DREXEL GENESIS

I was on my way home after visiting Uncle Emmet when the shrill ringing of my phone resonates through the air.

"Hey Archer, what's up?" I ask, putting him on speaker.

"Hey. Where are you right now?" he asks me.

"I'm on the way home," I reply as I make a turn onto the main road.

"Where specifically?" he presses.

"Northwood Street."

"Are you driving Danny's spare car?"

"Yep. Why? "

"Hmm. Okay. Bye."

"Wha-Wait! Archer! Why did you call me?" I cut in, startled that he was so quick to hang up without explaining his reasons for calling.

"What? Can't I call my OWN best friend? Or am I not your best friend anymore now that- ugh." 

I could tell that he was irritated and that he was itching to get off the phone due to his rushed words.

"Archer..." I drag out warningly.

I hear him give out a scoff through the speaker, but the words he mumbles next are clear as day; "At the end of the day, I am still his best friend. Flirty Flory or not, Archer the Ace is always the best."

I splutter laughs out of my mouth. "What did you just say?" I ask him as I try to catch my breath.

"Nothing," he growls into the phone. "You had better thank me, you stupid betrayer. Good luck, you will need it." Then with another angry huff, he hangs up. 

I continue laughing to myself. Archer was definitely in a grouchy mood these days because I had 'gotten another best friend and forgotten the current one' – Archer's words, not mine.

Well, I only got help from Flory –she seemed the better choice when it comes to pick-up lines and whatnot and she was more than eager to help. Her overbearing personality led her to stay with me throughout the school while she shoved pickup lines down my throat. Archer had complained that there was no need for her since he had better pickup lines and plans to woo Crimson into accepting me.

But seeing that Flory's pickup lines had succeeded in bringing that red hue and smile into Crimson's face, I figured that Archer was bluffing.

"Archer, what have you done now?" I wonder to myself in confusion as I think about his abrupt phone call.

Shaking my head at his antics, I continue driving until I reach the colour lights. I stop the car when the light turns red and mindlessly look at the buzzing vehicles ahead, conjuring up my next plan to woo Crimson, who I undoubtedly know has feelings for me. She never complained about my advances.

Although Crimson has never explicitly confessed her feelings for me, she has also never denied having them. The only thing holding her back is the fact that she will only be here for two years. Learning this information was discouraging, and it almost made me give up, but Archer and Ayla urged me not to make any decisions I might regret later on. They reminded me that my own happiness was the most important thing. And if being with Crimson, even for just two years, could bring me that happiness, then I was willing to take it. 

For so long, I had been stuck in a rut, with my uncle in the hospital, and my mother in a wheelchair, looking out for my sister and with my father out of our lives.

I had no time to think about myself.

But with Crimson, every problem was forgotten. It was like a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed her company and our conversations. Then I grew fond of her smiles. I became addicted to her hugs which made my skin tingle and made me forget all the troubles that weighed on my shoulders. Then I found myself wanting to put that smile on her face and make her skin a bashful red like her name.

I liked to observe her red hair too. It intrigued me when her hair sported different shades of red at times. One day, I caught myself staring at her when her hair appeared darker than usual due to the lighting around her. I loved it when it happened and Jed had told me that I looked like a creep when he caught me staring at her.

Lost in my thoughts, I was brought back to reality by the sound of a silver Mercedes stopping in the lane next to me. I whistle at its beauty but am startled when it honks thrice.  I squint my eyes to see the driver through the tinted window, realising that they were looking in my direction.

It honks thrice once more and flashes its lights multiple times. My eyes widen when I recognise the indication.

They were challenging me to a race.

Competing with strangers on the highway is common among street racers; it's a known rule among us that we could challenge each other under the colour lights by honking thrice at the challenged.

This driver must know that I'm a street racer, even though I haven't seen this car before.

I haven't raced since that chaotic and almost traumatic DownSouth race.

But my body lights on fire. Was I really ready to race again? 

...Maybe, just a little?

I take in a deep breath and flash my lights back at them.

The race was on.

The light turns yellow and I rev my engine. My challenger revs theirs back at me.

When the light turns green, I take off with all my might, leaving the Mercedes behind in my dust. 

I glance at the side mirror to check on the Mercedes and see that it's struggling to make the turn to catch up to me. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling grateful but less excited that the driver was an amateur.

As we race through the city, the neon lights blur into a technicolour haze. We leave the urban hustle behind and find ourselves winding through narrow roads flanked by tall pines. I breathe a sigh of relief - the risk of getting caught by the police has dwindled to near zero. The road was empty and I hit the accelerator, widening the gap between us.

