I'm awoken the next morning as the light floods into my room. I rub my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the morning sunshine. Like always, I grab my phone from my nightstand on instinct. I notice a missed call from Hailee this morning, so I call back immediately. The phone rings a couple time until she answers.

"Hi there sleepy head." She greets.

"Good morning." I reply, still with a sleepy voice.

"You slept in a little, you must have been tired."

"Yeah, I was um, really exhausted yesterday and I forgot to call you like I promised I'm sorry." I say honestly.

"No apologies needed. How about you make it up to me by coming over?"

"Now?"

"Yeah, I kind of miss you."

"Okay. Um, yeah I'll head over let me just get out of bed."

"Yay. One more thing, don't eat breakfast." She tells me.

"What?"

"You'll see! Okay bye!" She says hanging up. I wonder what she is plotting.

I quickly shower and change into one of my favorite outfits, one Hailee hasn't seen. Like always, I put on a couple necklaces and rings, finishing off with a spray of my cologne, the one Hailee loves.

I arrive at her house pretty quick, the traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. While I was driving over, Hailee told me the door was unlocked, so I let myself in after locking my car. When I open the door, I see her in the kitchen. She turns around at the sound of the door closing behind me, a huge smile across her face. I walk to the kitchen to greet her by hugging her from behind while she finishes what she's cooking.

"Smells amazing." I tell her, reaching forward to place a kiss on her cheek. She turns around to face me, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

"Thank you, I'm almost done. Go sit." She prompts me, and I follow her orders by sitting at the bar chairs that surround the island she has in her kitchen. I watch as she plates her breakfast creation onto plates: one for her and one for me. I look down to see a plate filled with eggs, fruit, and some toast.

"Look at this five star breakfast!" I tell her as she takes a seat next to me.

"Only the best for you." She replies and we both smile at each other. While we are eating, Martini comes to greet us.

"Give me a minute Teenie! I'll walk you in a little." She tells her dog.

"We can walk her together if you'd like. It's really nice outside." I offer.

"I'd like that a lot. Let's do it." She replies.

We take our time eating and talking about the nuances of life. One thing I love about us is that we can always make each other laugh. Hailee has also taught me to eat slower, to enjoy my meals. I always grew up eating fast since there were days when I didn't know when my next full meal would be. I guess that habit carried on throughout my life since it's what I knew, even though I was well fed in college. With my scholarship I was able to have access to all the food in the dining hall, and before games we would sometimes have a nice meal.

"You don't have anything else to do today right?" She asks me, and I shake my head no while taking a bite of my food.

"Nope. My only plans today are to be with you." I tell her and her lips curve upwards forming a smile. I take both our empty plates to the sink, letting the water run over them.

"How's your mom?" Hailee asks me.

"She's doing alright, just taking everything day by day." I tell her. "Speaking of which, my Mom really wants to meet you."

"Oh my gosh I would love to. You just tell me when and I'll be there."

"Sometime next week then, we will talk about it."

We both finish cleaning up the kitchen, and I help out with the dishes so she doesn't have to do them later. Hailee attaches the leash to Martini, and we head out of a walk. We make sure to put on hats and sunglasses, not just because it's hot, but because paparazzi always seems to catch us when we least expect it.

Hailee and I stroll down the streets of her neighborhood, continuing our conversations from earlier. The weather is nice, not too hot and just a little breezy which is perfect for walking. Hailee and I take turns holding Martini. The small dogs seems to sniff everything, curious as to what every piece of grass smells like. Once she does her business outside, we begin to walk back in the direction we came in back to Hailee's house.

When we walk back inside, we both sigh as we return to the air conditioned house. I take off my short sleeve jersey, leaving me in just my white undershirt. Hailee walks towards me, placing her hand on my arms, her fingers slowly moving over my tattoos.

"You've never really talked about your tattoos to me." She mentions.

"You've never asked." I reply in an inviting way.

"Well, I'm asking now, come on tell me." She pleads and I nod. We decide to sit on the sofa.

"This was the first one I got. It's an angel for my mom, she loves angels and they remind me of her." I share, and Hailee listens wholeheartedly. We continue to go through each tattoo, and I tell her the meaning of each of them and when I got them done.

"I think this one's my favorite." She says while pointing towards the butterfly tattoos that start at my hands, leading up to around my elbow.

"They are just butterflies." I note.

"I know, but they are pretty. Pretty like you." She tells me and I can't help but grin.

"That also applies to you, you know." I reply back, and she blushes.

"Come here." She asserts, placing her hand behind my neck pulling me in. My hand goes to her waist, her back leaning farther and farther the longer we kiss. As I'm slightly hovering over her, I trickle my hand down towards her thigh, groping it with a light touch. We continue this for a few moments, until we decide to pull away. Hailee is still rested on her back, not wanting to get up. I notice her pat her chest, motioning for me to lay down on her, and I follow through.

I place my head right on her chest, my legs extended outwards to the other side of the couch. Since I'm so close to her neck, I can smell her addicting perfume which fills my senses. Hailee begins to play with my hair, slightly scratching my head simultaneously. I could stay here forever.

