16. Clementine

Clementine

1:30 P.M.

If our date had ended at hiking my favorite trail and mingling with the butterflies, I’d have gone home satisfied but craving more.

Every moment with Leyland left me feeling like a fiend searching for her next high.

And standing in his guest room after a nice hot shower, in the robe he provided, surrounded by his art only heightened my need for more .

I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering across his walls, taking in the swirling patterns of his abstract paintings. Every canvas seemed to hold an untold story, layers of color twisting into forms both deliberate and wild, inviting me to look closer. I moved slowly around the room, each painting feeling like a tiny piece of himself he’d left behind. It was like being shown his inner world, a place of beauty and chaos and something else that made me feel seen—inside and out.

Leyland’s art reflected the person I’d been getting to know, the person I wanted to know everything about. And maybe his uncanny knowledge of me played a part but it was him —his gentle and understanding heart that drew me in.

“I’m headed downstairs but take your time, alright?” Leyland called through the door after startling me with a hard knock.

Realizing that I’d been lost inside of my head and still needed to dress, I jumped into action after acknowledging him. His heavy footfalls grew light as he retreated and I listened until I couldn’t anymore, oddly wanting to know his every move.

Is that normal? I thought while pulling my boyfriend jeans and oversized cropped graphic tee on, grateful that I’d at least moisturized my body already.

I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and slicked my edges in the bathroom, catching my own eye in the mirror and finding myself surprised by what I saw.

It had been so long since I’d felt this calm, this settled. There was a version of myself here that I rarely got to be, a part of me that didn’t have to be responsible. This Clementine was simply… present. And right now, she wanted to live in the moment.

When I found Leyland in the living room a few minutes later, he was sitting on the couch as he looked out the window. The sunlight streaming through framed his profile, casting the planes of his face in warm shadows. He hadn’t noticed me yet, so I took a second to just look at him, noticing the way his fingers were clenched, his quiet intensity as he stared out at the view beyond. He seemed completely lost in thought, like he was struggling with something internally and I wondered where he went in moments like these.

“Hey, you,” I said, finally making myself known.

He turned, and the slight frown on his face softened, replaced with a smile that was small yet felt larger than life.

“Hey,” he said, his voice smooth, like he’d been waiting for this moment. His gaze moved over me, pausing as he read the words on my tee— off the clock but I save lives for a living . He raised an eyebrow. “Plan on saving lives off the clock today?”

“You never know…” I chuckled, giving a mock shrug. “You might get yourself into another situation that requires saving.”

He chuckled, holding my gaze with an expression I could only describe as fond as he patted the spot next to him. “Good thing I’ve got you here, then.”

His voice was teasing, but there was an underlying sincerity that made my stomach tighten.

“Is there something on your mind?” I asked, obliging his request for me to sit. “I noticed you seemed lost in thought when I got here.”

Leyland pressed deeper into the sofa and stretched his arms across the top of it, enough that he could pull me in at any given moment. My body became hyper aware of that as his gaze met mine and settled there, almost lazily—like he wasn’t in a rush to speak but eventually he did.

“Being with you feels like déjà vu at times,” he revealed. “I know things about you, I remember how we met, the small details of our life together, but some of the pieces that would make the story whole are missing when they weren’t before. I didn’t realize until something you said earlier felt like something I heard but couldn’t remember where or why.”

I nodded slowly, twisting a little and gently resting my head on his forearm.

“What did I say?”

“You said I make you feel good.”

He made me feel better than good; Leyland made me feel alive .

“What if…” I felt my lips curling without my permission. “What if we’re meant to fill in the missing pieces with new memories. Our memories.”

Leyland’s eyes took on a thoughtful expression as he shifted slightly, his fingers gently brushing my shoulder. The touch was light, almost hesitant, but sent a shiver through me.

“Can I hold you?”

I slid closer in response and he pulled me the rest of the way, cocooning us together in a gentle yet firm embrace.

“I think you’re right,” he said, stroking my arm. “And I like the idea of making new memories with you.”

"You know…” I lifted my head to look him in the eyes, "I keep waiting for this to feel strange or uncomfortable. But it doesn't. Being here with you, it just feels... right."

He nodded, his gaze dropping to my lips but only briefly.

“I know exactly what you mean.”

His mouth was dangerously close to mine now but he held back and so did I. There would be other moments, better moments for us to share our first kiss.

“So… what’s next on the agenda?”

“Food truck,” he revealed without pause. “Your stomach has been grumbling for the last twenty minutes.”

I scoffed and pulled away, pretending to be offended even though the smile on my face said otherwise.

His laughter filled the space between us as he stood.

“Don’t be like that, tiny,” he mused, tugging me into a standing position. “Come on. Let me feed you and then we’ll head to our next stop.”

I looked up into his pretty browns and immediately found it hard to look away.

He tipped his head. “Something on your mind?”

“Nothing, you just… I don’t know how to explain it.”

Leyland took my hand. “While you think about it, let’s head out.”

He gestured to the door, and I followed him outside after putting on my black and white Sambas. The sun was high but not oppressive, which meant it might get chilly later.

