HI GUYS! Like I said I would, I'm updating again today.

This book has a few more chapters left, so I don't want you guys to panic when I say this, but I'm probably going to start setting things up for my next book (cover contests, posting, advertising here). So yeah, I'll keep you guys updated. IF YOU MAKE COVERS OR WANT TO TRY MAKING COVERS, KEEP AN EYE ON MY PROFILE AND THESE AUTHORS NOTES. :)

Next Update is probably next weekend. :D Happy reading.

Chapter 28: From Bad to Worse

We slowed to a stop in front of Maddox’s house and he turned to me. “Wait a second. I’ll be right out,” he informed me and I nodded, staring as he exited the car and disappeared into the house. I watched as Abel galloped down the steps, twirling his keys around his finger. However, this time, he didn’t drop them and fall down the steps trying to retrieve them. When he saw his brother’s idling car, he walked over and ducked his head into my window.

“Hey,” I greeted him.

“Hey,” he replied. “Ready for your date?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I muttered.

“You guess?” he asked me.

“I’m nervous,” I replied, glancing towards the entrance of the house. Maddox was walking down the steps with a large basket in his hand. “What’s that?” I asked as I squinted towards the green eyed boy approaching the car.

“You’ll see,” Abel replied.

Maddox put the basket in the backseat before shutting the door and getting in the driver’s seat. “What are you doing?” he asked his brother as he buckled his seatbelt.

“Talking, what are you doing?” Abel responded.

“Getting ready to leave,” Maddox told his older brother.

“You two have fun now. Don’t kiss too much,” Abel warned as he slowly started ducking his head out of the window. “Oh wait, she won’t even kiss you until you man up and ask her out!”

Maddox simply gave his older brother a glare before driving off down the street, allowing the sound of Abel’s mocking laughter to fade away as we drove further and further away. “So what’s that?” I asked Maddox when I looked towards the backseat.

“You’ll find out later,” Maddox informed me. I stared at him before sighing.

“You’re not going to tell me anything?” I asked.

He smirked at me and shook his head. “What part of ‘surprise’ don’t you understand?”

“The entire concept of a surprise,” I replied.

“Well you’ll understand after today,” he responded with a smile on his face.

+ + +

We slowed to a stop in a slightly familiar area. “The cliff?” I asked curiously. But we weren’t at the clearing. We were in what seemed to be a more forested version.

“Yeah,” he replied as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

I got out of the car nervously, pulling down my sweater. I held the purse tightly in my hand, fearing that I’d leave it somewhere and lose all of my belongings. I don’t understand why people just can’t use pockets instead of these bulky, unnecessary things. “Where’s the clearing?” I asked curiously.

He looked at me with a grin. “We’re going to be doing a little bit of walking, if that’s okay with you.”

“Lead the way, Maddie,” I replied. I was surprised that the grin didn’t falter at the use of his nickname. He grabbed the basket from the backseat and walked towards a slight opening in the forested area. The moonlight wasn’t as bright between the trees; I was simply going off of the sound of snapping branches beneath his feet rather than actually watching him. The cold air was nipping at my skin and the wind was blowing, causing my hair to attack my face, but I managed to listen to the noises Maddox was making. Suddenly, the crunching twigs stopped and I immediately grew tense. “Maddie?”

“Yeah?” he asked casually, as if being enveloped in the darkness was an everyday thing for him.

“I can’t see you. Where are you?” I asked, trying to keep my balance as I stepped over a large rock.

I was suddenly blinded by a bright light and Maddox swore. “Oops, forgot about the brightness.”

He quickly turned it down and my eyes managed to focus on him and his phone. “How much further?” I asked curiously.

“About five more minutes,” he replied. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I responded, nodding my head quickly. “Let’s just keep going.” I nervously glanced around, feeling as if I was being watched. Maddox tucked his phone into his pocket and I daringly stepped closer to him, searching for his hand in the darkness. Once I found it, I tangled my fingers with his, feeling the warmth of his hand surrounding mine.

“If you wanted to hold my hand, you should’ve just said so,” Maddox spoke a few seconds later, sounding smug.

I scoffed. “Only because I can’t see where I’m walking.”

“You’re scared of the dark,” Maddox scoffed.

“No, I’m not,” I retorted but I didn’t sound so sure.

“You’re such a wimp,” Maddox chuckled.

“Imagine all the spiders out here, crawling around in the dirt, laying eggs everywhere,” I spoke and he shivered.

“Stop talking,” he insisted and in the faint glimmer of the moonlight, I could see that he was rubbing the side of his head against his shoulder as he made noises of disgust. I laughed, earning a grunt from him. After almost tripping three times, we finally reached an area free of trees but filled with rocks and more dirt located on a somewhat steep slope. “This is where things get difficult,” Maddox noted.

“Do I have to find the slope of this hill?” I asked him hopefully as I looked down it.

“You wish,” Maddox muttered as he set out on climbing down it. I slowly followed, letting out a whimper when I nearly tripped. Maddox reached the bottom moments before me and waited patiently, laughing when my foot slipped and I basically rolled down the side of the hill. “Are you okay?” he asked between laughs as I wiped off my pants.

“I’m fine,” I responded, glaring at him. He simply grinned at me, wiping off a few stray specks of dirt from my face.

“You missed a spot,” he replied as he stepped closer to me, allowing his hand to cup my face.

“Thanks,” I retorted before looking away from him. “Are we almost there?”

He sighed and dropped his hand. “Yeah, just a few more minutes,” he replied.

“You said that ten minutes ago,” I told him.

After what seemed like hours, we were finally on flat, clear land. I looked up and saw the familiar gated clearing where we usually sit. I was surprised at how high up it was. It didn’t seem like we had just climbed down from there. I was surprised to feel Maddox’s hand find mine and I glanced down, smiling at the sight of his fingers entwined with mine. “Is this okay? Or are you going to make me wait until I propose?” he asked.

With a red face, I scoffed. “Just shut up already.”

Maddox chuckled as we continued to walk. “Close your eyes,” Maddox told me as we grew closer and closer to our destination. I hesitantly shut my eyes as I tightened my grip on his hand. I heard something that sounded like running water and I urged to open my eyes. I walked a few more steps, almost being hit in the face by a branch.

“Can I look now?” I asked him when we remained in the same spot.

“Yes,” Maddox told me and I slowly opened my eyes. My eyes widened as I stared at the waterfall that filled the lake, which was only meters away from us. The clear water fell at a slow, steady pace, making a soft dripping noise. I was so enticed by the waterfall and the lake that I didn’t even notice Maddox struggling to lay out a picnic blanket. “This is so stupid,” he snapped, pulling me from my trance.

I laughed, grabbing one side of the blanket and putting it on the grass, making sure there weren’t any wrinkles. I sat down, mocking his actions. He grabbed the picnic basket and placed it between us. “Did you cook?” I asked him curiously and he snorted.

“No, Abel and my mom did,” he replied. “Unless you’re in the mood for food poisoning, you don’t want to taste my cooking.”

“I always love a nice plate of food poisoning,” I responded sarcastically as he handed me a plate. I accepted it, waiting for him to unload the basket.

“Well, we don’t have food poisoning, but we have sandwiches, with pastrami, because I know you love pastrami. We also have chips, because who doesn’t love chips? And we can’t forget the fruit, because my mother loves forcing health upon unwilling teenagers. And then there’s desert,” he explained as he unloaded the entire basket. “And because my mother didn’t want me to set the wilderness on fire, nor did she want me to set my date on fire- because for some odd reason, she likes you; she gave me flashlights.”

He turned on the flashlights as he handed me a sandwich. I looked at him curiously as I bit into it. “How’d you know I like pastrami?” I inquired.

Through a mouthful of sandwich, he grinned. “When you order sandwiches at lunch, I pay attention.”

I narrowed my eyes at him as I nodded. “Okay.”

I was surprised at how quickly I finished my sandwich and chips, but then again, I was anticipating food the entire ride and hike out here. “Are there drinks?” I inquired, glancing into the basket. My mouth was dry from the potato chips and I was in dire need of a drink.

“Yeah,” he nodded. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tipped over the basket, digging around. His face immediately fell when he realized that the drinks weren’t there. “I forgot the drinks at home.”

“It’s fine,” I smiled at him.

“My bad,” he frowned as he dropped the basket.

“What’s for dessert, Maddox?” I asked as I stared at him. He slowly stopped chewing as he covered his mouth, coughing noisily. Once he recovered, he began laughing loudly. I quirked an eyebrow, silently asking what the joke that nearly killed him was. He slowly shook his head.

“Oh, it’s nothing…you just phrased that oddly,” he chuckled.

“Oh, you’re gross,” I laughed as he tossed me a bag with a grin on his face. It was a small Ziploc with a few homemade cookies in it. “Your mom’s very organized. My mother would’ve just tossed in a box of Oreos and called it a day.”

Maddox apparently found this hilarious because he had to put his bag of sweets down. “Abel baked and packed the cookies,” he managed to breathe. I ate a cookie and furrowed my eyebrows.

“These are surprisingly good,” I muttered. “I hope they’re not laced with laxatives.”

“Yeah, me too,” Maddox said as he shoved a cookie in his mouth.

“Are you a nervous eater?” I asked him curiously when I watched him shove another cookie in his mouth.

“No, what makes you say that?” he asked as he barely had time to swallow the remains of a cookie before he placed another one into his mouth.

“You’re breezing through those cookies,” I told him.

“Maybe I’m just hungry,” he shrugged.

“Or maybe you’re just nervous,” I smiled as I crawled towards him on the blanket, plopping down beside him. Slinging my arm over his shoulder, I laughed. “It’s usually the girl that’s nervous on dates.”

“Are you calling me a girl?” he asked. I shook my head as I took my arm away from him in order to eat another cookie.

“I never said that,” I replied.

“You insinuated it,” he retorted.

“Shut up,” I responded.

“You try and flirt with me by insulting my manliness,” he shook his head. “That’s typical third grader behavior.”

Before I could reply, the flashlights flickered and I heard Maddox swear under his breath. “The batteries died?” I asked.

I heard Maddox tap the back of the flashlight and grunt when the light flickered dimly. It shut off a few seconds later. “Yeah,” he responded, sounding deflated.

“It’s okay, did you pack more?” I inquired.

“No,” he muttered and I sighed. “I’m such an idiot.”

“No, you’re not,” I told him.

“What are we going to do?” he murmured.

“We can take turns using our phones for light,” I replied. “My percentage is at…” I started as I dug around in the stupid purse for my phone. When I finally grabbed it, I looked at it and sighed. “It’s at 37% but it should last about a half hour on the flashlight app.”

“You have the app?” Maddox asked.

“Yeah,” I told him, “For basement adventures and the like. I just wish I would’ve charged my phone when I was getting ready.”

“My charge is at 68%. It should last,” he told me as the light shone on his face. He dropped it on the blanket beside us and smiled at me. “Better?”

I nodded and looked around at the dimly lit date sight. “Much better.”

+ + +

Our phones died quicker than we expected. We were barely talking for an hour before Maddox’s phone screen darkened and it insisted on being plugged into the charger. That’s when I put my phone out, which had dropped another four percent in my pocket. And eventually, it too was dying to be charged. So we decided to sit and admire the only form of light that we had- the sky.

“This is so cliché,” Maddox groaned as he stared at the sky.

“It’s cute,” I told him as I clutched his hand. It was the only thing providing me comfort against the darkness around us. “Besides, we’re supposed to be talking on a date- getting to know one another. Our phones dying might be a good sign.”

“A good sign that I’m terrible at setting up dates,” Maddox muttered.

“You are not,” I told him. “Now shut up and stare at the stars.”