I glance in the rearview mirror and grow confused to see the Mercedes slow down and flash its headlights at me. It veers to the right and comes to a stop at the side of the road. I slow down, reversing my car until it stops in front of the Mercedes, slightly disappointed that the race is already over.

Why did they stop? Were they surrendering?

I hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether I should get down or not, when the choice was made for me.

Imagine my surprise when Crimson herself steps out of the Mercedes, looking a bit winded but expectantly glancing my way.

My heart thuds against my chest as I kill the engine and instantly open the door. 

"What? Crimson?"

"Hi. I can't drive no more, so I stopped."

"Hi? What were you thinking?" I rush up to her and take her by the shoulders. "Are you crazy? Do you realize how dangerous it is to race like that?"

She looks down guilty, "I know, I'm sorry. I just wanted to try it."

I let out a humourless laugh, "How did you even know where to find me?"

Then, it hits me.

I should've seen this coming.

"Archer," I growl to myself and Crimson looks the other way proving my guess. "What is going on, Crimson?"

"You won the race," she says softly, "so as the winner, you get to ask me anything."

I'm confused and taken aback by her words. 

"What do you mean?"

She bites her bottom lip and hesitates before continuing, "Archer told me about the DownSouth race...everything that happened before and after the race... and that you were planning to...confess to me if you won."

At the mention of that fateful race, a rush of bittersweet memories floods my mind and I close my eyes, trying to process everything.

I was still very guilty for attacking her without her consent when I had no idea how she felt at that time. 

"Crimson, I am truly sorry for what I did to you back then," I apologise remorsefully.

She raises her head, her forehead wrinkling. "Then this is your chance to make it right," she replies with a determined tone.

Confused, I tilt my head and ask, "What... do you mean by that?"

"Since you won this race, ask me again," she responds firmly, leaving me bewildered and anxious.

"Ask you...ask you what?" I inquire with a shaky voice, my mind racing with possibilities, but afraid to hope, afraid to think further.

"What you agreed to ask me if you won that race... ask me."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. But memories of her shocked face after I had kissed her, the other stunned faces of the bystanders when she had run away, their disgruntled looks as they scornfully and pitifully looked at me; all those anxious feelings that I had felt that day came rushing back. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the memories away.

"But that day, I-" I trail off, lost in my memories. 

What happened next was something I would've never dared to imagine.

My eyes fly open as I register the feel of something soft on my lips.

She was kissing me.

Crimson was kissing me.

 Crimson pulls away before I could have a full-blown panic attack. Her lips were gone as soon as they had come, leaving me wondering if I had imagined it.

"There. N-now we are e-even," she was appearing to be composed and cool about it, but her shaky hands, wavering eyes and the little red tint on her cheeks said otherwise.

On the other hand, I was barely breathing as I looked at her in shock, my eyebrows practically disappearing into my hairline.

"C-Crimson?" I finally manage to utter, my words coming out breathlessly and I take a shaky step back.

Did that just happen? Was I dreaming?

Crimson avoids my gaze and stares down at the cityscape below us, the wind tousling her red hair. She looked even more ethereal than before.

I was rooted to the ground, my lips tingling with goosebumps rising on my skin, unable to think of anything at all, but then I heard Crimson take in a deep breath. 

"That day, after the DownSouth race, I was in shock and didn't know how to respond to you. I ran away, but I regretted it when I saw how hurt you were. I never wanted to make you feel that way. The truth is, my heart was dancing, and I felt so alive. I wish I had responded positively. But I was scared of commitment and heartbreak, especially since I won't be here after two years. 'We would've worked wonderfully together' was what I thought whenever I thought about us," she pauses and finally meets my widened eyes, "But I came here to heal, but when I leave, all that will break once again."

As she finishes, she looks into my eyes with a vulnerability that takes my breath away. I don't know what to say or do, so I just stand there, taking it all in.

"But I gave it some thought. And then...I changed my mind."

Hope.

As I take a step towards her, my hope grows stronger but so does my fear. "So...are you suggesting what I think you are?" I ask, my heart pounding in my chest.

"I want to redo that night," she whispers, her eyes full of longing. "Ask me again, Drexel. Ask me what you wanted when you won the race."

I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. I search her face for any sign of doubt or hesitation, but there's none. 

"Are you sure?" I ask, needing to be certain before I take this leap of faith.

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine.

I clear my throat, trying to steady my nerves.