We walked to his car, and he held the passenger door open for me with a slight flourish.

“Your chariot awaits.”

“Such a gentleman,” I returned, sliding in and buckling up.

He climbed into the driver’s seat, and soon we were winding through familiar streets in a comfortable silence. The city unfolded around us as he drove toward a part of town I didn’t visit often.

Eventually, we pulled up to a bright food truck nestled under the shade of a tree-lined street. I smiled as I caught a whiff of spices I knew well floating in the air.

“Tacos?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Thought we could start with something low-key,” he said, getting out of the car and meeting me on my side. “Good tacos are like good art—they don’t need anything fancy to be memorable.”

I hummed, liking his take.

“Doesn’t hurt that I’d like to be a taco.”

Leyland’s chuckle turned into deep laughter before he approached the truck and placed our order. I watched him from the shaded table I picked for us like a creep, my feelings growing deeper by the second.

None of it made sense—liking him this much didn’t make sense.

He returned to our table, balancing two containers and bottled waters a moment later and we dug in right away. For a while there was nothing but the sound of crunching tortillas and appreciative murmurs.

The tacos were perfect—savory, with just the right amount of kick.

I finished before him and he tossed me a closed mouth smile while chewing his last bite.

“I see they lived up to your dreams of becoming a taco.”

“I will definitely be back. How’d you find this place?”

He downed half his water before responding but part of me knew the answer.

“We came here before,” he revealed softly, leaning in a little. “Right after we first met.”

“Where did we meet?” I asked, needing to know.

He shook his head and I frowned.

“Can’t tell you yet but I have a feeling you’ll know when we find ourselves there."

“But not today?” I surmised.

“Correct…” Leyland bit his lip. “Soon though.”

I wanted to ask more questions, get all the details so I could prepare but what was the fun in knowing everything?

I could only imagine how hard it must be for him.

“Is today going as planned?” I asked.

“Yeah, this feels right like you said.” His gaze met mine, his expression open and unguarded. “What about you? This isn’t too… low-key?”

“Low-key is exactly what I like. Honestly, I could do this all day.”

He smiled, nodding as if relieved.

We lingered for a moment, neither of us in any rush.

“So, is this it?” I teased, figuring if we sat staring at one another for much longer this is where our date would end. “Was your grand plan just to lure me out here for tacos?”

“Nah,” he said, his tone mockingly indignant. “I had a few other tricks up my sleeve.”

“Like what?”

“Thought we could try our hand at an escape room,” he said, tilting his head toward the street.

“Oh, I’m down for that. I assume it’s nearby?”

He nodded with a little smirk, clearly pleased.

The escape room was nestled in a nearby building with an old brick facade and worn wooden doors that felt like the entrance to a secret hideout. Inside, we were greeted by the staff and shown to a room labeled “The Explorer’s Study.” The walls were lined with old maps, bookshelves crammed with vintage books, and artifacts that gave the place a thrilling, adventurous feel.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind us, the challenge was on. Leyland was immediately immersed, his eyes darting around the room, taking in the details like he was sizing up a painting. I watched him for a moment, appreciating his focus and how he seemed to come alive in the puzzle’s presence.

“Alright, Dr. Warren,” he said, glancing back at me with a glint in his eye. “Let’s see if you’re as good with mysteries as you are with saving lives.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I think I’ll hold my own,” I replied, smirking. “But let’s see if you can keep up.”

The puzzles started out simple—matching clues and deciphering riddles. But they quickly escalated, and soon we were moving through the room as one, piecing together fragments of codes, laughing at our own mistakes, and occasionally brushing hands as we reached for the same clue.

At one point, we were huddled close, staring at a set of numbers scratched onto an old map. His arm brushed against mine, and I felt a spark travel up my skin. He didn’t pull away; instead, he leaned in, the warmth of his presence settling against me, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered, “Any idea what this might mean?”

The nearness of him made my heart race, but I kept my cool.

“Looks like coordinates. I think we should check the globe in the corner,” I said, nodding toward the desk where it sat.

He followed my gaze, moving his hand just slightly so that it hovered over mine.

“Good call,” he murmured, his eyes lingering on mine a beat too long before we moved to check the clue.

Working together, every small victory brought us closer, each solved puzzle a piece of the invisible thread connecting us. As we unlocked the final combination, the door clicked open, and a triumphant grin spread across his face. I laughed, unable to hold back my own excitement, and we shared a high-five that somehow turned into his hand lingering in mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.

For a second, everything seemed to slow down. He looked at me, his expression soft and intent, eyes searching mine as though he was trying to read something beyond words. My heart pounded, and I felt the air between us grow heavy with all the things we hadn’t yet said.

“Clementine,” he said softly, my name falling from his lips like a secret.

I didn’t look away, holding his gaze as something familiar settled low in my stomach. “Yeah?”

He hesitated, like he might’ve been on the verge of saying something important. But instead, he gave me a small, tender smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”

And I realized that while I was glad to be there too, I wanted him to say more, to do more —to stop holding back for my sake.