23: Silence is Deadly

Things had been a little tense between Liz and I recently. She seemed upset about that photo but never mentioned anything about it after that day. If this was her reaction now, how would she react once she found out what was really going on.

We had texted every so often, but the conversation was lacking and there would be nothing to report. I wasn't sure if I was just looking too much into this.

Today, Liz was out with her work colleagues, genuinely this time. So, I took this opportunity to sneak into their house, to have a little catch up with Jason. Just the thought of having to 'sneak in' to my best friend's house filled me with dread. But, if this week showed me anything, it was that I really had to carefully plan out how I was going to tell Liz. And I told Jason just as much.

"She'll be fine once she has time to process it all and realises this is serious" Jason said, playing with my hair as we sat on the couch, the television providing some background noise. Why did I have a feeling that I had heard this before somewhere?

"I don't know Jason" I sighed "She really wasn't happy about that picture"

"But there were loads of pictures of us together. We were being tourists and taking pictures at every moment" Jason laughed. "What exactly did she say?"

"Nothing" I shrugged.

"Nothing?" Jason raised an eyebrow. "Well then, how would you know if she's really mad at you? I would say silence is better than her actually saying something"

"Oh Jason" I smirked, patting him on the shoulder "If there is anything you should know about women, is that their silence is deadly. If she says nothing, it means you have done something very wrong. Just keep that in mind for the future"

Jason visibly gulped and turned his attention to the television as I tried to hold in my laughter. "I knew that" he scoffed, taking the remote and flicking through the channels. I shook my head; Jason sure had a lot to learn. "How about we go out on a date to take your mind of things?"

"A date?" I shook my head "Isn't that a bit risky?"

"Just because we're keeping this a secret for now, that doesn't mean we still can't go out on dates" Jason winked. "So, how about it? We haven't been on a date yet since we've got back. I think it's about time we have our first proper date at home"

I still thought it was risky and I didn't want to do anything that would expose us. My head was saying it wasn't a good idea, that we could get caught. By my heart wanted any excuse to spend more time with Jason. In the end my heart won, and I reluctantly agreed. "Fine, why not" I shrugged. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise" Jason smirked.

"You know I hate surprises" I groaned. "Can you not just tell me where we're going, so I can dress appropriately?"

"Nope. I want to surprise you, and I think you're going to like it. Besides, you could wear a grocery bag over you, and you would still look good" he grinned.

I shook my head as I tried to hide my own smile, hating how much his smile could change my mind in an instant. "Yeah, I bet you would love to see that" A thought suddenly occurred to me "I thought you had just come up with this date idea just now? But you're saying it's a surprise?"

Jason smiled, running a hand through his hair "Well, to tell you the truth, I have been planning a little surprise date for a while now"

"Awww Jason" I grinned, kissing his now pink cheeks. "That's so sweet. But you have to tell me where we're going"

"Not a chance. I want to see your face once you know where I'm taking you"

"I'm not happy about this" I grumbled, folding my arms like a little child.

"You know you're cute when you're mad" he smiled, leaning forward to kiss me. And in an instant, I forgot what I was even mad about in the first place.

Liz had messaged me earlier on asking if I had wanted to hang out with her. There was a carnival on in the next town she had suggested but I had to lie and say I wasn't feeling well. The guilt I felt in that moment was abysmal. It was eating me up inside and I didn't know how much longer I could take this. I think it was time to tell Liz soon. I would deal with the consequences later. I hoped Jason would be on the same page.

Having no idea where we were going, I decided to wear something cute but comfortable. I wore a midi length lime green dress, pattered with a tie dye effect, which was comfortable enough if we were doing some late evening walk and appropriate enough if we were going out for dinner somewhere.

It would have been nice if Jason had given me some clue as to where we were going, but he was relentless and would give no indication as to what I should wear. It was getting chilly outside, the fall leaves starting to grow on the trees, so made sure to wear my white leather jacket on .

I gave myself a little twirl in the mirror, feeling giddy as if I was going on a first date. Which in some ways, it kind of was. We already had our first date in Edinburgh, but this would be our first date back at home. My heart skipped a beat thinking about Edinburgh. It would hold a special place in my heart just thinking of all the fond memories made there.

The doorbell rang and I gave myself one last look in the mirror before rushing down the stairs to see Jason. Luckily, my dad was working late tonight, so I wouldn't have to explain just yet why Jason and I were going out. Even though my dad had known Jason practically his whole life, he wouldn't hesitate to give him a grilling if he knew we were dating. I thought it'd be best to save that for another day.

I grinned as I opened the door, seeing him dressed in a navy-blue shirt paired with a black leather jacket. Already, I could suss out that it was some sort of casual outing. "Hey there" The last rays of sunshine were setting beyond the horizon, the streets quiet as everyone cosied up in their homes.