I imagine myself back at the DownSouth Race track, with Crimson waiting for me in the crowd. I've just won the race and she's smiling at me with tears in her eyes.

I open my mouth to speak, but the words catch in my throat. Crimson smiles at me encouragingly, and I try again, my mind clear and focused.

"Crimson, I've been struggling to say these words, but I can't keep them bottled up anymore," I start, my voice being the only source of sound in the dim-lit night. 

The sounds of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees around us fill the void. 

"We've been good friends, but I can't help but have feelings that make me want to take our relationship to the next level."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath before opening them to fix them on Crimson's twinkling honey-brown eyes. 

I mirror her smile, "Crimson, do you want to be my girlf-"

"Yes!"

I blink at the interruption before her words register in my head. Crimson looks startled before she bites her lips and looks down. 

"I-I mean," -she coughs a little- "I mean, yes- okay. Let's be...more than friends."

I'm riding the crest of a wave right now. I can hardly contain my excitement as I realise what she's saying. 

"You're serious?"

She covers her face with her hands and nods quickly. Crimson's cheeks deepen to a faint shade of pink, clearly still a little surprised by the sudden turn of events. But she nods in agreement again, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like everything is falling into place.

This adorable little-

"Can I hug you, please?" I ask softly in a strained voice. I needed her arms around me. I was deprived of her hugs for so long, that I could barely hold myself from crossing any limits again. 

She removes her hands from her flushed face and outstretches them towards me.

I all but leapt into her arms. She hugs me back with a muffled laugh against my jacket and I tighten my hold on her. 

"I missed your hugs very much. What changed your mind?"

I feel her hands soothe my back sending chills up my spine despite how warm her embrace was.

"I decided to give us a chance. There are still two more years left, and I don't want to spend a single minute wallowing, regretting and thinking about what-ifs. I'm sorry it took me so long to understand and kept you hanging."

I gently rock us from side to side. "It's okay. You finally gave me your answer, thank you, Crimson. I'll make sure that you'll have the best 2 years of your life!"

She slightly pulls away from my grasp to look at me with a smile, "Really now? I'm looking forward to it."

As she said those words, the reality that we might fall for each other and find it hard to break it off with each other comes to my mind. Indeed, we were taking a risk in this relationship knowing the outcome. But I choose to ignore this for now. Who knows, maybe when the time comes, we might even try for a long-distance relationship, only if things between us work well.

I shake my mind of these thoughts. What was it that I told myself?

I will choose two years of happiness instead of two years in the awkward friend zone (especially since she knew of my feelings).

Yes, deal with any situation when the time comes, for now, enjoy this relationship, the present, to the fullest.

We'll deal with the consequences later.

My lips quirk upwards and I bring my nose down to rub it against hers.

And I sneeze.

"Your nose is so sensitive!" she giggles and pinches my nose.

"Yeah, it is," I say a little embarrassed.

"I bet you'll sneeze if I kiss it," she mumbles to herself.

"Why don't you try it?" I taunt, wanting to see her reaction.

She raises herself and plants a little kiss on my nose. She was just an inch shorter than me, so she could do it without any effort.

When I don't immediately sneeze, her face forms into a frown before she pecks my nose again. Then she determinedly kisses my nose until I force myself to sneeze. She cheers happily at her 'accomplishment', while I watch her with a barely concealed grin.

Is this what our relationship was going to be like? 

"I swear, your sneeze is the cutest ever," she states with a smile.

I roll my eyes playfully. "It's not cute."

Crimson shrugs with a teasing glint in her eyes and takes my hands in hers, making me feel a rush of warmth, "Ah, I forgot to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Jo-a-hae. "

"Huh?" I ask confused at the odd word when she raises onto her feet and places her lips next to my right ear.

"I like you too."

° ° °

"What? You want to go on a date NOW?"

My expression was almost comical as I stared at her with eyes as wide as the ocean.

"Aren't unplanned dates mostly the most fun?" she inquires and I cross my arms.

"Who told you that? That is ridiculous. I don't think anybody has been on a midnight date!"

"Which is why we should try it!" she insists.

"We can't go on our first date when it's nearing midnight!"

"Fine! I was just putting the idea to the test," she mutters, digging the heel of her converses into the ground.

I exhale before slowly lifting her face, "Already having me wrapped around your finger, huh? It won't be a date, we can grab a quick bite at a 24/7 fast-food restaurant, okay? Happy?"

"Very," she beams. "We can count it as our celebratory meal to rejoice...uhm, our new relationship."  