My eyes slowly begin to close naturally, as Hailee's touch and her repeated breathing I can feel, I slowly drift off to sleep. As I do this, I notice Hailee's motions on my hair begin to die out as well, signaling to me that she is dozing off as well. I give up fighting the urge to stay awake, and my eyes shut to black.

—-

I'm awoken by Hailee slightly nudging me. I open my eyes and I realize we are in the exact same position as before.

"How long did we sleep for?" I ask groggily.

"I think almost two hours, I didn't check the time." She says while rubbing her face. I notice marks on her arms.

"I think we both have marks all over us." I realize.

"That's how you know we slept good." Hailee remarks, and I nod in agreement. That was probably the best nap I've ever had.

"What do you want to do now? It's only 2pm.

"Let's just hang out for a little. I kind of want to play that guitar of yours." I say confidently.

"Really? Last time you played it you were a nervous wreck." She says.

"I guess I'm just more comfortable with you now." I tell her, and she smiles knowing that I don't feel as nervous anymore. Hailee and I have been hanging out since late February, and it's now almost the end of May.

"Then let's do it. I love to hear you play."

With that, we head upstairs hand in hand until we reach her office. I pick up the guitar and I sit down on the small sofa she has in here, just like the last time I played for her. I alter the knobs at the top slightly, to make sure her guitar is in perfect tune.

"What will you be playing today m'lady." Hailee asks while looking at me.

"Um, it's something I've been kind of writing for a few months now."

"Writing? I had no idea. When did you start writing this?

"I started after the day we met." I tell her honestly, and she immediately knows it's about her. I begin to strum nervously, but no where close to how nervous I would have been in the past.

I was in love for the second time

She told me not to lie

You said, honey, I can sense that you're

Struggling to find out what happened to you

While I sing the next line, I look up at Hailee from the guitar, her facial expression in complete awe at me. I look back down at the guitar, continuing the song.

Cried myself to sleep that night

I haven't wrapped my head around it

Maybe I should think about

Your hands on my sides, my shirt lost to wine

Hailee takes in each lyric, word by word, trying to process their meanings. I finally begin the chorus.

When I turned around and said

"I can't believe you like me"

When I turned around and said

"I can't believe you like me better than the rest"

When I turnеd around and said

"I can't believe you likе me better than the rest"

My strumming comes to a close, and I finish the final strum. I look up at her for a reaction.

"That's all I have for now. Still a work in progress." I mention.

"It's beautiful, Jay." She replies.

"Beautiful song for a beautiful girl." I shoot right back at her, and she smiles.

We continue jamming out a little on the sofa, alternating the guitar between us. We both run through all the songs we know, having a blast together just singing along. Out of no where, Hailee comes up with an idea.

"Let's go to the beach."

"Tonight?" I ask.

"Yeah let's go watch the sunset. I've always wanted to do that." She explains.

"Then let's go together, so you can experience it like you've always wanted to."

"Want to go to Trader Joe's to get snacks?" She asks, and I nod excessively.

"Definitely."

I throw back on the over shirt I was wearing before, and Hailee decides to change her top. We head out just as how we did before, with glasses and hats. Hailee offers to drive, and I let her, even though I love driving us. The two of us get down and Trader Joe's and we begin to have a tough time deciding what snacks and treats to get. Eventually, Hailee is just throwing whatever she pleases into the basket. I see her in the dessert isle picking something out so I wait for her by the chips.

She walks towards me with a little plastic container, placing it carefully into basket. I look down to find chocolate strawberries, four vanilla four chocolate, placed at the bottom of the basket.

"Strawberries." I point out.

"It's a tradition." She says smiling, and I return the smile. Hailee continues to walk through the isles, but I'm left there smiling at the simple box of strawberries. My heart melts at the fact that something so simple has become "our thing". We reach the bakery and I hear Hailee gasp from in front of me, and I go over to what she is looking at.

"Why don't we just get a cake and eat it all for ourselves?" She offers, and I laugh at her silly.

"Just with spoons? Not even in slices?"

"Nope. Just spoonful by spoonful. Come on! It looks so good!"

"I does look pretty good." I contemplate. "Alright let's do it." I finally agree, and she excitedly claps her hands.

Once we finish up, we head to the front to pay. I block Hailee's attempts at paying for the basket, slipping my card into the machine. The cashier hands me the receipt and we thank them on our way out.

The drive to the beach is wonderful. The sky is filled with clouds slowly starting to darken and turn pink. It's about a 20 minute drive, but it seems to go by in seconds. We get out of the car and walk towards the shore, but in order to get there we have to walk the small boardwalk to reach the sand. While we are walking, towels and snacks in hand, Hailee grabs my hand with her spare hand.

We reach the sand and we place both towels down right next to each other creating one big square of towel. Hailee immediately grabs the box that holds the cake and opens it.