"Hey yourself. Wow, you look gorgeous" he smiled, kissing me on the cheek, making me smile even harder. "But then again, you always do". I'm sure I could feel my face flame up. If it was possible, I would have probably combusted in that moment. I needed some fresh air to cool down. I placed my hand on his chest, pushing him out the door. "Someone's eager"

"We need to go before- "

"Oh my goodness, are you two going out on a date?" My mother screeched from behind me.

"Before my mom sees us" I mumbled. Too late now I suppose. "Mom, we're running a bit late. We need to-"

"Wait just two seconds. Let me find my phone so I can take some pictures" she grinned as she walked off gleefully, a spring in her step.

"This is what I wanted to avoid" I groaned, arching my face to the sky.

"Wait, your mom knows about us?" Jason asked, his eyes wide in confusion.

"Oh, woops" I pursed my lips, rubbing the back of my neck. "I knew there was something I forgot to tell you"

Before he could ask any more questions, my mom appeared back in the hallway, her phone in hand, ready to take photos. "Why don't you both come inside, and I'll just take a few photos" she grinned, as if she had won the lottery.

"Just a few, okay mom. Then we have to go" I chastised. Seeing her now, I knew she was getting excited. A little bit too excited if you asked me. Since I had told her about Jason and me, it was all she could talk about. She would make sure my dad wasn't in the room of course; I would tell him soon enough. But once he was out of earshot it was 'Jason this and Jason that and wedding and babies.' I swear, she was almost as bad as me.

Jason just chuckled as she took the photos, as I tried not to be too embarrassed at my mom's behaviour, but I'm sure the pictures would say otherwise.

We eventually managed to escape my mother's picture taking once I had convinced her she had enough photos and let us be on our way. I sighed with relief as we got into the car, feeling like I was able to breathe again.

Jason started the car and we were on our way to who knows where. "Are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

"Nope. You'll find out soon enough" he grinned from the driver's side.

I watched through the window as we drove by familiar territory. We were driving out of our town and into the next. At least this way, there would be very little chance of bumping into anyone we knew.

I was so lost in thought trying to figure out where we were going, that I almost missed when Jason asked "So, you told your mom?"

I didn't look at him, instead placing my head against the window, the brown of my eyes reflecting back at me. "I'm sorry" I groaned. "I was having such a bad day with Liz and I needed to get it off my chest. She just so happened to be the first person there, so I ended up spilling my guts to her"

Jason chuckled "You told her everything?"

"Well, not everything" I blushed. "Just how we had started dating. It was eating me up inside Jason" I said, now finally turning to face him. "I think it's time to tell Liz. I don't care what happens after, I just feel bad that I'm lying to her and keeping all this from her". And also, that fact I was lying to him about Liz's love life too but thought it best not to mention that right now.

"I think you're right. I hate keeping secrets from my sister and I'm ready to tell her too. Plus, I'm ready to show you off to the world" he grinned. I had to bite my lip to stop from showing how much his words affected me. When I think about our whole journey and how we ended up at this point, it just seemed crazy to me that he was right here all along. "Also, there's something I have to admit"

"What?" my eyes widened, wondering what else we would be confessing to today.

"Ethan knows"

"What!" I screeched, almost making Jason swerve the car.

"Hey, give me the chance to explain before you say anything"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my mind that was running through all the worst-case scenarios that could happen now that Ethan knew.

"He came up to see me not long ago, and like you, I just needed to tell someone. I had to get it off my chest. I'm glad you feel the same way because I don't know how much longer I could hold it in for. I'm ready to tell the world"

"Well, let's start with Liz and take it from there" I chuckled.

As we drove on, I noticed flashing lights nearing as we got closer to our destination. Jason smile grew wider, so I assumed we were near our destination. "Do you recognise where we are?"

A Ferris wheel glowed in the distance, its light flickering like a disco ball. I grinned as I had an idea where we were "Are we at the carnival?"

"Yeah. I thought it would be a good idea to relive some memories of our younger years" Liz, Jason and I used to come to the carnival every year when we were kids. The memories of our screams as we rode on all the rides, the smell of the candyfloss as it stuck to our hands, those sleepy car rides back home, all came flooding back. "I wonder why we stopped going?" Jason mused.

"Erm... because you thought you became too cool to hang out with us" I scoffed, remembering how Jason ditched us once he went to high school and thought we were uncool.

"That's not true"

"Yes, it was. As soon as you went to high school, you no longer hung out with Liz and I" I argued, remembering it like it was yesterday.

"Well, could you blame me. I couldn't be seen hanging around with my little sister and her best friend" Jason chuckled.

"That's true. If it was the other way around, I would totally ditch you too"

"Hey, no fair. I was a pretty cool kid"

"Sure, you just keep thinking that" I laughed.