My lips press together as I internally bask in the fact that I was in a relationship with Crimson Donovan. I ruffle her hair and can't help it when I place a feathery kiss on her forehead. 

"Let's go in my car together after you park yours down the road at a safe place, alright?"

"Okay," she nods and we temporarily part ways after we get into our respective cars after waving at each other like giggling fools.

After parking her car in the parking lot of a grocery store, she climbs into my- Danny's- spare car.

 "Hello," she greets me shyly before making herself comfortable.

I reply smoothly, "Hello beautiful lady, welcome to Genesis Travels. To where may I have the pleasure of taking you to?"

"Hmm, I am currently on the way to see my date. Would you-"

"Aw, come on, Scarlet. I'd feel bad if this was considered our first date," I interrupt with a frown. "Don't you want all those fancy restaurants and cinema dates?"

"Hmm, what about doing something different and see where this goes? We have plenty of days to do other things."

I drive silently, a thoughtful expression on my face. "I'll let it slide this time," I relent after a sigh. "Hmm... What about that place ahead? Their snacks are delicious," I suggest as I jut my chin towards a fast food restaurant cladded with flickering pink neon lights. Crimson nods unsurely as I park the car, and I throw a reassuring smile her way before leading us inside.

As we walk into the fast food restaurant, a bored-looking waiter behind the counter suddenly straightens up at the sight of us. With only three other customers in the joint, the perky waitress attending them looks like she could doze off any moment. 

The waiter greets us with enthusiasm, "Hey Drexel! Long time no see! And who's your lovely companion?" He winks at me, making me roll my eyes and chuckle. "Follow me, I'll get you a table."

He leads us to a cosy booth by the window, which offers a quiet view of the city outside. The waiter hands us the menu, but I insist on ordering for us. As we chat, our food arrives, and Crimson's eyes widen in delight at the sight of juicy burgers, crispy chicken, soft tacos, and two drinks on the tray.

"Wow, this all looks so delicious!" she exclaims, taking in the mouth-watering spread. "Are you sure we can finish all of this?"

"Absolutely," I grin. "I haven't had dinner yet, so we'll polish it off. Trust me, it's all worth it." 

I take a bite of the soft taco and savour the explosion of flavours in my mouth. 

"Ohhhh, jeongmal masisseo! (Really delicious)" she moans at the enthralling taste.

"Amazing, right?" I question happily, and she doesn't even reply as she continues munching.

"This place is always open, so the boys and I come here after racing. The food they make at night is somehow better than during the day," I explain, taking a sip of my drink. 

She listens to me while we devour our food as I narrate hilarious stories about my friends and even some unfortunate situations I encountered while dealing with Mr. Denver the Devil.

"If he ever tries to attack you again, I'll have some choice words for him, teacher or not," Crimson snarls, aggressively swallowing a piece of chicken. 

"Whoa, slow down, Scarlet. We don't want you choking," I laugh, placing my unfinished drink next to her finished one. 

"Thanks," she coughs as she gulps its contents. "And it's Crimson."

"You know, when you say that, I am tempted to call you 'Scarlet', even more," I probe with an eyebrow raised.

"Why do you even call me that in the first place?"

"When we first met, I forgot your name but remembered it was something to do with the colour red," I suck in my lips remorsefully. "So I assumed it was Scarlet. And it irritated you, and I liked irritating you, so it stuck," I conclude as if it all made sense.

Crimson gives me a disapproving look, and I innocently grin back at her, looking completely unbothered but she just shakes her head in amusement.

As we step out of the restaurant, feeling satisfied and full, we climb into the car. 

"Are you feeling tired, Crimson?" 

"No, I'm wide awake today," she replies, sitting up straight. 

"Do you have to be home soon? I completely forgot to ask earlier, I'm sorry."

She shakes her head immediately. "No need to apologize. You just agreed to date me, how could I end this day early?" 

I flash her a grin, my heart warming at her words and start the car. 

We were having a light chat as we drove down the street when I noticed some cars speeding past us. 

"Drexel, look!" Crimson exclaims, pointing at the cars. "Are they street racing?"

"Yep, I would've raced with them now, but I thought that I should give it more time," I say as I slow down, the two cars whizzing past us.

"You would've raced with them now?"

I glance at Crimson suspiciously, "Not a full race, but maybe a short distance for fun. Why do you ask?"

"C-Could we race them a little? Just for a few seconds!"

"Sure."

 Her voice laced in disbelief, she gasps, "Wha- really?"

But before she can say anything else, I explode, veins popping along my arms like thunder striking in the sky. 

