Link Dane

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-EIGHT

I hurried out the bakery, instant regret filling me up to my throat as I hastily walked it back to Palmer's house. My hands were still visibly shaking, my heart still pounding loudly in my ears. I still felt that bizarre burning type feeling swimming around my stomach, and every time I tried sucking in a fresh breath of air, I would find the route of my air pipes jagged. 

My head was spinning, blaring sounds of alarms so I knew what I agreed to was a huge mistake. I shouldn't have said yes. I shouldn't have even considered it but damn, in that moment, I found my mouth rebelling against my true intentions.

I contemplated turning back around and cancelling on it. But my feet were pounding hard on the ground as I carried in walking to Palmer's place, already thinking of what to wear.

Shit.

Where would we go?

I made it to Palmer's and found that she wasn't home yet. I let myself in with the spare key and quickly stumbled up the stairs.

I had over two hours to revise for my exams and then I would have approximately two hours more to get ready. Plenty of time. I would be able to get ready under that time and have time to spare.

So I got to work, pretending for two hours that I didn't have a date with the devil himself.

****

I heard them come in quarter to six. I dropped my pen on my open textbook, put my headphones down and walked down the hallway. 

I caught them just as Nolan was putting Palmer's jacket off her. "Thanks for returning her from your day long adventure." I said from the top of the stairs, instantly grabbing their attention as they both turned their heads up.

Palmer sent me a soft smile, her eyes tired but beaming of content regardless. Nolan, however, let the ends of his lips curl into a smirk. "What can I say? Love me some old lady."

Palmer flicked her head back to Nolan, her mouth slightly ajar with disbelief. "I could be your big sister." She counter-reacted.

Nolan shook his head. "You could be my-"

I interjected quickly since I noticed Palmer getting ready to hand it to Nolan and I knew that it wouldn't be good for both of them.

"Palmer I need your help on something real quick."

Palmer didn't look my way, her eyes fixated on the man standing behind her. "Ori honey, give me a minute."

"I got a date with Link in two hours and I'm shitting myself." I blurted out.

Both of them snapped their heads quickly my way than I've even seen them do so before. Nolan looked at me with complete surprise etched on his face and Palmer had a mixture of surprise and shock. She blinked a few times, letting her head wrap around the idea of her nephew taking me out on a date.

"That is splendid." She said after a pause.

Lies. It was clear as daylight the lie she just cooked up. It wasn't splendid. It was a crisis.

"When did you guys get on that stage?" Nolan asked me slowly. I was unsure myself how we even got close to being on any stage, let alone that particular stage.

I shrugged in answer, deeming nothing else worthy to do.

"It happened all too quickly," I told them, descending down the stairs with my hand on the stair rail firmly. "He asked me and I said yes."