3 Weeks Before July 4th

"I have a bad feeling about this." 

My mother told me one morning as I was washing dishes. 

"About what?" 

I asked, only half-listening as I scrubbed a rice-caked pot. 

"This trip. I can't shake the feeling that something's going to happen." 

My mother told me as she moved her eggs around on her plate. 

"Mom, don't be ridiculous.
I can't cancel now, we've been planning this for months. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, Zion will be there and you know he won't let anything happen to me." 

I reassured her quickly, dismissing her concerns like the careless nineteen-year-old I was. Sighing, my mom shot me one last concerned look before she left me to my own devices. A few minutes later, I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket; taking it out, I see Zion's face light up my screen. 

"Hello?" 

I ask, in my soft, southern accent, after pressing the green to accept call button. 

"Hey Georgia, when do you want me to pick you up? I'd suggest you get ready soon unless you want to be late." 

Zion drawled in his sexy deep voice. I replied with a smile, rolling my eyes dramatically. 

"Okay, just give me a minute, and I'll shoot you a text when I'm ready." 

I survey the kitchen before I find some extra dirty dishes to toss in the dishwasher. 

"Alright, see you soon," 

Zion said distractedly before he ended the call.

I slid into the warm leather seats of his black Corvette thirty minutes later and buckled my seat belt as Zion drove out of my neighborhood towards the elementary school where I work. When we arrived in front of the faded red brick building, he parked near the entrance like he did every day. Zion watched me go inside before leaving for his job, which he was currently five minutes late for. After work, we swung by his sister Keira's high school to pick her and her boyfriend, Landon, up. 

"Let's go to that pizza joint in One Daytona. Aliza and Asher are meeting us there." 

She ordered in typical Keira fashion. 

"Sure thing, sis," 

Zion responded as he whipped out of the parking lot. I rolled my eyes in amusement. 

"Show off." 

Zion threw me a mischievous smirk as he slammed the gas pedal with his foot. 

"Anything for you, babe." 

Landon snorted at his cheesiness while I did my best not to laugh at this idiot's ridiculousness. 

"OHMYGOD! Just get married already!" 

Keira shrieked in exasperation.
The rest of the car ride was filled with roaring laughter and hysterical giggling as we continued to poke at Keira, much to her annoyance. After dinner at that pizza joint I can never remember the name of, Zion dropped me off at my house with a kiss on the forehead and continued his journey home.