"Really, my ass! Why are you always suggesting the most bizarre things!" 

My glare has her shrinking in her seat.

"Just pass one car, that's all I'm asking for!" Yet she pleads, making me shake my head in protest.

"Passing a car is one thing, but I can't race with you as my passenger. It's a known rule in street racing," I explain. "Plus, you're my responsibility. How can I race with you in the car?"

"But I want to experience what you feel when you race. I want to be close to your passion, just this once. I know it's not reasonable and goes against my morals, but please, Drexel. You can stop immediately if anything goes wrong," she begs, fixing me with her honey-brown eyes.

"First you dare to challenge me to a street race, then you want a midnight date, then you want to RACE AGAIN! Are you aware of what you have done for these past hours?" 

She bites her lip like a scolded toddler, her dropped eyelids having me giving in sooner than I would've thought. Damn, this was our first day as a couple, I cannot screw up anything for her already, though!

"Just once, okay?" I affirm lowly after some minutes.

"Yes, of course! I promise I will never ask again!"

I release a sigh while clenching the steering wheel, "I can't believe I agreed to this. We've only been dating for less than half a day, and you've already asked for some peculiar things."

"Just that one car, the red one, please?"

"Okay," I agree reluctantly. "Do you have your seatbelt on? Hold on tight, please," I plead, taking her right hand and squeezing it tightly.

"I trust you," she reassures, tightening her grip on my hand before returning it to the steering wheel.

"Ready?"

She nods eagerly as I gear up and slowly gain speed to catch up with the red car ahead. 

My heart jumps to my throat as the cars race under the orange streetlights. I glance her way from time to time to confirm her safety which she affirms by throwing giddy grins my way.

"We're gaining on him!" she cheers with a clap as I accelerate. 

"Are you okay?" I manage to ask between gritted teeth and swerving.

"I'm doing great! Speed up some more, we'll lose sight of him!"

"After we pass him, I'm going to slow down, okay?"

"Okay," she voices her disappointment, to which I shake my head. 

"Here we go."

Crimson claps excitedly like a seal, spurring me on, the beginnings of a smile forming on my lips.

"Is this what racing feels like for you, Drexel? The risk, the adrenaline flowing through my veins, my heart pounding erratically against my chest? You must feel it tenfold! This is so cool!" she exclaims in a burst of enthusiasm making my heart ring like an alarm clock as I share her sentiments. 

"Yes!" she hoots high-fiving me, beaming after we pass the red car. "Well, that was an exhilarating experience!"

I slow down now that our little race is over. Crimson giggles like a kid on a sugar rush, which triggers me to let out a cackle of laughter too.

But in the blink of an eye, our laughter turns to panic as red and blue lights flash inside the car.

"It's the cops!" I curse, glancing at the side mirrors and revving the car to the right immediately. The police car follows, its sirens blaring against our eardrums. 

Crimson nervously closes the windows. 

"What do we do?" she panics, bringing her trembling fingers to her dry lips as I focus on the speeding car that's gaining on us through the side mirror. She sits on the edge of her seat, my body tense with fear for both of us but I place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Crimson. I've done this many times before and I've never been caught." 

She whispers harshly, "But you may never know."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my focus on the road ahead accelerating past the closed shops on the main street. 

"I mean," she breathes out heavily, hands clasped together and glancing back at the blaring car that's now just two vehicles behind us. "Just please don't get caught."

I grunt as I barely dodge an oncoming truck to turn onto another road. It's as if I was the car itself, physically running along the road with my legs to outrun the police.

"You weren't this worried the first time we were chased by the cops on the day you sneaked out to our race," I comment, my eyes switching from the road ahead to the police car behind us.

"That's because..." Crimson trails off, swallowing hard. 

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before admitting a truth that froze my entire being into a block of ice;

"Because we're being chased by my Dad."

The car screeches to a halt, and she grasps the dashboard to steady herself. I stare back at Crimson with eyes wide and jaw dropped. 

She shakes my unresponsive form urgently, "Get moving! He's gaining on us!"

"You're telling me-" I start slowly, my eyes shutting for a moment before opening again, "-that your father is a cop."

"Yes! Now go! Please!"

The police car slows down right behind us. 

"Oh, he is my Dad alright, that driving, I could recognize that type of Police chase anywhere," Crimson distractedly murmurs to herself.

"I am dating a cop's daughter?" I screech suddenly, holding onto her arms with frantic eyes.

"Y-yes! Drexel, now is not the time to panic!"

