poetry."
"Really? I didn't know that," he answered lightly, "Do you sing?"
"Sometimes. But I'm not that great."
"I don't believe that! It's hard to believe that someone like you is not good at something," he said seriously.
"Hmm, well I suck basketball... And football," she joked, knowing those were the sports he played.
"Well, I think I could help you with that, considering I'm captain of those teams and all," he gave her mischievous smile and before she could ask what he was up to, he was tickling her.
Loren couldn't help the girlish giggles that escaped her lips. Without even realizing it, she suddenly found herself in the circle of his strong arms. His hands rested on the small of her back. She stopped laughing and looked up at him silently. Time seemed to come to a complete stop as he slowly, slowly leaned his head towards hers. She saw his eyes flicker down to her lips, and back up to meet her eyes. Was she imagining this? I must be, why would he want to kiss me? she thought. She felt herself leaning forward as well. Their noses touched. Loren closed her eyes, and then slowly, as if in slow motion, their lips met. It was a sweet and simple kiss, one she knew she wouldn't forget. They reluctantly broke apart and looked into each other's eyes, their foreheads still very close together. She looked to see if there was any regret in his eyes, but they seemed to be shining more brightly, if that was even possible.
"I've been wanting to do that all night," he whispered softly, with the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.
Loren felt her breath catch in her throat. There was suddenly a cold breeze, and Loren shivered unintentionally.
"Are you cold? Come on, let's get you home," he suggested, breaking apart. He took her hand and they walked back to the car.
Once they were on the road again, Loren looked at him and said, "Justin?"
"Yes?"
"I had been wanting you to do that all night," she confessed, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. He glanced at her and smiled.
Loren looked outside and saw that they were on her street. She didn't want this night to end, it had gone so perfectly. He stopped the car in her drive way, and got out of the car to walk her to the house. They stopped in front of her front door and stood there quietly for a second.
"I hope this wasn't a onetime thing," he confessed, looking at her so that their eyes met, "I would love to do this again."
Loren couldn't believe the day she was having. She looked at him and said, "I would like that too."
Justin smiled at her again, and he wrapped his arms around her engulfing her in a warm hug. He pulled away slightly, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked her. Loren nodded shyly, just as he let go of her. "Good night, Loren."
"Good night, Justin," she smiled at him as he walked back to his car, and waved goodbye. She stayed there for a second, watching him drive away. As she stood there, she was still a little shocked by everything that had happened in the past few hours. That was the perfect date, she thought to herself with a smile before she turned around and walked into the house.
Please review! (: