Even after our conversation the mood still felt off. I drove us to get something to eat, but Collin insisted that he wasn't hungry. So I drove us to a remote area where we could stay the night instead. He sat on the bed of the car, staring at the sky as it changed colors. I looked from the driver's seat, figuring that he needed some space.

After a while, I went to the back of the car to find a change of clothing to wear for the night. As I was rummaging through the plastic bags, I stopped when a shade of coral caught my eye. I took it out to see it fully. It was the summer dress that I had spontaneously bought. I had never intended to wear it since there wasn't an occasion which I would. An idea suddenly sparked in my mind. The corners of my lips twitched. This might cheer him up. I crawled inside the car to change.

The dress surprisingly fit well. I usually didn't wear pink clothing, but it was surprisingly flattering. I slipped out of the trunk and used one of the side-view mirrors to fix my hair. Since I didn't have a pair of shoes that matched, I decided to go barefoot. The grass tickled my feet and I was poked by a couple of sticks, but besides that, I was perfectly comfortable.

Collin was still looking ahead, seemingly clueless to what I was doing. I opened the passenger door and crawled into the seat. I stared at Collin for a moment through the window. Then, I connected my phone to the Bluetooth and turned on a recommended playlist. 

Collin's head quickly darted towards the sudden noise. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me. I gave him a shy smile and got out of the car. I walked around to stand in front of him. He examined me from head to toe but remained silent. 

"Do you like it?" I traced my hands down my hips, suddenly feeling embarrassed. It felt incredibly vulnerable to stand in front of him and to wait for a response.

"What," he cleared his throat, "what's the occasion?" 

"It's one of the last things on my list." He blinked, clearly having no clue what I was referring to. "One of the things I have to do is dance. C'mon," I grabbed his hand and dragged him off the car, "you can't let me do it alone." 

Collin appeared hesitant to comply, but after staring at my face for another moment, he broke into a smile. My heart flipped at the sight. I couldn't help but smile back. I had expected it to take longer to convince him. I decided not to question it, though, in case he changed his mind. 

I waited in a grass patch in front of the car with Boh. Collin had insisted on changing into a clean pair of clothes—probably after noticing that I had done so. I was sitting down, humming the melody of the song that was playing and petting Boh's face. When Collin reappeared from behind the car, I dropped my hands. He looked down at his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. He seemed lost, as if he walked into the wrong classroom. He didn't realize just how handsome he looked at that moment. 

He was wearing the outfit I had picked out for him. My heart fluttered like it had the first time I saw him wearing it. Wow was all I could think. 

The song ended and transitioned to a more upbeat song, snapping me out of my thoughts. I quickly stood up. Collin approached me and only stopped when his nose was inches from mine. We stood like that for some time, lost in each other. The chorus of the song hit, and I couldn't help but slightly bounce to the beat. Collin chuckled softly then held my hands in his. I curled my fingers around his excitedly. 

It turns out that Collin was a far better dancer than I was. At times his feet moved so quickly that I could hardly keep up. He spun me until I was dizzy and dipped me so low that I'd shriek from fear of falling. Every time he laughed and pulled me back up. And each time I'd laugh, too, because I knew that he'd never drop me. He was always there to catch me. 

After an hour of dancing tirelessly to energetic songs, a slower, gentler song came on. I immediately recognized it as a song Collin played for me since I'd never had something so slow on my own playlist. Collin's hands released mine and traveled down to my waist. His gentle touch caused tingles to crawl through my body. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he pulled me closer. Our bodies rocked slowly to the music. We seemed to move as one rather than as a pair. As I closed my eyes, I felt myself drifting off the ground and away from Earth. It felt like there was nothing around me except for the music in my ears and the body next to mine. 

I opened my eyes as I felt Collin's cheek brush against mine. He lifted his head, looking into my eyes. His eyes. They had always seemed to show everything and nothing. As if they only revealed the parts of him that he wanted to let me see. But now I could almost pinpoint each emotion he was feeling, like a mirror reflecting his soul. He was still heartbroken and sad, I knew, but there was also a hungry and lustful glint in his eyes. I bit my lower lip, trying to calm the sensation that was weighing on my chest. 

His eyes flickered towards my lips. My breath hitched. He looked back into my eyes as he slowly got closer as if he was asking for permission. Unlike the time I had kissed him in the car, I was paralyzed by what was happening. It wasn't until he planted his lips on mine that I came back to life. I tightened my grip around his neck, trying to pull him closer than he already was. I raised onto my tip-toes. It felt like I was flying. 

Our bodies continued to sway somehow, almost as if the music was controlling us rather than ourselves. When the song ended, we pulled back, breathless. A smile threatened to overtake my face. When we had kissed the first time, I had been angry and emotional and had only left it feeling more confused. Now, I felt nothing but happiness and a sense of completion. My cheeks hurt from how hard I had been smiling all night. 

After another hour (when it was so dark that it was impossible to see), we lowered the backseats, laid down a couple of blankets, and laid down side by side. The music was still playing but it was low enough to simply be background music. The excitement that was jittering through my veins had finally calmed down and I was left exhausted. I rested my head on my hands, keeping my eyes on Collin to make sure they didn't close. 

"How are you feeling?" I whispered. The atmosphere seemed too gentle to cut through with a loud voice. 

"Better." He grabbed my hand, making small circles on it with his thumb. I clenched onto his fingers, afraid of him letting go. I wished that we could hold onto each other like this forever. 

"We should go to sleep," he muttered. "Gotta get up early tomorrow." 

Oh. My stomach pitted. We were supposed to go back to California tomorrow. All of our fun moments and all of the work we had put into our relationship would be gone. I had dreaded going home all week, but now I was insistent on staying. I didn't care where we went as long as Collin was with me. I couldn't lose him—not now. Not until the asteroid had hit Earth and we were dead. 

Maybe we can go somewhere else. I thought back to the three photos that Collin had in his wallet. They were pictures of Oregon, Hawaii, and New York. We certainly couldn't take a plane to Hawaii since most airports were shut down by now, but New York... 

I squeezed Collin's hand and whispered, "Let's go to New York."

He stared at me for a moment, confusion written on his face. "What?"

"That was another place you wanted to go, right?" I asked. He nodded slightly. "You've helped me with nearly everything on my list, and I want to at least help you with two-thirds of yours." 

"We already went to Oregon," he muttered. "That's enough for me. Besides, you need to go home to your family. They're waiting for you." 

I chewed on the inside of my lip thoughtfully. I had nearly forgotten about that. My mind was made up, though. My parents had each other, and they couldn't be mad at me in a few days. If I wanted to travel for the rest of my life, then I should be able to do it. 

"They'll be fine," I reassured him. He didn't look convinced. "Look, it'll take what? Two days to get there? We can explore for a day, and if we're still alive after that, then you can take me home. Okay?" 

He stared at me for a moment longer, deeply contemplating my offer. I watched him nervously. After today I had been confident that he'd want to spend more time with me, but what if he didn't? What if I was wrong? 

"Okay," he whispered. "Let's go to New York." 

I couldn't help but grin. I kissed his knuckles thankfully. He leaned closer and kissed my forehead, then rested his head next to mine. I closed my eyes blissfully. I can't believe it, we're actually going to do it. 

We're going to New York. 

Hey guys! After such a big chapter, I thought that a more lighthearted chapter would be great. What do you guys think about them going to New York for their last few days? Do you think that Natalie will regret it later? Let me know your thoughts! 

Don't forget to vote, comment, and to share this story with your friends. Try voting while dancing. Stay hip! 

This song is called Sleep on the Floor by the Lumineers. Enjoy!