He’d handed her a sleep mask in the car to wear until they parked so she wouldn’t see the signs. He hadn’t let her remove it until they reached the path. As they got closer, he could hear the commotion ahead. He knew she wouldn’t recognize the sounds though.
Around a bend in the path, the entry came into view. Large painted letters on the archway gave away their destination before they could even see the people. Lila’s steps quickened. She nearly skipped the rest of the way, and Gavin laughed as he let go of her hand to drape an arm across her shoulders. He tugged her close and kissed the side of her head as they approached.
After paying their way in, they received their equipment. They pulled on the vests and goggles and then picked up their paint guns. The place was huge. Handfuls of people ran around, but they’d only be against each other.
“Ready?” Gavin asked.
Lila blew a piece of hair from her face that had fallen from the braid and lifted her gun up with a raised brow. “Bring it.”
“Count to ten, and it’s on.” He winked as he backed away. Before turning, he added, “By the way, this is totally a date.”
She smiled as she began counting, and he took off. He moved behind a wall and ran across the open space on the other side while he had a chance. Replicas of buildings in ruin filled the arena, giving it a post-apocalyptic feel. He slowed his steps to listen for signs of her following. Reaching a small cluster of buildings, he entered through a broken doorway. He checked the rooms for other players before creeping to a boarded window facing the direction he’d left Lila.
He waited and waited, but she never came. Just as he was about to go look for her, he heard a slight shuffling of the debris littering the floor. Before he could fully turn, a popping noise filled the air, and a burst of pink stung his side.
He cursed as he dove to find shelter, but he couldn’t fight the smile as he heard her laugh. Peeking out from the wall, he shot at her and missed. When he caught another hit in the shoulder, he gave up on that tactic. He jumped out and charged, firing away.
Lila’s laugh echoed off the stone walls as she ran. He followed her through the door and back into the open space. She tried to shoot over her shoulder but missed. He shot at the edge of her side, not wanting to hit her square in the back. As she turned down a narrow alley, she jumped over a large cement block, but her toes didn’t quite clear.
Gavin caught her just before she hit the ground. He tugged her up and to him while turning to lean against the wall. Both paint guns hit the ground. Lila rested against him with her brow on his chest as she tried to catch her breath. His hands tightened around her waist, drawing her in closer. Above them, heavy clouds floated across the sky.
She looked up with a grin. “I think I won.”
He brushed a piece of her hair back from her face before leaning down to capture her lips. She pushed up onto her toes to deepen the kiss. Shouts filled the air around them as people carried on, but he only cared about her. As her fingers played with the short hair at the nape of his neck, he knew she was wrong. He definitely won.
“We’re going to get paint all over your car,” Lila said as they walked back toward the parking lot.
“I am hurt that you think I wouldn’t be prepared for this.”
Before they could reach the car, the clouds opened up. Rain splattered the pavement, soaking into her shoes. Lila squealed as Gavin tugged her toward the trunk. He popped it open, pulled out a couple towels, then moved to the front seats to lay them down to sit on.
Lila moved around him to get in, but he stopped her with a hand around her stomach. Rain fell in heavy sheets, but it all faded to the background. The moment was perfect. The way he held her—looked at her. She fought the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Her heart raced as she stared up at him, blinking through the wetness, not sure if it was rain or tears.
His sweet smile sent butterflies fluttering though her. Moving in closer, he whispered, “How about we cross off one more thing from the bucket list before we go?”
She leaned back against the side of the car, reveling in his touch as his lips met hers once again.
Tomorrow. She would tell him everything tomorrow.
Lila’s Summer Bucket List
Sleep under the stars
Attend a party
Get a tattoo
Use fake ID to sing karaoke in a bar
Stand under the lights on the football field
Go on a date ❤️
Sneak out of the house
Visit the baby goat farm
Go to Chicago
Midnight swim
Spend a day in bed watching movies
Stay up to watch the sunrise
❤️ Be kissed in the rain
Run through the halls of the high school
Conquer a fear
Paintball
Try something new
Dye hair pink
Sneak into movie theater
Climb water tower
13
Monday
The cash register dinged as it popped open, and Gavin handed a woman her changed before moving to take the next customer’s order. A hand patted Gavin’s shoulder, and he sighed with relief when he looked over to see his mom.
“Oh, thank God!” He quickly ran to make up the next ice cream combination. “Where is Lila? She never showed up, and we’re packed.”
The busy room mirrored the full tables outside. For hours, it was nonstop, and he was by himself. His mom didn’t reply. Gavin looked around and found her at the door. As he rang up yet another customer, he saw her flip the sign
