to live for the hope of it all.

Chapter 39

December 15th, 2023

"One look, dark room meant just for you
Time moves too fast, you played it back..."

Beckett

I watched as Bailey's mouth opened and closed as she looked back and forth between the flowers in my hand and my face. I swallowed back the lump in my throat before speaking.

"I'm uh, a few months early this year," I joked. "But it seemed fitting for the occasion."

Bailey's lips tilted upward just a fraction, and with a shaky hand she took the flowers from my hand before taking a step forward.

"This was why you wanted to know the exact color of my dress," she laughed softly, and I felt her exhale on my face.

"I wanted to get it right," I said, seriously. "Just like I have since your 14th birthday."

Her cheeks turned that dark shade of red that was quickly becoming my favorite color, and her smile turned shy at my words. Then she took another step forward and wrapped her arms around my waist, and I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

And that's when I knew I was going to kiss Bailey Conners tonight.

"This is cute," Caleb announced, making me pull back slightly to look at him. "But the dance started 10 minutes ago, think we could continue this there?"

Flipping my cousin off, I wrapped an arm around Bailey's waist before pulling her into my side and smiling at my mother. She smiled at Bailey and I adoringly before taking a few pictures of us.

Then I moved out of the way so Bailey could take a few with Wren and Grandpa Matt, before the 4 of us got one together.

Before we left, Bailey ran upstairs to leave the flowers in her room before meeting me at the door. I smiled as she all but flew down the steps before sending me a blinding smile. I smiled back and led her to Caleb's track with a hand on the small of her back, trying hard to ignore the way her dress hitched up a fraction.

Christ, this would be so much easier if her legs weren't a weakness of mine.

Correction: this girl in general is my weakness.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down while I opened the back door for her. She smiled gratefully before climbing in, and I got in after, smiling to myself when she chose to stay seated in the middle seat.

As Caleb reversed from the driveway, I reached my hand out to Bailey's and interlaced our fingers. She smiled down at our hands before answering something Wren had asked her. I traced circles into her hand while I looked out the window as Caleb drove.

It was going to be a long night, that's for sure.

Walking into homecoming, I was relieved to see others were also just getting here, so we hadn't missed much. Bailey's hand still in mine, I led us towards an empty table in the corner.

"Cap! Caleb!" Kyle announced, smiling from where he sat at a table nearby the one I was headed to. "Bailey, Wren, y'all look nice."

"Thank you," Bailey responded, smiling politely back to him as Wren did the same. "Are these seats free?"

My head turned to Bailey's in shock, and when Kyle told her they were, she turned to meet my eyes.

"Are you sure? There's an empty table over there we can go to," I pointed.

"These are your friends, and there's four open seats here," she smiled. "I want to."

I want to.