I park the car and enter the hotel. I did extensive research to find something decent that I could afford. Another benefit of having your parents' trust is that I have a credit card. I've only used it for emergencies and always paid off the balance when the bill came in. I recently as of this week switched to paperless so I didn't have to worry about the bill coming in and my parents seeing the charges.

I consoled myself by telling myself it wasn't really being deceitful as I've always paid the bill and I am legally an adult so it's more of me taking responsibility for my own life than trying to get over on them but I still felt a twinge of guilt when I handed over my card to the woman at the concierge desk.

"All set, Mr. Nash. Here are your keys," she handed me two key cards, "and you'll only be staying with us the one night?"

"Yes, I'll be leaving in the morning."

"Alright, check out is by 11 am and we offer a complimentary breakfast between the hours of 7 and 10."

"Thank you," I take the keys from her and rejoin Brynn who was sitting in the lobby waiting for me. I thought it best that I go up to the desk alone as I knew the woman may ask to see my ID and although I'm 18, Brynn is not and I wasn't sure if any of that would become a problem.

I get to Brynn and she springs up from the chair she was sitting on. "So, all set."

I show her the key cards.

"Yep, but first let's go for a ride."

"A ride? But we just got here?"

"I know but it's all part of my plan," I see her glance briefly at the eight ball attached to her purse but she thankfully does not ask to invoke the power of that magical little toy and instead puts her hand in mine and asks, "Where to first?"

I get her to the car and drive to the nearest indoor mall. "A mall?" She looks severely disappointed and I feel myself second-guessing my decision to bring her here but then throw my courage to the sticking place.

"Come on. I have my reasons." We get inside and I take her to one of the big-name department stores.

"Finn, what are we doing here?"

"We are going shopping."

"Shopping?" she says in utter disbelief. "Now?"

"Yep," I hand her $100 in cash from my wallet. "I want you to buy yourself something nice to wear."

She looks at the money in my hand like it's something foreign. "Finn, I don't need all of this. Isn't this..."

"Indulge me?" I ask, she frowns but takes the money. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to buy myself something nice to wear, too. I'll meet you back here. Be sure to be wearing whatever you bought."

"Oookay?" she says hesitantly.

We separate for a little while. Being a guy I was of course done shopping way before her. She finally appears before me and is she ever worth the wait. She is wearing this sweet little sleeveless dress that comes to her knees, has a v-shaped neck, and laces up the back in the color of a glass of wine. It so compliments her black hair and I noticed she's wearing makeup. I've never seen her in make up before except for when she was trying to hide her bruise from when she fell down the stairs in school and then it was just cover-up.

It was so subtle, tasteful, not overdone, just highlighting all my favorite features like her eyes and high cheekbones, and lips. My eyes linger a little too long on her lips which look glossy and moist and she blushes under my gaze. Her legs are bare but on her feet are a nice pair of heels.

"They made me up at the makeup counter. I had some money left over so..." she shrugs awkwardly.

"You're... exquisite," I stammer unable to my eyes from her.

"You clean up pretty good yourself," she says giving me a once over glance that made me laugh.

"I do don't, I?" I said smoothing my hand over my black dress shirt, I left unbuttoned slightly not wanting to overdo things with a tie not knowing what she may opt for dress-wise.

"The cufflinks are a nice touch," Brynn said fingering the cuff of my sleeve and I try not to react to the jolt her innocent touch caused to course through my body. I went for dark wash denim jeans but dress shoes and a belt. I can tell by the way she is looking at me, she likes what she sees and I feel immediately emboldened to take action.

I take her package from her and place it next to mine on the ground and pull out a surprise for her from my pocket. I hold it out for her to see. "May I?"

She looks so uncertain but just nods her head yes, and moves her hair out of the way so I can place the gold necklace around her neck. She looks down at the delicate chain and gold heart.

"It's beautiful," she tells me and I get that secret smile. That smile that every girl must get when looking at the man she loves. The one my mom hid behind the rose when looking at my dad. The one Brynn is sharing with me right now. I'm instantly compelled to kiss her. I couldn't stop myself.

I pull away reluctantly knowing we are in a public place, pick up our packages and hold out my arm. "You ready for the next part of our adventure?"

Brynn giggles. "I think so." She links her arm with mine and I quickly check the time on my phone and I'm right on schedule. I love watching how heads turn to admire her as I walk with Brynn through the mall to the restaurant. I've made a reservation; just to be sure we'd have a seat.

