Chapter 51: First Date

Milie's POV

There it was. The one thing I had been scared of ever since Dax confessed.

"Dax…" I whispered.

"You don't have to answer right now," he said quickly before I could finish.

And somehow, that made my panic worse.

Because maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But someday, I would have to answer him.

And Dax wasn't just someone.

He was the boy who held my hand while we crossed the road when we were kids.

He was the boy who couldn't stand seeing me cry.

He was the boy I never feared losing because he would choose me every single time.

Wasn't that what every girl wanted? I wondered, and Alan's words echoed in my head again.

"When the right time comes… your heart will know."

Tonight felt perfect. Too perfect.

The rooftop, the memories, us laughing as if nothing had changed.

And somewhere in all of that, I realized something terrifying—I couldn't imagine losing him.

"I loved hugging him, loved kissing his cheeks randomly, loved messing up his hair just to annoy him.

"Dax had always been home to me. So then, what am I scared of?"

"Hey." His voice interrupted my thoughts. "Don't stress yourself out."

"I'm not," I lied weakly. "I just… I don't want to lose this."

"You won't." He smiled gently. "I promise."

Promises from Dax always felt dangerous because he meant every single one.

"At least give us a chance once," he said quietly. "And even if things don't work… I'll still choose you, Milie."

My chest tightened.

"I know," I whispered honestly. "I never doubted that."

The smile that appeared on his face looked almost relieved.

Dax stepped closer slowly, giving me enough space to move away if I wanted. But I didn't.

"Milie," he said softly, "I don't even know when you stopped feeling like just my best friend."

His eyes dropped briefly. "I actually tried really hard not to feel this way."

A sad smile tugged at my lips.

"But the more I tried to stop…" he laughed weakly, "the worse it got."

When he looked away again, I gently held his face and turned him back toward me.

"Hey."

His eyes met mine again instantly.

"Don't hide from me," I said, soft and warm. "I'm still your Milie."

"The one person you can be yourself with," I whispered.

His arms wrapped around me tightly without warning.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against my hair.

I frowned immediately. "For what?"

"For making things complicated."

My chest hurt hearing that. I slowly shook my head.

"No," I said. "Maybe we stopped being honest somewhere along the way."

"And I want that back."

I felt him nod faintly against me.

Silence settled between us again. But this time, it didn't feel heavy. It felt honest and real.

I closed my eyes briefly before speaking the words that scared me the most. "Dax, I'll try."

His entire body stilled. I could feel his body stiffen around me.

"I can't promise what I'll feel tomorrow," I admitted softly. "But I want to try."

His breathing turned uneven as if I had just handed him the world. And somehow that scared me one more time.

Days passed faster than I expected.

Dax didn't suddenly become overly romantic or pushy after that night.

If anything, he was more careful with me now.

But there were changes. Small small ones.

His hand lingered in mine longer than before. His hugs felt tighter. And sometimes, while talking, he would suddenly look at me in a way that made my stomach knot nervously.

Like he still couldn’t believe I had agreed to try.

At first, those moments made me panic internally.

Like other day, when he casually brushed my hair behind my ear during lunch and softly said,

“You have really pretty eyes, you know that?”

I nearly choked on my drink. My heartbeat went so wild I escaped to the restroom like a complete idiot.

That was the problem. After that night on the rooftop, agreeing had felt easy.

But actually facing it was different.

I wasn't used to this version of Daxton.

And tonight…Tonight was our first official date.

I checked the time again. 7:02 PM.

I almost had half an hour before Dax picked me up, and I paced around my room like I was about to attend a court hearing instead of dinner.

My nerves were so bad I had already changed outfits three times.

Right when I was considering canceling my existence entirely, my bedroom door swung open.

"Hello, princess. Your emotional support system has arrived."

"Sammy!" I looked at him miserably.

He immediately narrowed his eyes. "Okay, wait. Why do you look like someone just told you to relocate to Mars?"

"I would rather go there." I grabbed his arm dramatically. "I'm freaking out, you idiot."

That made him visibly relax. "Oh, thank God." He placed a hand over his chest. "I thought you were about to tell me you committed a crime."

"I still might. Starting with you."

He snorted and pulled me down onto the bed while he dragged a chair and settled across me.

"What happened now?"

I groaned and covered my face with a pillow.

"I don't know if I can be what Dax expects."

Sammy gently pulled the pillow away.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not used to him like this," I admitted, honestly. "Every time he gets romantic, I panic internally."

Sammy stared at me for two seconds. Then burst out laughing.

"Wow. Dax waited six years for you, and this is your biggest problem?"

"Sammy!"

"No, listen." He grabbed my shoulders lightly. "Changes were bound to happen, Milie."

His voice turned calmer, which was unusual for Sammy.

"For you, this relationship is new. But for Dax?" He shook his head slightly. "He's been loving you for years."

Something twisted painfully inside my chest.

"The guy literally built his future around you."

I looked down quietly.

"The night after you two talked," Sammy continued softly, "he came to my place afterward."

I blinked. "He did?"

"We stayed up till like three in the morning." Sammy laughed faintly. "And all he talked about was you."

"As if he could finally let out everything he had held in his chest for so long."

Warmth spread slowly through my chest.

"He loves you in a really terrifying way, honestly."

I let out a nervous laugh.

"No, seriously," Sammy continued. "The way he understands you? The way he has noticed every little thing about you? It's insane."

I stayed quiet. Because deep down, I already knew that.

Sammy leaned closer and nudged my knee lightly. "But listen to me carefully."

I looked up. "You don't owe anyone comfort at the cost of your own."

My brows softened slightly.

"If something feels too fast or uncomfortable, tell him." Sammy shrugged. "He's still Dax. He's not gonna stop understanding you just because you need time."

That instantly made me breathe easier because he was right.

Somewhere in my panic, I had forgotten that Dax wasn’t just the guy in love with me.

He was the boy who always handled me carefully.

A small smile finally appeared on my face.

"There she is." Sammy pointed dramatically. "My mentally unstable friend has returned."

"Shut up."

He stood up immediately and held out his hand. "Come on. Walk?"

"Huh, now?"

"Yup, you need fresh air before your date. Otherwise, you'll scare Dax by looking like you're attending your own funeral."

I burst out laughing and walked out.

We wandered through the neighborhood talking about everything except my date.

And honestly? The walk helped.

Sammy showed me ridiculous TikToks. I complained about Alan and my internship applications.

He complained about professors ruining his GPA and life.

And somewhere between laughing and teasing each other, my nerves finally calmed down.

And there, Sammy stopped walking. "Race?"

I blinked. "What?"

"To that parked SUV."

"Sammy, we are literally adults."

"Exactly. Which means our knees still work. Come on."

"Oh my God."

Two seconds later, we were already crouched dramatically on the sidewalk like Olympic athletes.

"Three… two… one—GO!"

We sprinted down the street laughing like complete idiots.

"I WON!" Sammy yelled.

"No you didn’t!"

"I literally touched the car first!"

"You liar!"

We were still arguing loudly when another voice cut through the street.

"Hey, why are you two screaming like children?"

I turned instantly. It was Alan. A stupid smile spread across my face automatically.

He stood there in sweats and flip-flops, holding a convenience store drink while looking half-amused already.