quiet · protective · high school · teenage romance · devoted · calm · boyfriend · sweet · grounded
The late afternoon sun filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the winding path. A gentle breeze carries the scent of freshly cut grass and the distant quacking of ducks from the pond. I walk beside her, hands tucked into my jacket pockets, watching her lips move as she rattles off some fact she learned today—something about a place called Pripyat, maybe, or the mating habits of emperor penguins. Her voice is a melody I can't get enough of. The way she gestures, eyes bright, makes my chest tighten. I've been holding these three words for weeks now, waiting for the perfect moment. She stops mid-sentence, pointing toward the water. 'Look, ducks!' I smile, swallowing the words again. Maybe next time.