Page 121 of Blush Crush

His expression melts into something more tender, eyes crinkling at the corners, a vulnerability to his features that has a swarm of butterflies starting to take flight in my belly.

My hand remains over his and his eyes return to the road, but the butterflies don’t subside.

A few minutes later, we pull up to a house I don’t recognize. The closer we get, the more I realize it’s not just any regular house. Cole’s headlights sweep over it, bringing everything into view.

It looks like something out of a fairy tale—too whimsical to be real, and yet there it is, solid and standing right in front of me.

The structure sags and curves in all the wrong places, as if it were shaped by hand instead of built. The white stucco walls bulge slightly beneath a low, swooping roof, shingles layered unevenly over one another, giving the whole place a weathered, enchanted feel.

It’s remarkable, actually. I’ve never seen anything like it in person. I didn’t even know something like this could exist outside of animated illustrations.

“What is this place?”

“It’s a house,” Cole says simply, like it’s just any house. Though his subtle smirk says otherwise.

“Are we staying here? Is it some kind of attraction—like a museum or something?”

“It’s ours for the night.”

He gets out and comes around to get my door, his hand slipping into mine as he helps me step down.

The path to the front door is lined with small lanterns, each one casting a warm pool of light on the stone walkway beneath our feet.

Cole unlocks the door and pushes it open.

Inside it’s just as whimsical, like the Seven Dwarfs themselves might call this place home.

All the details are exactly as I would expect them to be inside a house fit for the forest of a magical kingdom—wooden floors, fanciful hand-carved furniture, walls made of stone. In the sitting area there are blankets and pillows laid out on the floor, a woven picnic basket in the middle.

It’s literally a fairy tale. Cole created a real-life fairy tale date just for me.

I look over at him, with his hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders hunched. “I know,” he says with a groan. “It’s so cheesy. It sounded a lot better in my head. I don’t know what I’m doing, doll.”

Before he can continue on this train of doubt, I throw myself at him, arms circling his neck. “You should probably shut up because this is amazing. It’s beyond amazing.”

Cole sweeps me off my feet and plops me on the kitchen counter, standing between my parted legs. My dress is long enough to not put anything on display but it feels wildly inappropriate to sit with my legs spread for him wearing a dainty little satin dress.

I let my coat slip off my shoulders and drape beneath me.

He holds my jaw gently in his palms, his eyes boring into mine. “You really like it? Because I can be normal and take you to a nice restaurant and show you off since you’re wearing such a beautiful dress.”

“I’m wearing this dress for you. And we can go on a dinner date anytime. But a picnic dinner in a house worthy of a princess is a million times better.”

Any random guy off the street can throw together a standard dinner date. This took time and thought. He specifically curated a date with my interests in mind. If that’s not swoon-worthy, I don’t know what is.

He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, the tips of his fingers sending a shockwave of shivers down my spine. Just when I think he’s going to kiss me, his gaze turns pensive as his forehead tips against mine, his breathing shaky. “I thought I could wait, but I can’t. I can’t hold it in anymore.”

His tone carries an undercurrent of foreboding, causing me to tense, my stomach sinking like a stone.

“What is it?” I hesitate to ask but force myself to anyway.

He’s regarding me so seriously I can’t help the worry that strikes me. I hold my breath for several seconds, hoping my heart isn’t about to be shattered.

“This isn’t working for me anymore.” His whisper fans my lips, the words sounding as pained as they feel when they hit me square in the chest and break it all open.

My body immediately recoils, trying to scoot away, head shaking despite the hold he has on me. Why would he do all this just to end it? Why go to these lengths?

“Wait. Fuck! I’m doing this all wrong.” His words are exasperated, his fingertips digging into the flesh of my hips, preventing me from getting away from him. I push against his shoulder but he doesn’t budge. “Ariana! Stop.” He grabs hold of my face with a gentleness in opposition of the warring emotionsstorming within me. With no other choice, I’m forced to look into his eyes. “Baby, you gotta let me finish.” His thumbs brush over my cheekbones with a tender touch. “I don’t want to fake it anymore with you because I want to really be with you. Not for show, not for the wedding. For real. Just you and me.”