We stared up at the sky, occasionally pointing out a specifically pretty one whenever we deemed it worthy. I was usually the one doing the pointing because Maddox felt that stargazing was stupid and overrated. I was trying to prove to him why it wasn’t stupid. Halfway through our pointless bicker, I felt something hit my face and I furrowed my eyebrows. “Is it raining?” I asked as another drop fell on my forehead. I immediately tensed up and Maddox mocked my actions.

“Are you serious?” he grunted as the rain began to drip harder and harder. Luckily, we packed up the basket beforehand when we had our phones to give us light. The only thing we needed to pick up was the blanket.

“Don’t tell me we have to walk up that hill and through the forest in the rain,” I asked him. I may have survived the first time (barely), but I doubt I’d be able to do it again in the pouring rain.

“No, but we have a bit of walking to do,” he told me as he lifted up the blanket and shoved the damp cloth into the basket, not even bothering to close it all the way. He led me in the opposite direction of the way we came. As we continued to walk, the rain began to pour harder and harder. We had to walk uphill, but instead of it being a grassy area, it was a large street. It also had lights, though they were dim, it was much better than walking in complete darkness. Apparently, we’re walking around the entire park until we reach Maddox’s car.

“How much further?” I asked as my hair began to stick to my neck. I had to basically shout to overpower the sound of the thundering drops of rain.

“About twenty minutes,” Maddox admitted in a depressed tone. I bit my lip as I walked beside him. I grabbed his hand in my own and began swinging them back and forth.

We reached the top of the hill and before I could grin in delight, my foot slipped on a wet plastic bag and I went rolling back down with a loud whimper. Maddox came jogging down the hill. “Are you okay?” he asked as he extended a hand for me to take. I nodded as I accepted it.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I responded, holding my back. It will definitely be bruised in the morning.

“Did you hit your head?” he asked me. I shook my head and he helped me walk back up the hill, making sure that I didn’t roll back down once we reached the top.

When we finally arrived at his car, he opened the door for me and I got in, shivering because of the cold. After Maddox shoved the basket in the backseat, he got in the front and let out a defeated sigh. We didn’t talk until we were well away from the cliff’s lake. “That date sucked,” Maddox blurted.

I looked at him and shook my head. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Fun?” he asked me. “I had you hiking through the forest in the dark. You fell down a hill twice. The batteries to the flashlights died, leaving us in complete darkness. I forgot to pack drinks. The weather was not cooperating. We had to walk thirty minutes in the pouring rain to get back to the car.” I laughed, earning a sigh from him. “Let me make it up to you—another first date- next week, because this one was terrible.”

I laughed as I looked at him. “You don’t need to do that.”

“No, because this isn’t only our first date, but it’s your first date. And I don’t want this to set your standards of what a date should be like,” Maddox explained.

“Okay, I’m up for it,” I nodded. “Who knew you were such a sweetheart?” I asked and he shot me a halfhearted glare.

We drove in silence to my house, where Maddox walked me up the steps to my porch in the drizzling rain. “Again, I’m sorry about tonight. The weatherman said it wasn’t going to rain. It was supposed to be a clear night.”

“Maddox—,” I attempted.

“And I should’ve double checked the basket,” he continued to rant.

“Maddox,” I went to speak.

“I should’ve had more batteries for the flashlight, too,” he spoke. “I didn’t know you were scared of the dark. I’m sorry about that, too.”

“Maddox!” I hissed.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Shut up,” I smiled. Deciding to shut him up the best way possible, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. In an instant, he was kissing me back. Despite the cold I was feeling thanks to my wet clothes, his lips provided me with warmth that filled my entire body. This time, I made sure not to bite his tongue.

When I pulled away from him, he was breathing heavily. With slightly furrowed eyebrows, he looked at me. “Maybe I should take you on more bad dates, so I can complain about all the bad things that happened, and you can kiss me again.”

I laughed before kissing him again. “And what happened to never apologizing?”

 He looked at me and laughed. “What happened to waiting until we’re official?” I raised an eyebrow and he shook his head. “I should shut up now, right?”

 “Yeah,” I nodded. “You should.”

HAHAHA TO ALL OF YOU GUYS WHO WERE LIKE 'it's ice skating duh can it be more obvious?' HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!