Chapter 5|The Picnic

Jesse looked into the mirror for the hundredth time.

"Dude! Seriously! You have to stop being so nervous about this!"

"I know! I'm just so excited and scared and a little dying inside! Today's the day! I'm gonna tell her so everything has to be perfect!"

"Man, she must be one lucky girl." His friend said chuckling at him before yelling out curse words onto the screen.

"Dude why are you even here?"

"You asked for my help remember? Plus you've got your own apartment which means no one is hogging your wifi." Caleb explained then went back to staring intently on the screen while pressing onto the keyboards mercilessly.

"Alright, I'll go now! Lock the door on your way out!" Jesse finally said and grabbed his jacket and the basket he prepared.

"Sure!"

***

"Holy crap! I love this chocolate cake so much! I'm gonna marry this cake!" Anais said, laughing with a mouthful of chocolate cake in her mouth while Jesse also joined in laughing.

"You've got some here." He said pointing at his left cheek. Anais tried to wipe it but missed so Jesse grabbed a napkin and wiped her cheek.

The whole afternoon they spent their day eating and talking on the campus park. They finished eating and watched the sunset together.

When the sun had set, they laid their backs on the checkered picnic blanket and gazed above them.

"The stars are really pretty." Anais said.

"They're nothing compared to your eyes." Jesse said.

"Wow!" Anais laughed at Jesse' remark.

"What?" He chuckled, confused at her response.

"That's real cheesy!" She said while clutching her stomach from laughing so hard.

"Oh come on, that was sweet!"

"Yeah! Hahaha-sure!" She said wiping a tear.

"Jokes aside, you're really beautiful." Jesse said seriously while staring intensely into her eyes. He secured his hand on her waist and slowly leaned forward for a kiss. Just before their lips touched, he said the three letter word that made fireworks setting off on a new year's eve seem petty.

***

"Thank you for today." She said when they reached her dorm room. "It was amazing." She said leaning her forehead onto his.

He was still in a trance with what happened awhile ago. He was at a loss for words and only manage to get out the words roaming in his head for the whole day.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." She replied and went into her dorm. She laid her back flat on the door while he did the same on the opposite side.

Evelyn, who had already heard everything, was beaming at her while her jaw was hurting from the non stop smiling on her way back.

»»————-　★　————-««

"You remember that? That was the first time I said those words to anyone." He said smiling to himself. "I can still remember that sweet smile on your beautiful face. I was so nervous that day, you have no idea."