We arrived at the carnival, the carnival lights twinkling against the dark sky. I couldn't help the grin that grew on my face as I stepped out of the car and into the chilly night air. I felt like a little kid again, my feet jumping up and down seeing all the rides and games.

Jason took my hand and placed it in his as we made our way to the carnival. "This was a great idea; I love it already. Thanks Jason" I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him on his cheek.

"Wow, we haven't even started yet" he laughed "But I'll take it"

We strolled through the carnival hand in hand, the bright lights illuminating the dark sky. The place was busy, filled with families, couples and friends, all with smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the night. The smell of pumpkin spice lattes from the coffee carts wafted through the air, making the air feel warmer. The screams of children's laughter filled the air as they rode the terrifying roller coasters.

We proceeded to play some carnival games, such as the bottle stand, both of us trying to knock down the bottles on the shelf and neither of us being successful at it. We also played the ring toss, a shooting range and some basketball too. Collectively, we ended up winning enough tickets for a little keyring.

"Well, at least you'll have a memento of our first date" Jason laughed.

"I'll remember all the hard work that we did just to end up with a keyring"

The fall leaves crunched beneath us as we continued to walk around. The park was still abuzz as the night went on, the bright lights feeling like a mini Vegas. We went on a few rides, such as the twister, which made me feel slightly dizzy afterwards, the dodgems, and finally the Ferris wheel.

"Do you remember when we were kids, our last ride would always be the Ferris wheel?" I smiled, as we floated up in the air, reminiscing of our childhood.

"Why do you think we went here last?" Jason chuckled "It's always been a tradition of ours. We might as well keep it up"

I smiled as I looked into the distance, as we rose higher and higher. Trees lined the outside, feeling like a forest on the other side of the carnival. As we rose higher, the bright lights of the city shone ahead, looking like a big crossword puzzle.

I sighed, knowing there was something missing with this tradition "It feels weird with Liz not being here"

"We'll tell her soon, I promise" Jason smiled, placing his arm around my shoulder "We just need to wait for a day she is actually in the house. I swear, that girl is never home these days"

My heart plummeted, and not just because we were heading back down. The sooner we all told each other our secrets, the better. Never had our friendship been in such turmoil before. I didn't like it and hoped it never happened again.

I placed my head on Jason's shoulder, hoping Liz's secret wouldn't affect our relationship. Each day, my feelings for Jason got stronger and I couldn't imagine him not being a part of my life. If anything, I really wanted him to be a big part of my future. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with anybody else. I'd known Jason all my life and there was no one else I trusted, besides Liz, more than Jason.

"What are you thinking in that pretty little head of yours?" Jason asked.

The night sky twinkled with stars as the moon tried to peek out against the greying clouds. "Just how much I love being in this moment, here, with you, right now"

Jason tilted my face up to his, pressing his lips against mine. What started off as a light kiss, turned into something more as I pulled him closer to me, hoping with that kiss, that I could show how much he meant to me. I may not have had the words to tell him, but I'm sure my kiss spoke a thousand words.

I'm sure Jason felt the same way, as he wrapped his arm around my waist, deepening the kiss. I let go, breathing hard as I placed my forehead against his. My whole body was on fire, warming me up on this chilly night. I didn't care that I may have just put on a display for lots of people to see. All I knew was that I would do anything to keep Jason in my life.

We got off the wheel, me holding on tightly to Jason's hand, hoping with that small gesture, he would know how much I would fight for us no matter what came our way.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to us, you know that right?" Jason said, kissing the top of my head. I nodded, knowing he was telling the truth.

We strolled along, with me feeling like I was on cloud nine. I didn't think anything could spoil this moment. If I hadn't turned my head around, the moment would have been picture perfect. The picture, however, was instantly ripped apart as I saw a familiar figure not too far away from us. I gasped as I spotted Liz, hand in hand with Ian.

"Is everything okay?" Jason asked, his forehead wrinkling in concern.

I didn't know what to say. If I warned Jason that Liz was here, that would mean exposing Liz and Ian. I couldn't let Liz see us and Jason couldn't see Liz with Ian. With my mind fluttering with something to distract Jason with, I placed both my hands on his cheeks, the coldness of his cheeks biting my warm ones, and kissed him, hoping that Liz and Ian wouldn't notice us or would think it was just a random couple going a bit TMI with their PDA.

Jason chuckled as I let go, his warm breath fanning my face. "What was that for?"

"Nothing" I shrugged "Just that I love yo...ur date idea. It's been amazing"

"I had fun too" he smiled, placing his arm around my shoulder as we made our way back home. I just hoped that neither Liz or Ian, or Jason noticed anything. I refrained from groaning out loud. This was getting too complicated. This situation needed to be fixed ASAP.

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That was a close call, Liz almost found out...

Posted a pic for the inspiration of Rosie's date dress. Hope you enjoyed this lovely chapter. I thought it was super cute.