Baby be Mine

Chapter 22

[Mic]

I enter the front room a little nervously. Shaking my hands out by my sides. "How do I look?"

Nancy looks up from her book, a beam settling on her face.

"Is it too much, I can change?" I worry.

"You look lovely."

"Are you sure? I still have time."

"Mikayla Fiona Hayes. You look brilliant. Relax." Nancy says, standing up and making her way over to me. Placing her hands on my shoulders. Once she has my eye contact, she continues. "You know she likes you; I mean you've already had the first kiss. So, relax and be yourself. You'll have a better time, I promise you."

I nod. What she says makes sense but it still doesn't stop the nerves. We've only talked a couple of times. What if she doesn't like the real me, just the version she thinks I am? What if I find I don't like who she is? I've liked her from afar for so long it's scary that I'm actually getting a chance to be with her.

I don't want to blow it.

The knock on the front door makes me jump out of my skin. Shit, is that the time.

"I'll get it." Nancy says.

"No. I've got it." I say, snapping out of it. Rushing ahead of Nancy to open the door.

With a final deep breath, I open the door. No backing out now. Is it better to like from afar and never know if it's real or to find out. Well, I'm about to find out.

Dressed in dark navy-blue jeans, and a dark grey long-sleeved shirt, I'm stunned silent. Wow. She looks amazing. She smiles shyly, standing with her hands behind her back.

"Hi." I breath.

"Hi," she says, a proper smile taking over her face. "You look beautiful."

I smooth a hand down my blue dress. A gift from Nancy on my last birthday that I hadn't had a reason to wear yet. With the way she's looking at me and that comment about being beautiful, I think I just found my favourite outfit.

Lila Jenkins thinks I'm beautiful.

A blush blooms on my cheeks and I bite my lip to stop the massive smile from forming.

Is this really happening?

"I've got you these." Lila says, pulling her hands from behind her back. In her hands she holds a wooden rose and a soft toy. "Well, the rose is for you the teddy is for Elsie. I thought I'd try to sweeten her up if I'm stealing you for the night."

"These are amazing. How did you even have time? Sorry, I've left you standing on the doorstep. Please come in."

She chuckles, "Thanks. Confession, I may have bought them yesterday when I went shopping with my mum. I wanted to apologise for my behaviour on Thursday. I'm not normally a violent person."

"You don't have to apologise for that. I'm sorry, it's because of me you were in that position."

Before we can move from the hallway to the living room Lila puts her hand on my arm. Not forceful but enough to stop me in my tracks. "You've done nothing wrong. It's those sheep people that are in the wrong. Never forget that."

I don't think this blush is ever going to leave my cheeks. After giving her a quick kiss on the cheek we move into the living room.

"Hello Lila, don't you look dashing this evening. The two of you make quite the pair."

"Thank you, Ms Mitchell." Lila says demurely.

"Call me Nancy."

"Lila bought me a wooden rose and a teddy for Elsie." I blurt out.