"I, an ILLEGAL STREET RACER, am dating a COP'S DAUGHTER!"

Just as the police car pulls up, her Dad jumps out and firmly shuts the door before turning to face us. I whip my head around, my heart racing.

"I'll explain everything later! Drexel, please get us out of here!" Crimson shouts, clutching onto my collar. My eyes are wild with panic, but I try to quickly snap out of it as she urges me to drive.

I don't even look back as I floor the pedal, narrowly missing her Dad who let out an angry yell.

"Hey, watch it!" Crimson barks, my heart rate spiking as the police sirens blare in the background.

"Sorry, everything's a mess. I can't think straight right now!" I apologise as I weave through the lanes.

The sirens blare again but the police car is far behind us as I speed through the driveway and onto a narrow road that could potentially lead us to where Crimson's car was parked. 

"I'm going to turn off the headlights as we enter that road up ahead," I inform her, forcing my voice to be calm despite the chaos behind us.

As we drive in tense silence, I reach out and grab her cold hand, her trembling fingers intertwining with mine for comfort. The Police car continues down the same road, oblivious to our whereabouts. I can't help but think how ironic it is that as a cop's daughter, she has already been chased by the police twice in her four months here.

As we wait for the coast to clear, I realise I've been holding my breath the entire time. With a shaky exhale, I release the tension in my body. Crimson slumps down in her seat, throwing a hand over her face in disbelief.

"I can't believe this just happened," she mutters, her voice barely above a whisper. She lets out a nervous laugh, "Well, that was definitely an eventful first date, huh?"

I lean in, gaze questioning, "Why didn't you mention that your dad was a cop?"

"Is now the right time to say that he is not only an officer but the Chief?"

"WHAT!?" I shout, my jaw cracking with my yell. "YOUR FATHER IS THE CHIEF?!"

"Did-did I say that out loud?"

"Crimson, what-?"

"Y-yeah, he is," she gulps and lightly knocks her head against the window, refusing to look at me.

 I hope that she could feel the heat of my fury grazing her in waves.

"Why, why didn't you tell us? I mean- come on, Crimson."

"You never asked," she mutters with a barely audible voice.

I let out a humourless laugh. "You were always this way. We never know anything about you unless we ask you first about it, isn't that the case?"

She bites her lip and keeps silent because it WAS the truth. 

"I'm sorry, it just didn't cross my mind to tell you guys."

She looks at my dejected posture and places her hand on my shoulder. "We are dating now, so I'll open up to you more, Drexel."

"You promise?"

"I-I promise," she says and boldly seals it with a kiss on my nose. She looks up at me as if she expected me to sneeze, and I smile bashfully before clutching the steering wheel at the disappointed expression she makes. But I cannot help the weight that was dropped onto my shoulders at the new fact I learned today.

"Your Dad won't like it if he got to know that his daughter was dating an illegal street racer. Everything just got so complicated."

"Please Drexel, let's not worry about it. We can keep it under wraps for now, and deal with it if something happens," she pleads, desperately trying not to think of the future. 

Is this how it was going to be? 

-Me getting reminded of how our relationship would end in two years?

"Okay, I'll let it slide for now. But I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight," I state and begin to drive, effectively steering the subject away from her father.

"Same," she agrees before thinking for a while. "Say, do you want to visit the lake?"

"At this hour?" I exclaim and I almost veered the car out of the lane.

How many times was she going to catch me off guard today? Give my heart a break for today!

"Yep, the moon is out, and the lake would bestow a wonderful sight upon us. It would be a wonderful end to our first-midnight date."

I had to admit that her statement created an instant intrigue in me. I had always wanted to visit the Donovan Lake at night. I had almost succeeded in doing that with Zeke once, but Josh the caretaker had almost caught us that day. It was probably then that I lost my necklace. Well, I guess the chances of finding it are higher now that I am acquainted with Crimson Donovan. 

"Even though I told you several times that people don't go on dates after midnight, you've proved me wrong," I laugh before winking at her. "But I like it."

WHO ELSE IS SQUEALING LIKE A PIG NOW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK

This is my first published chapter in 2024. It took a while for me to publish this since life happens, but I wanted to get this done!

Finally, FINALLY, these two are togetherrrrrr!!! After dancing around each other and steering me away from the plot, they are TOGETHER! Now I can FINALLY get back to the plot at hand. I've had it with this slow burn! 

How do you think they'll fare when the 2 year-end mark hits? Let me know your assumptions!>>>

We are nearing the end of Part I, so look forward to Part II