The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance(21)

“I think it’s more like, a teenage guy will do anything for food.”

“True that.” Micah pulled into the Mini-Mart parking lot and grinned. “Sodas are on me.”

“I figured as much,” I teased, and then shook my head. “I brought money. Don’t worry about me.” I wasn’t comfortable with Micah paying for me. I was a strong, independent woman capable of paying for my own stuff. I did get an allowance, after all! And if Micah paid, wouldn’t that count as a taking me out sort of thing? Like a date?

I climbed out of the car and followed him inside the convenience store. He made his way to the coolers, while I wandered toward the slushy machine. I had a weakness for a good ole blue raspberry and cherry slushy—layered, not mixed. I grabbed a medium-sized cup and started creating my colorful concoction. Micah came over, laughing as he watched me.

“What are you, five?”

“Obviously, six. I have to be old enough to use the machine correctly.”

Micah grabbed a lid and straw for me as I displayed my masterpiece to him.

“And you just drink it like that?” he asked.

“Are you kidding me? You’ve never had a layered slushy before?”

“I’m afraid I’ve never been educated in the ways of Charlie’s slushies.”

“It’s not even my own thing. I think Josh and his friends showed me this. And I’m sure someone had to have shown them. This is a legit thing.”

“Riiighht.”

“Whatever. Don’t dis it till you’ve tried it.” I grabbed the lid and straw and walked over to the register and started to hand the cashier a five-dollar bill when Micah slipped his hand past mine with a ten.

“A soda and a weird slushy,” he said to the cashier.

“I can pay for mine,” I tried. I pushed my money to the cashier, who was staring at us.

“My treat,” Micah insisted. “I asked you to come out. You pay next time.”

Next time. Would there be a next time? I guessed that if there was, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Right? Friends get beverages with each other all the time. The cashier took Micah’s ten-dollar bill, settling the squabble herself. Micah grabbed his soda and pushed the change into his front jeans pocket.

“Wanna go hang out at the park?”

“Pretty sure the park is closed after dusk.” I followed him back out into the empty parking lot.

“Oh, right. I forgot. I’m with Little Miss I-Never-Live-A-Little.”

“No, no,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “If you’re going to insult me, get it right.” I grinned at Micah as I walked to the passenger side. “It’s Little Miss I-Don’t-Feel-Like-Getting-Arrested.”

“Arrested? For wandering around a park?”

“Rules are made for a reason.”

Micah opened his soda and took a long swig. He was a Pepsi kind of guy, apparently. Not Coke. That could be a deal-breaker.

“Yeah, to be broken.” He laughed. Yeah, I should have seen that coming, especially from him. “If you’re really nervous about wearing orange, we could drive out to the old grocery store. I like to hang out there sometimes. And it’s a perfect night to see the stars.”

“I told my dad I wouldn’t be gone long,” I said, thinking of my parents in the living room. I wasn’t the type of daughter to cause worry. I was always home by curfew, if not before. “He told me to be home in an hour.”

“We won’t be out long. I need to get back to the house anyway,” Micah reassured me. “I told you, trust me. I’ll take care of you.”

It wasn’t something I was used to hearing from anyone other than my parents and Josh. I could see the sincerity of Micah’s words reflected in his eyes. He tapped the roof of the car, his lips quirking up into a smile.

“Get in the car before you get all sappy on me.”

“Oh, whatever.” I slid into the passenger seat. Sappy. He wished I would get all sappy with him.

Micah started up the car and turned his attention to his radio. He slipped an unlabeled CD into the stereo. “I’ll teach you a bit about some real music.”

“You act as though you didn’t say Tom Odell was your jam.”

“Tom Odell is my jam, but there is so much more to the world of music.”

Micah put the car into gear. “Just sit back, relax and enjoy yourself. I know you don’t have much experience with that…but try.”

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my slushy. It was so good. A content sigh escaped as I lowered my drink into the cup holder. The music started and Bryan Adams’ voice filled the speaker. I looked up, completely surprised by his choice of music. I never would have thought Micah as Bryan Adams fan.

“Slushy good?” Micah asked. I nodded and gestured to the cup.

“Taste it. You’ll never know greatness until you do.”

Micah made a face. “That’s all right. Slushies aren’t really my thing.”

“Your loss,” I said. “By the way…Bryan Adams?”

“Bryan Adams,” Micah nodded, and dialed up the volume. I recognized the song as “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You.” I listened until we pulled into the old grocery store parking lot. If I remembered correctly, this was the love song for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves—one of my dad’s favorite Kevin Costner films.