Chapter 44 – October 27th

He was kissing me, and I was kissing him. We were both in sync when we kiss each other, and I feel like my stomach would burst because of the intense feeling and the butterflies that are captivated by the way Cayden acted.

We slowly drift apart, and I slowly opened my eyes. His hands are still cupping both of my cheeks. He rested his head on my forehead, we both start chuckling, and soon our chuckle dies. We are both smiling at each other.

He stops cupping my cheeks and decides to intertwine his fingers into mine. "Let's go," he said, and I nodded as I smile at him. Our fingers are intertwined with one another as we start walking back, all the way to the parking lot.

This might be one of the best memories I would love to cherish forever in my memory for the rest of my life.

I fell asleep on the way. Cayden told me that we are going somewhere else, and I didn't complain or disagree with it. I want this day to repeat itself. I woke up when I felt him shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw him smiling at me.

"We are here," He said, and we both stepped out of the car. The place doesn't seem familiar, although it looks very peaceful to be here. I followed him when he starts walking in the woods. It's kind of scary because it's already 5:30 PM.

We walked for what seems like 15 minutes. He stops walking, and I stopped walking as he looks up at the trees, and I can hear him sigh happily. "It's still here," he said, and I quirk my eyebrows as I follow where his gaze is.

I look up and saw a treehouse that probably he owns and where he used to play when he was a little kid. "Come on," he said as he starts climbing the ladder that is attached to the trunk of the tree. Once he set his feet on the treehouse, he helps me get up.

The tree looks kind of old and dusty. He opens the wooden door, and we both entered the treehouse. Cayden looks out of the open window of the treehouse, and so did I. I looked at how high we are and how the moon is starting to rise from the south.

"This looks quite old and needs some cleaning," I said as I start roaming around the treehouse a bit. I stopped roaming around and walked towards him. I noticed him staring at my lips, and I decided to look away.

"I used to come around this treehouse and play with my friends when I was 6, and I stopped playing here and coming here when we have to move to a new house. My sister loved playing teatime with me here, and I used to whine like a baby because of how disgusting her tea is."

I sure would love to meet little Cayden, "I sure would love to meet your sister," I said, and he gives me a sad smile. "She sure would love to meet you too," He said, and I just smile at him.

I just realized that he is bringing me to places that he used to come to when he was a kid. Like, the beach. He used to go there, the coffee shop where his mom used to bring him and his sister when its winter and here, in this treehouse, where he and his sister used to play when they were little kids.

"I hate it when everything is meant to be kept inside my head as a memory. I would love, just once, to make something memorable. Something more worth than just keeping a memory," He said, and I could feel his heartbreaking.

"I thought when going back to places that were once kept in my memory would bring back all of the happiness I felt but rather, going back to the places I once cherished was now lonely," He said as he sits down, crossed leg, and I sat down beside him, crossed leg as well.

"You know. Even if you go back to those places that made you happy, it will make you happy if you choose to be happy. If you go back to those places, carrying sadness on your shoulders, then that's going to be the reason why you are sad," I said, and he looks at me with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

His lips tug up into a smile, and I can't help but smile too. He leaves the treehouse, and I followed him, he starts to climb down, and I just followed. Once we were on the ground, he grabbed some wood, and I just waited for him, sitting on the log near the trunk of the treehouse.

Once he gathers all of the wood he needs, he places it on the ground and starts making a fire out of a small piece of wood and rock, like a true boy scout. I don't even know how to make a fire from scratch.

"Make yourself warm. I'll just go get something at the back of the car," He said as he starts jogging and soon disappears into my view. I looked at the fire and smile, seeing how beautiful it is and I let my hands warm up by the fire.

I took a picture of the fire, saving it for later when I go home and post it later on Instagram. After waiting for what seems like 30 minutes, Cayden returns with a picnic basket, and I can't help but smile and laugh at how prepared he is.

"You seriously are prepared today," I said, and he chuckles as he placed the basket down beside him as starts bringing out something from the inside of it. "Smores?" He says, and I nodded my head as I grabbed the stick he was holding and grabbed a marshmallow from the pack that he brought out of the basket.

I poked the marshmallow into the stick and hang it by the fire to cook it up. Cayden did the same thing as I did, and we waited for the marshmallow to be burned a little. After burning or cooking the marshmallow, I put it on a graham cracker and pour some Hershey's chocolate syrup on top of the marshmallow, topping it all off with a graham cracker.

