I sat with my feet on the dash board of a red truck. It was only a few years old but I didn’t understand how it still ran so great. My dumb as*s of a boyfriend had already wrecked the thing like three times in the last two years. One of the times I was with him. Let’s just say that was the first time I broke a bone. I promised myself I would never get into this truck again. But here I am, sitting in the passenger seat; relaxing as if I wasn’t afraid a car would crash into the side and kill me.
“Are you still stressin’ over the accident?” Liam asked me.
I looked over at him and smirked. “No, silly boy, I’m over the accident, now I just fear the person driving the vehicle.”
“Oh, really. I bet I can make you change your mind,” he whispered.
I suddenly felt a warm hand on my thigh. I looked down and saw him move it up and down my leg. I pushed it away.
“No way, mister, keep those brown eyes on the road,” I said seriously.
He chuckled and then ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. I looked over at him and smiled. He was singing along to the song on the radio. I think it’s called, “just the way you are”. Liam said this song was written for me but I beg to differ. I mean, the song is to perfect.
I scooted across the seat and leaned against him feeling his warmth against my body. We continued to drive down the road and I listened to him sing those beautiful lyrics to me.
“I love you, Liam,” I whispered into his neck.
I could feel him smile as he said, “I love you, to, Emma.”
I kissed his neck and sat back up. I looked out the window and watched the other cars pass us. Today was our three year anniversary and already I was having a great time. Every year we did something special. Year one, he took me on a romantic date. You know it consisted of dinner and a walk on the beach to watch the sunset. Year two, well, I lost something. If you know what I mean. I couldn’t wait to see what he planned this year.
“You know I wouldn’t have minded just staying home watching movies and having a little fun,” I said looking over at him.
He smiled his lop sided grin and said, “You want to miss out on the surprise?”
I sighed. “I wouldn’t mind missing out on the surprise because I don’t know what to look forward to.”
He turned the corner and said, “Well, then that wouldn’t be a surprise.”
I smiled and grabbed the hand that rested on my knee. We drove in silence the rest of the way. It was about five minutes later when he parked the truck.
“Where are we?” I asked him. He unbuckled our seat belts and climbed out of the truck.
Liam opened my door and helped me out. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head no as I walked in front of him and stopped.
“This is where I asked you to be my girl friend,” he said.
I smiled and watched him walk over to a weeping willow tree. I suddenly remember sitting next to the tree with him. It was after our freshman year ended and we were invited to a party. Liam and I had snuck off to get some fresh air. I remember when he put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, “Would you be my girlfriend?” It was so sweet and I already knew my answer. But for some reason I couldn’t speak. So instead I got my first kiss. This was where it all happened.
“I remember now. I also got my first kiss that night,” I said. We were now facing each other. His arms on my waist and my hands placed on his shoulders.
We kissed briefly on the lips before he pulled away. I watched him pull out a knife and turn to me with a smile on his face.
“And know this will be our special place and everyone will know it,” he said. Liam turned around and started carving something into the tree.
I waited patiently behind him on the ground. He kept glancing at me.
“Babe, are you done yet?” I asked.
“Come here,” he said.
I stood up and walked over to the tree. I ran my hand over the writing and read: I Love You Just the Way You Are. Liam and Emma. Today and Forever.
Tears pricked at my eyes and I quickly blinked them away before turning around to see Liam smiling at me.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“Just like you,” he whispered.
We closed the small distance between us and on the ground where it all started we made love only lying on the clothes we wore.
“Are you still stressin’ over the accident?” Liam asked me.
I looked over at him and smirked. “No, silly boy, I’m over the accident, now I just fear the person driving the vehicle.”
“Oh, really. I bet I can make you change your mind,” he whispered.
I suddenly felt a warm hand on my thigh. I looked down and saw him move it up and down my leg. I pushed it away.
“No way, mister, keep those brown eyes on the road,” I said seriously.
He chuckled and then ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. I looked over at him and smiled. He was singing along to the song on the radio. I think it’s called, “just the way you are”. Liam said this song was written for me but I beg to differ. I mean, the song is to perfect.
I scooted across the seat and leaned against him feeling his warmth against my body. We continued to drive down the road and I listened to him sing those beautiful lyrics to me.
“I love you, Liam,” I whispered into his neck.
I could feel him smile as he said, “I love you, to, Emma.”
I kissed his neck and sat back up. I looked out the window and watched the other cars pass us. Today was our three year anniversary and already I was having a great time. Every year we did something special. Year one, he took me on a romantic date. You know it consisted of dinner and a walk on the beach to watch the sunset. Year two, well, I lost something. If you know what I mean. I couldn’t wait to see what he planned this year.
“You know I wouldn’t have minded just staying home watching movies and having a little fun,” I said looking over at him.
He smiled his lop sided grin and said, “You want to miss out on the surprise?”
I sighed. “I wouldn’t mind missing out on the surprise because I don’t know what to look forward to.”
He turned the corner and said, “Well, then that wouldn’t be a surprise.”
I smiled and grabbed the hand that rested on my knee. We drove in silence the rest of the way. It was about five minutes later when he parked the truck.
“Where are we?” I asked him. He unbuckled our seat belts and climbed out of the truck.
Liam opened my door and helped me out. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head no as I walked in front of him and stopped.
“This is where I asked you to be my girl friend,” he said.
I smiled and watched him walk over to a weeping willow tree. I suddenly remember sitting next to the tree with him. It was after our freshman year ended and we were invited to a party. Liam and I had snuck off to get some fresh air. I remember when he put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, “Would you be my girlfriend?” It was so sweet and I already knew my answer. But for some reason I couldn’t speak. So instead I got my first kiss. This was where it all happened.
“I remember now. I also got my first kiss that night,” I said. We were now facing each other. His arms on my waist and my hands placed on his shoulders.
We kissed briefly on the lips before he pulled away. I watched him pull out a knife and turn to me with a smile on his face.
“And know this will be our special place and everyone will know it,” he said. Liam turned around and started carving something into the tree.
I waited patiently behind him on the ground. He kept glancing at me.
“Babe, are you done yet?” I asked.
“Come here,” he said.
I stood up and walked over to the tree. I ran my hand over the writing and read: I Love You Just the Way You Are. Liam and Emma. Today and Forever.
Tears pricked at my eyes and I quickly blinked them away before turning around to see Liam smiling at me.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“Just like you,” he whispered.
We closed the small distance between us and on the ground where it all started we made love only lying on the clothes we wore.