Free Never Enough by Ashley Johnson Page B

apartment was located in an area that was in walking distance to at least one park, several small cafes and a few little cottage type shops. Honestly, I would be content wherever we ended up. Most likely it would be the park again, but I was a little nervous about a park because of how our first park date had gone just a few hours earlier. Things had changed since then though. So much had changed in the last mere hours and he was still here holding my hand. I never expected him to still be here but he was.
    He led me into a small shop called Molly’s Trinkets and Things that sold a lot of, well, trinket jewelry. Halley and I always walked past it but I’d never been in. I never had been much of a jewelry person even though I admired all of it, especially the fleur de lis earrings and necklaces. I gave him a puzzled look that he didn’t notice and started looking around. He pulled me towards a charm bracelet hanging on a little display.
    “I want to buy you something.” He said wearing the most adorable smirk on his face. It would be so hard to tell him no, how could anyone tell that face no?
    “Trevor, no I can’t accept anything from you.” My eyes were bugging out of my head. I stared outside wandering if I made my way outside, if he would follow and forget about this insane idea of his.
    “Yes you can. Don’t argue with me silly. Look at this charm bracelet. It’s beautiful and I think it would look gorgeous on you.” He grabbed it and placed it around my wrist and started looking at different charms. He moved gracefully around the display looking at different ones and putting back what he didn’t like. “We will get you a charm or two today and then occasionally I’ll buy you a new one to add on. This will be our own special thing. I can be your good luck charm, always with you.” He grabbed a guitar charm. “This will remind you of me.” And then he grabbed a beer mug charm. They seriously had those. I tried not to laugh. He was being so seriously sweet about this. “And this is for my favorite bartender. That’s you by the way.” I burst out laughing over his jokes he seemed to be having. He said only one or two today but he grabbed one more that was shaped like a microphone. “This is for your music you sing. Like a bird.” I blushed as he drug me towards the counter. This was beautiful but also unnecessary, I didn’t need a gift, for crying out loud I was shoving him out the door just earlier. He paid the lady a number I just looked appalled at and we walked out.
    Once we were outside, it was then I was able to fully look at it. The only bracelets I’d ever owned were cheap trinket bangle things. This was definitely an upgrade. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to accept this. “Thank you so much Trevor I love it. You didn’t have to buy that for me.”
    He stopped and leaned in to kiss my forehead. “Don’t be silly Mace, I wanted to. I want to give you nice things.”
    I blinked back a few tears that were beginning to form again and grabbed his hand. “I’m sorry. I, it’s just, you, your still here. You didn’t leave earlier.” I admit I was baffled and I probably shouldn’t be questioning him but part of me couldn’t help it. The way I grew up as I got old enough for relationships, no one stayed around because I didn’t let them. I didn’t have time for that.
    He lifted my chin up and our eyes met. “I already told you, I’m not going anywhere. I don’t want to be anywhere you aren’t.”
    I stood there and waited patiently for someone to jump out of the bushes laughing telling me that I had fallen for the prank and it was all just a joke. You know like that old show with Ashton Kutcher? My eyes searched his and everything about them told me he was serious. If this wasn’t a joke, then it had to be a dream. That’s it. I figured it out. I used my free arm to try to pinch my other arm and he started laughing. “Macy, what in the world are you doing?”
    I actually pinched my