Brynn is, of course, oblivious to it all, chatting me up about my plans for the summer. I tell her I plan to keep the job at the pizza place. How I've submitted all my essays and scholarship applications for the colleges I wish to attend for architecture.

"Didn't they want a portfolio from you?" Brynn asked.

"Yes, but I've been working on projects for years. I thought of it only as a hobby but it was always something I loved to do. I must have spent hours on some of my designs. I had no problem putting something together to submit."

She smiles at me. "Finn Nash, the artist."

"Surprised?" I wondered.

"By you?" she said, "Always."

We arrived at the restaurant and I bring her inside. She instantly understood why I wanted her to dress up, as this place was pretty high end. "Are you sure this isn't too expensive?" Brynn asks cautiously as she reads over the menu now that we are seated at our table. "I really don't need all of this, Finn."

"I know, but you deserve it." I reach out to take her hand in mine.

She smiles at me, shaking her head. I know she thinks I'm being silly, and perhaps a bit extravagant but I've been thinking of creating these moments since the first date we never had. She deserves this and so much more.

"Get whatever you want," I tell her and she smiles and orders something moderately priced. When the waiter leaves she confesses all she really wants are the bread and butter they put on the table. I laugh, pushing the basket towards her, and Brynn giggles. Butter according to Brynn is the secret to a happy life.

The food was amazing and the company was even better as Brynn opened up telling me some of her dreams of what she'd like to see happen. She wants to become a nurse but she's going to go to school first to be a home health aide so she can take care of her grandmother and save up some money for college. She plans on going to school somewhere local and is happy to hear it was my plan as well.

I would love for us to move in together but I know sticking close to her grandmother is important to her, and I won't separate them. However, I've logged away in my mind the need to get my own place. I want somewhere we can just be us not have to stress about everything else like school or family.

I can't believe I'm here planning out my future with Brynn. It feels so... right.

"Why are you grinning at me again?" Brynn asks before taking another bite of buttered bread.

"Can't help it," I tell her, "You make me happy."

The waiter returns and asks if we would like dessert. Brynn looks at me and the look in her eyes makes my heartbeat an erratic rhythm. There's that smile again and she turned to the waiter and said, "We'll take some chocolate cake... to go."

The waiter looked a bit dazed and that was probably because he got the full brunt of Brynn persona in that simple transaction. She didn't mean to unleash that look on him but he quickly ran off to do her bidding. He returned with the cake and check, which I gratefully paid, so we could get the heck out here.

We get back to the hotel and I carry in our packages and our bags. We get into the elevator and head up to our room. My hands are full so Brynn grabs my wallet from my pocket, takes out the key card, and lets us in. She takes just a few steps inside, just enough for me to enter behind her, and gasps when she turns on the light.

The room is set up with roses near the bedside, petals were strewn across the bed. They folded up a few towels into swans that make a heart shape with their necks. I thought that was a particularly nice touch and a piece of chocolate on each pillow.

I put our bags and the packages from the mall in the closet by the door. "Do you like it?" I ask. She looks at me with just ... awe. "I'm starting to see how planning isn't really that bad of a thing," she teases and I kiss the tip of her nose.

"It has its uses," I admit.

Brynn walks around the room taking it all in. She stops to smell the dozen roses by the bedside and pulls one out, she walks back to me and I expected her to kiss me again but she instead opens the closet door and reaches for the package from the mall, smiles at me, and disappears into the bathroom.

While she was inside doing ... I'm not sure what I dug out the box of condoms from my bag and put them in the drawer next to the bed. I take a picture of the bed with the swans before disturbing them and moving them aside incase Brynn would want to remember what it all looked like.

As I turn down the bed, I hear the handle to the bathroom door click and there she stood in the doorway in a silk slip nightgown that just brushed the top of her thighs. She still wore the heels but I think it was more to give her height than her actually trying to be seductive but it served both purposes.

I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. She shied under my gaze. "Is it alright?" she worried.

"Alright?" I repeated lamely. How is it possible that she doesn't know how incredibly beautiful she is?

"Brynn... you... Wow!" was all I could get past my lips. She smiles and my heart stops. It didn't start beating again until she crossed the room and placed her hand on my chest. I thought then it might break a rib the way it raged against the cage that held it in place.

I cradle her face in my hands and tilt her head back so I can capture her mouth with mine. Her hands wind around my neck she presses her whole body against me. My hands slide from her face into her hair. I hold her in place as I deepen the kiss, she sighs into my mouth. My eyes open and I find her looking at me.

"I love you," I profess. "I love you so much, Brynn."

"I love you, too." Her arms wrap around me. She holding is onto me so tight.