"No time to waste huh?" I jokingly say, and she shakes her head. I decide it's the perfect time to take a picture of this moment.

I look back at the photo smiling, Hailee not even noticing I took it. We sit back while watching the waves repeatedly crash on the shore, the ball of sun slowly creeping more and more south as the moments go by. Being with Hailee is one of the best feelings. We can just sit and talk and eat for hours if we wanted to, and we would never get bored.

"Let's go touch the water." Hailee suggests.

"We aren't in beach clothes." I remind her.

"I don't care. Come on, roll up your pants. You're coming with me whether you like it or not." She demands. Ever since I met Hailee, I've also learned to live life more on the edge, that having fun is okay. She's reassured me that it's okay to let loose and have fun instead of being so serious all the time.

"Race you to the water!" Hailee shouts, running to getting a head start.

"Oh no you don't. You seem to forget I'm an athlete Steinfeld." I shout back, following after her.

We reach the water pretty quick, and I let Hailee get there first.

"Ha! Beat you." She says proudly. "I ran so fast did you see me!"

"I sure did my love." I reply.

I slip my hand, placing it on her back. She responds by putting her head on my shoulder. The sun is almost setting now. We stay like that for a couple minutes, just standing in the sand while the waves crash against our ankles momentarily. Everything about this moment is perfect. However, Hailee breaks the tranquility by kicking the water with her foot. She looks at me with a menacing look.

"Do not. Splash me." I tell her with my hands raised by my chest, slowly stepping backwards.

"And if I did splash you?" She asks with a cheeky smile on her face.

"I don't know, but you don't want to find out." I tell her, still backing away.

Hailee takes a moment to think before she bends down, grabbing a handful of water in her hands. As she goes to throw it I start running away. I feel the small amount of water on my back. I bend down as well, scooping up water and throwing it at her. At this point, water is going everywhere and our clothes are starting to become damp. We are both laughing hysterically now.

"Okay! Okay! Truce!" She calls out.

"Fine, truce." I say, putting my hand out for her to shake.

"Truce." She replies, shaking my hand.

We walk back to our area hand in hand, still laughing at the shenanigans by the water. The two of us take a seat on the towels, Hailee in between my legs while she lays the back of her head on my chest. I wrap my arms around her.

"That song you played me earlier..." She begins.

"What about it?" I question.

"It says that you're in love for the second time." She notes.

"Yeah." I reply, while gulping.

"Does it mean what I think it means?" She asks.

"If we are thinking the same thing, then yes, it does." I admit.

"Okay, well, I just want you to know I feel the same." She replies. "And you don't have to say it verbally, the L word that is. It's just a word, but I know we both feel it." She shares.

"In that case, I L word you." I tell her, and she laughs.

"I L word you too, Jay." She says while looking up at me giggling.

She turns around to face me know, and I'm slightly laying down, propped up by my elbows. Hailee lays beside me. She looks up at me with sparkles in her eyes.

"Today was so much fun Jay, I'm so glad we did this together." She mentions.

"Yeah it was a blast. Anything with you is always amazing Hailee." I reply honestly.

Our talking grows silent, the only sounds filling up our ears are the crashing waves and seagulls. While serenity surrounds us, I pull Hailee in for a sweet kiss. When we detach, she gives me a look that speaks a thousand words, like she's admiring everything about me.

"I'm so glad I met you."

"Me more." I reply.

Once again, our lips connect into a long, passionate kiss. Although our lips are the only things that are touching right now, it feels like our souls are closer than ever. She slips her tongue into my mouth, inviting mine to dance with hers. While we kiss, I slowly run my fingers through her hair, her hand slightly rubbing my neck.

By now, the sun has already made its way past the horizon line, the beach getting darker by the second. We almost don't realize the approaching darkness, but we ultimately decide to pack up our things. Together, we walk back to the car, making sure to rid our shoes from any remaining sand. Once we both close the doors, we begin our trek back to Hailee's house.

Hailee greets Teenie at the door, immediately grabbing her bowl to feed her. Sometimes when we are out I forget Hailee has to feed her, but usually Martini is pretty good about eating; especially when we get home later than her dinner time. I look at my phone, and it's approaching 10pm. At this point, I'm unsure about when I should go home.

"I think I'm going to head back home." I tell Hailee.

"What! No, I don't want you to leave." She pleads.

"I have morning practice tomorrow my love. 7am sharp." I explain, and she frowns.

"Okay well, next time. Maybe you can sleep over too." She offers, and I nod.

"Next time, I promise." I tell her.

I say goodbye to Hailee with a sweet kiss. I pet Martini's head, saying farewell to her as well. Hailee walks me to the door and gives me a final hug before closing it behind me.

"Good night my Jay." She says.

"Good night my Hailee." I reply.

As I walk back to my car, I can only think of one thing.

I love her.

3302 words

Bring me the sunset in a cup,

Reckon the morning's flagons up,

And say how many dew;

Tell me how far the morning leaps,

Tell me what time the weaver sleeps

Who spun the breadths of blue!

- Emily Dickinson