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Unlike the love they’d just shared, getting dressed was a bit awkward. As they put their clothes back on, they stole glances at one another, smiling when they caught each other looking. Freddie finished getting dressed first, though he did look a bit messy, mainly his hair, which was tousled from where Lizzie had run her hands through it.
Before Lizzie could finish putting on her dress, she paused and realized she couldn’t find her bra. She looked around, but the dim evening light made it hard to find anything.
“Freddie!” she whispered.
“What, love?” He asked, taking a chance to appreciate her like she was right then. Standing there, he couldn’t see much but her silhouette; she was so stunning.
“I can’t find my bra!”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Lizzie,” he smiled, “I think you look better without it.” He winked at her.
She turned bright red and giggled. “Help me find it.”
She laughed when she saw Freddie go down on all fours and start to feel around in the grass to try to find it, while she stood there trying to shield her nakedness.
“Oh my God, Freddie!” Lizzie said, laughing.
After a couple of minutes, they found it, and Lizzie finished getting dressed. As they stood there, they gazed at each other.
Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from inside the house.
“The franchise,” said Freddie, with a smile.
“You should probably head back inside,” she told him, even though she really didn’t want him to go.
“None of that, I’ll walk ya home,” he said, grabbing her hand in his.
As much as they had shared, they still hadn’t held hands. It was such a simple thing, but it felt huge. She was falling in love with him so easily.
As they were walking down the road towards her home, talking about this and that, matters without much importance, she just couldn’t hold herself back. She stopped walking and pulled him close by the hand. As Freddie turned around, she put her free hand on his cheek and pulled him down to kiss him. He put his free arm around her waist, effectively trapping their held hands between their bodies.
They kissed passionately until a car’s headlights illuminated them, and a car drove fast past them.
After that, they just kept walking and chatting. He asked her about her novel, asked if he could read some more of her chapters. Lizzie felt a bit self-conscious, given that it was quite obvious Freddie was the inspiration behind the hero of her latest book. Nevertheless, she promised she would show him her new chapters.
She asked him about horse riding, which she knew he had picked up only recently and that Rupert was giving him lessons. He told her Rupert was a tough teacher, but a very good one. And then he explained to her how he had bought that horse with Rupert and Declan, and how the horse’s name was Venturer.
Eventually, they arrived at her house. “Well, this is me,” she said.
Freddie smiled sweetly. He lifted their hands and kissed the back of her hand. “Goodnight, Lizzie. I’ll ring you tomorrow.”
“I-uh,” Lizzie started. “Thank you, Freddie, for today, for everything.”
Freddie lowered his head in a moment of shyness, then leaned to kiss her forehead.
He stood there while Lizzie started walking away. She turned to look at him, smiling. She put a kiss in the palm of her hand and blew it to him. His smile was radiant as he caught it and placed his hand on his heart.
When she closed the door behind her, he turned around and walked back to the O’Haras’.