I pull her away and lead her over the edge of the bed. I sit down so I'm closer to her height and I can see her eye to eye. Something is bothering me again and I have to say it.

"Brynn, are you certain?" I ask, "Because if you have any doubts. Any hesitation just let me know. I promise I'll understand."

She's already shaking her head no. "Are you... certain?" she bats back at me.

"Honestly... no," I admit to her and concern clouds her features.

"You don't want to..."

"No, no... it's not like that," I am quick to reassure her. "I just want ..." I reach out and tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I..." I frown, as I struggle for the right words. "Brynn, I so wanted everything to be perfect and I want us to have this time together but I'm so afraid you might regret it later."

"Why would you think such a thing?" She is staring at me in complete disbelief that I'm saying this to her... now of all times, but I need her to know.

"This is a one-shot, Brynn. A tremendous gift you're giving me, and I don't take it lightly, but once we... well, there's no going back, no changing your mind. I just want to make sure, you're sure, you know?"

"You are such an idiot sometimes, you know that? Right?"

"You've mentioned it on more than one occasion." Her fingers lightly caress the side of my cheek, "But you are the most adorable idiot I've ever met."

I chuckle.

Brynn holds my gaze as she reveals, "I don't know how or what I've done to deserve you in my life but I am eternally grateful. I can't imagine doing this with anyone else."

"I just don't want to hurt you." I express one of my deep-seated fears.

"Do you love me?" Her eyes lock on mine.

"You know I do," I tell her.

"Then you can't possibly hurt me," Brynn said and she kisses me and that kiss holds so much promise, but I know I have another secret fear. One, I can't discuss or bring up because there aren't any guarantees she can give me. I'm scared if I do this with her that I may be the one who ends up hurt or even destroyed if something bad happens to her.

She stops kissing me. I panic. Praying my thoughts didn't translate themselves to her somehow, because she is looking at me with tears in her eyes. "That's not what you're afraid of, is it? Or at least that's not all of it?"

I feel stripped of all defenses under her gaze. My soul lays bear at her feet.

"Oh my God!" she exclaims, stunned, and steps away from me. "Oh my God!" she repeats and her eyes fill up with tears. "I must be the most selfish person in all creation!" Her hands flutter up to cover her lips.

"No, Brynn," I said standing up and taking a step forward, but she takes a step back from me and it hurts.

"I am. All this time I'm thinking about only me. What I want. That I want you! I need you! I want to be with you while I still feel like ..." she waves her hand to encompass her form, "like a girl, as a woman before they take that away from me, but never in all of this have I considered you or how you might feel."

"Brynn, I want you, too. Please don't doubt that, but I need you to know I'd want you just as much now as I would later. This surgery doesn't mean to me what it means to you. You, Brynn Shelby, are so much more than your internal parts. I'm in love with your heart, your mind, your very soul."

"But you're scared, that it... that I... may be taken from you?"

I look away ashamed of the tears that are burning my eyes. Why can't I hold it together? Why can't I just give her this one thing that she wanted, even if it may destroy me? She deserves to feel loved! I want to be that guy for her. Damn it!

"I can't..., " she fumbles for the right words, "I won't lie to you, Finn. I can't pump you up full of false hope. I wish I could, but I have no guarantees so I can make none of my own."

I turn back and I look at her, my heart is breaking, but I don't care, not anymore. My dad's words ring in my head, "Sometimes you just need to trust in yourself to do the right thing when it matters most." And I knew without a shadow of a doubt this was the right thing to do.

I hold my arms out to her and she comes to me. I hold her; just hold her, breathing in her scent, memorizing the feel of her in my arms. If this is all I get, I will have to make it enough.

"Finn?" I hear the question in her voice as it waivers.

I silence that question with a kiss, a kiss filled with love, longing, and need. I need her, as much as she needs me. I pull her with me as I fall back onto the bed. She tumbles on top of me. I roll over with her so I'm now on top. I don't put my weight upon her but have her held in place under me. I smooth her hair out of her face. I kiss her eyes, her nose, and her lips. I travel down her neck and she shivers.

"Are you cold?" I whisper.

"A little," she admits. I pull away from her and take a moment to slip off her shoes. I stand beside the bed pulling back the covers and she gets underneath. I step back to remove my clothes, everything except for my boxers, and climb back into bed with her. She slides over to make room for me.

I turn down the lights but keep them on because I want to see her. She's propped up on her elbow, a smile on her lips. "Now, what?" she asks as if I should somehow know.

I pull her close. "Not a clue but let's see if we can figure this out together."