The Road To Your Heart

CHAPTER 4

Lisa stared at the glowing text message on her bed, her heart racing against her ribs. Going out with him was risky, especially after the bathroom incident. Then she picked up the phone and replied.

Lisa :I need some time to think.

Her phone buzzed immediately.

Cole: You're thinking too hard .

Lisa frowned.

Lisa: Maybe.

Cole : That sounds like a yes.

Another message.

Cole: Come on.

Lisa blankly stared at her phone then replied...

"Okay fine."

Cole : I knew you were gonna say yes, send me the address I'll pick you up in thirty minutes.

Looking at the clock, Lisa realized the timing was perfect since her mother hadn't arrived home from work yet. Twenty-five minutes later she stood in front of the mirror, contemplating on her outfit. Because why did she change her clothes three times?

Why was her hair suddenly important? Why was she nervous? This was not a date.

Probably. Maybe. Definitely. No.

Her phone vibrated again.

Cole: I'm Outside.

Her heart quickly forgot how to behave. She peeked through the curtains before grabbing her jacket and walked quietly down the stairs and out the front door.

“You’re early,” Lisa said.

Cole tilted his head a little. “You were going to be late getting ready. I adjusted.” Inside the car, silence didn’t feel empty ,it felt loaded.

"You could've told me you were going to come dressed like that."

Lisa looked at him. "Like, what?"

Cole did not respond right away.

Just slightly tightened his grip on the wheel.

"Like you're going to ruin my concentration tonight."

By the time the night was over, something between them had changed and silence had it's own way of saying things words couldn’t.Lisa walked up the driveway, her stomach dropped. The lights inside the house were fully on. She held her breath as she slowly turned the handle of the front door, trying not to make a sound. She pushed it open and slipped inside, then slowly shutting the door behind her until she heard the click of the lock. She took a quiet step towards the stairs, thinking she had managed to sneak in without being seen, but then a shadow moved at the end of the hallway, making her heart skip a beat. It was as if she had been caught, and waiting to see what would happen next. The silence felt heavy, and Lisa felt like she was holding her breath forever . Theresa gently shut Dorothy's door looking exhausted and worn out, her arms wrapped around herself, as if trying to hold something in place . Then her gaze noticed Lisa on the stairs, "Where are you coming from?"

Lisa froze, her thoughts trying to come up with a story. "I...I was at Martha's," she lied , forcing a tired expression on her face. "We agreed that I would help her out with her history project ."

Her mother stared at her for a long time analyzing her face ,before saying anything.

" But you don't look like someone who was doing a project??, you're not holding any book or your school bag, another thing why do you have lipgloss on?."

"But mom i...."

"Lisa, you should have left a note or sent a text. You know I don't like you walking around after dark. Go to your room and get some sleep."

She immediately hurried to her room and closed the door behind her.

Sleep refused to come.

It was one of those nights where everything outside was still, the room was dark and quiet, except for a faint humming noise coming from outside, but somehow her mind just couldn't seem to calm down.

Not after tonight.

Lisa lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling, before closing her eyes tightly, trying to shut out her thoughts.

Big mistake.

As soon as she did, he appeared once more.

The way he had looked at her.

Not like before.

Like she's the only girl in the world.

Her fingers tightening around the blanket.

She still remembered the warmth of standing close to him. The way his lips touched hers , like he was unsure if he should be doing it. It made her heart stop beating for a moment. Then everything around them got intense and she couldn't think about anything else.

Careful.

Warm.

Lisa rolled over onto the other side, letting out a frustrated sigh as she pushed her face into the pillow.

“This is so stupid,” she whispered to herself.

Because no matter how hard she tried to stop replaying it—

What stuck with her the most was the way he held her and the way his hands wrapped around her waist ….

By the time Friday arrived, the lingering warmth of that kiss was still keeping Lisa completely distracted.

The school day had just come to an end and Jake as always was super excited. He ran out of his class singing “ It's Friday”

Fridays were the best. For as long as he could remember, the five of them would get together every Friday night. They would play video games, listen to music, and eat lots of junk food all night long. It was a tradition that Jake loved, and he couldn't wait.

Jake's and Leon's parents were never home, they were always on another business trip, so the massive house was usually in chaos by sunset.

Jake was pretty confident as they headed out to the parking lot, throwing his arm around Aliyah's shoulder. "I've already got three huge pizzas on the way," he said with a grin. "And if Leon thinks he can take me down at racing games tonight, he's got another thing coming." He looked at Aliyah, his eyes full of excitement.

That evening at the Harrison house everything began with chaos as usual and before the game began, Leon was already arguing about the rules.The living room was a disorganized mess of open pizza boxes, soda cans, and the bright colors of the television. Jake was in peak form, carelessly jumping off the couch after scoring a point and trash-talking his brother. Leon was actually laughing, his usual quiet, unreadable expression giving way to genuine warmth as he pushed Jake back onto the cushions.

Lisa sat cross-legged near the couch, pretending to be paying attention to the argument, while Martha and Aliyah were keeping scores of the winner.

Leon stood up to grab more snacks from the kitchen and Jake was now halfway accusing everyone of cheating because he started losing.

Lisa's phone buzzed in her lap.

Cole: Can I see you tonight?

Lisa: I’m at Jake and Leon’s for a sleepover.

Cole: I know

Another message.

Cole: I just wanted to see you.

Lisa stared at the screen for so long.

Then her phone buzzed again.

Cole: Come outside.

Her heart skipped.

Lisa: What?

Cole: I’m around the corner.

She looked up instinctively,Jake was still arguing ,Leon was laughing from somewhere in the kitchen and nobody was paying attention.Perfect.Lisa stood up and slipped outside before anyone could notice.The street was quiet.Half-hidden around the corner Cole shoved into his pockets.The second he saw her, something in his expression softened.

“Hey”

Lisa stepped closer.“You drove all the way here.”

“I wanted to see you, I thought you'd come watch me play today, but you didn't.”He leaned in close, his breath warm on her skin, and whispered "I missed you" as his lip's brushed against her's.

"I missed you too, I'm sorry things got busy" Lisa breathed, her face glowing in the dark. " But I have to go back inside before they notice I'm gone."

Cole smiled softly, brushing a stray hair from her face. " Go. I'll text you when I get home.”

“Good night Cole “

Lisa turned and hurried back to the house, her heart racing she slipped through the kitchen side door, locking it quietly.She pulled her hoodie down tight and ran her hands through her hair to make sure it was not not a mess, and then walked back into the living room. She slipped back onto the couch, trying to act as if nothing had happened. Lisa was buzzing with excitement from the secret meeting she'd just had. She couldn't help but smile to herself, feeling a little breathless. Her eyes dropped back down to her lap, where she was waiting for her phone to buzz with a text from Cole. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she tuned out all the noise around her, just waiting to hear from him. The room could have been empty or full of people, she wouldn't have noticed - she was too busy thinking about what had just happened and what might happen next. Her phone felt like it was taking forever to buzz, and she found herself glancing down at it every few seconds, willing it to go off.

Martha and Aliyah were sitting really close together on the other couch, their heads almost touching as they looked at Martha's phone. They were talking quietly, and whispering their voices full of excitement.

“Oh my gosh,” Aliyah whispered.

Martha quickly grabbed the phone closer to herself.

“What do I even say?” Martha hissed.

Aliyah leaned in immediately.

“Not that. Delete it. You sound weird.”

Martha laughed nervously.

"Look at how he worded it," Aliyah said quietly, nudging Martha's shoulder. "He's so into you. I told you he was looking at you during break time."

"I know, but what should I say?" Martha said, her fingers hovering nervously over the keyboard. "I'm afraid if I send something weird Cole will quickly lose interest in me."

"Just say something casual," Aliyah instructed, leaning in to tap the screen herself. "Tell him you're busy tonight, but he can find you at your locker on Monday. Let him wait a little”

"But what if he doesn't text back?"

" Girl relax, the goal is not to look desperate, trust me you will lose your spark "

Lisa sat just inches away, a dreamy smile on her face as she tapped her own screen, completely lost in the memory of Cole's lips brushing against hers. She was so immersed in her own world. Meanwhile, Aliyah pressed the send button on Martha's phone, and the two girls giggled quietly.

Lisa frowned slightly, glancing over.

“What are you two doing?”

“Nothing,” Aliyah said too quickly.

“Literally nothing,” Martha added, turning the screen away.

Lisa narrowed her eyes.

“You guys are acting suspicious.”

“We’re not,” Aliyah said, already laughing too hard.

Martha bit down on her lip, trying—and failing—to hide a grin.

Lisa rolled her eyes and leaned back against the couch.

Weird.

Jake yelled something from across the house.