24 | Jack

                                    

                                          
Part Twenty Four:
A Little Date

The first thing I noticed when Milly pulled herself into the passenger seat of my Jeep was the skin-tight black dress that she wore like a second skin. It reached her mid-thighs and dipped low on her chest, revealing a lot more then I could have hoped for, and successfully causing me to stress more than I already was. The second thing I noticed was the slightest tone of red under her eyes, poorly hidden by a layer of concealer, a perfect match to that of Trevor's when we had met at the mall earlier today.
The blond haired boy had assured me he was only blotchy from rubbing his eyes all morning, a result of hardly sleeping a wink the night before. At the time, I had taken his word at face value, not bothering to question the topic further, as it seemed like a genuine response. 
However, looking at the small brunette beside me as she plastered an all-but-genuine smile on her perfectly glossed lips--I knew instantly that something much worse than insomnia had happened between them. 
She turned to me with a perfectly rehearsed grin, her lips pulling up just the right amount to the left for my heart to flutter unintentionally, leaving me all but speechless as a hardly noticeable dimple appeared for a fleeting moment, then disappeared again as she opened her mouth to talk. 
"You ready?" she asked, her voice sweet and kind and catching me completely off guard. There was no way her body looked that drained and she was still okay. She eyed my choice of clothing, smirking to herself. "You look nice."
Clearing my throat to relieve some of the tension I was feeling, I focused back on the steering wheel, trying not to think about how Trevor had still encouraged me to take Milly out tonight, even if it was so obviously tearing a hole in their relationship. I didn't know how to tell him no, and I didn't know how to let Milly down easily in fear that Trevor hadn't been lying, and she really was excited. So, here I am, trying not to think about how this date could potentially go very very wrong. 
"You don't look so bad yourself, Jones," I quipped, forcing confidence to ensure she didn't catch on to my knowing more then I was letting on. "Still good to see a movie?"
"Of course," she sang, her tone holding no signs of distress, though I could so clearly see it behind her eyes. 
"Are you okay?" I asked, not being able to hold my tongue any longer. I cringed immediately at my words, knowing I'd probably just crossed a line, and ruined all of my barely there chances. 
Her eyes were wide for a millisecond, before she turned to me with a curious frown and let bottom lip pulled between her teeth. My gaze followed her movements, and I turned my cheek, flushing like a child. Dammit. 
"Why would you ask that?" she chuckled, feigning ignorance. 
Furrowing my eyebrows, I thought carefully about my next words, not wanting to scare her away. "Trevor said you guys had some sort of fight, is all. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't overstepping my boundaries by taking you out tonight."
She leaned over the seat, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek. "I'm fine, Jack. I want you to be here."
That doesn't answer my question.
Nodding along to her poor excuse, I pulled my Jeep out of her driveway, pulling off in the direction of the drive-in cinema's in silence. She reached out to play around with the buttons on my radio, flicking through the channels before finding a song she seemingly found enjoyable, and relaxed back in her seat again.