I took a bite of the masterpiece I made, and I nearly moan loudly at how good it tastes. "Gosh, I can't believe I'm such a master when it comes to smores," I said, and I saw Cayden roll his eyes at my response.

"You have a problem with that?" I said, and he brushes off his shoulders playfully, "I can make the best smores in my sleep," he said, and I cross both of my arms over my chest.

"Is this a bet where you are trying to prove to me that you are wrong?" I said, and he chuckles as he starts squinting his eyes at me. I squint my eyes at him, "Oh, it's on like Donkey Kong," Cayden says.

"The loser gets to do what the winner wants the loser to do," He says, and I nodded my head as I continue squinting my eyes at him. "Game!"

***

I cross both of my arms over my chest as I look away from Cayden. I hear him chuckling at his seat as he continues driving all the way back to my neighborhood, "It's alright. I told you, I'm the king of Smores, and you are the slave," he says, and I can't help but roll my eyes.

"You can't ignore me forever, Jones. You can't resist my charms," He says, and I look at him with an annoyed look, and he starts laughing as I continue rolling my eyes at him.

We stopped at In-n-Out to buy some dinner. Cayden hasn't decided on which punishment he wants me to do since I clearly lost the smores challenge, "Let me guess, I'm going to pay," I said in a bored tone.

We waited in line and for our turn at the counter, "Nope, it's on me, and haven't I told you that you have to wait for the punishment?" He says, and I can't help but roll my eyes at him. 

"Hi, welcome to In-n-Out. What would you guys like to order?" The cashier lady asks, and we both look up at the menu, "I'll get a double-double and a large coke," Cayden says, he looks at me, and I look at the cashier lady.

"I'll get a cheeseburger and a large lemonade," I said, and I gestured to Cayden that I will be finding a seat for us, and he nods his head as I walk off. I found a spot near the exit, and I sat there, waiting for Cayden.

I hear the bell of the door ring when a bunch of customers enter and heard a bunch of teenagers laughing about something, the others walk past me, and a guy along with his best bud stops in his tracks and looks at me.

I looked at the guy, "Hey there," he says, and I nodded my head, waving back at the guy and his friend. "I'm Daniel, and you are?" He asks.

"Hailey," I said, and he nods his head, smiling at me. He slid into the chair and took a seat opposite me. "So uh, you single?" He asks, and I nodded my head without uttering a word. This guy is disgusting. He's already asking me if I'm single even though he doesn't know me well.

He rests his elbows on the table, resting his chin on the palm of his hands, "You're too gorgeous to be single," he says, and I can't help but roll my eyes at him. 

"And you're too ugly to be flirting with me."

I said, and I stood up from the chair, going to find another spot to eat some dinner in peace. Daniel, the guy who I just met, grabs my elbow and stops me from walking away from him. "Feisty much?"

"Leave my girlfriend alone, or I'll make sure you won't be able to see the rest of the world again," I hear a familiar voice behind me. I turn around and saw Cayden holding a tray with some food. He put it down on a table beside him and walked towards Daniel and me.

Daniel gulps down the lump on his throat, "Take it easy, Anderson. I was just about to leave," he says, and soon, he starts running out of the fast-food restaurant. I look at Cayden as he looks at me and starts smiling innocently as nothing happened.

"Let's eat," Cayden said as he grabs the tray, and I can't help but wonder at the sudden change of expression from his face. "If anyone bothers you again, tell me," he says as he placed my cheeseburger in front of me.

"Why would I even tell you?" I said as I took a bite of the cheeseburger, and he looks at me with an expressionless face, a face that he used to put when he is serious or mad.

"I don't want to know that you're being disrespected," He says, and I can't help but smile a little at how kind and respectful he is towards girls, maybe to girls like me only. "And..." he trails off.

"Tell me if a guy bothers you," He says, and I gave him a questioning look as I try and finish chewing the cheeseburger and finally decided to swallow it.

"And why is that?" I asked as I grabbed the Large lemonade beside him and start sipping the beverage to keep me hydrated.

"Because I already told you before..." He says as if he was already stating the obvious. He rolls his eyes at me as I give him a questioning look. What the hell is he saying?

"That I want all of you, and I want you to be mine, alone."