Chapter 11

Caitlin took a deep breath as she stood in front of Sienna’s apartment door, adjusting the picnic basket in her hand. She had meticulously planned this outing-a secluded picnic by a hidden lake she had discovered, a place no one knew about. It was private, peaceful, and the perfect setting to spend time with Sienna.

Lifting her free hand, Caitlin knocked on the door. Moments later, it swung open to reveal Sienna standing in her pajamas, her emerald green eyes heavy with sleep, glasses perched on her nose, and her messy bun making her look effortlessly beautiful. Caitlin swallowed, momentarily forgetting what she was about to say.

Sienna blinked at the sight of Caitlin standing at her doorstep before sighing, clearly not in the mood to deal with any surprises. “What are you doing here, Clark? It’s Saturday. Don’t you have plans?” she asked, her tone laced with annoyance.

Caitlin grinned. “I do have plans, Sunshine, and they’re with you.”

Sienna’s brows furrowed. “I don’t remember making any plans with you, Clark.”

“Well, you do now.” Caitlin smirked, holding up the picnic basket.

Sienna eyed the basket before sighing in resignation. “There’s no way out of this, is there? You’re so persistent, Clark.”

Caitlin chuckled. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Caitlin found her frustration adorable and simply smiled.

Sienna sighed, stepping aside. “Fine, come in. Let me shower and change.

Sienna stepped aside, allowing Caitlin inside. Caitlin took in the apartment’s decor-blue and purple wallpaper lining the walls. “Well, I see you have taste, Sunshine,” she remarked, whistling in approval.

“Whatever, Clark,” Sienna called out as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Caitlin looked around the apartment, taking in the cozy decor. The walls were adorned with purple and blue wallpaper, and the space was neatly arranged. She wandered toward the photo frames hanging on the wall, her gaze landing on a picture of a woman with green eyes and blonde hair, holding a little girl who looked just like Sienna. It had to be her mother. Next were photos of Sienna with her best friends, Camden and Mia, and another of her in a graduation gown. Then, her eyes landed on a man in his forties, whom Caitlin assumed was Sienna’s father, Jake Callaway.

However, what really caught her attention was the next photo-a man with baby blue eyes and a boyish face., his arms wrapped around Sienna’s waist as they smiled brightly at the camera. Caitlin frowned slightly, knowing this had to be Joseph, Sienna’s boyfriend. Caitlin’s jaw tightened slightly glaring at the photo.

She was still glaring at the photo when she heard approaching footsteps.

She turned and nearly choked on air when she saw Sienna tying her hair into a ponytail. Sienna was wearing a white summer dress decorated with flowers, and over it, she had thrown on Caitlin’s jacket-the one Caitlin had given her as a gift. Caitlin quickly averted her gaze, feeling her cheeks heat up. She swallowed hard before stammering, “Y-you look beautiful, Sunshine. Ready to go?”

Sienna smirked, clearly amused by Caitlin’s flustered state. “Sure, why not, Clark.”

Grabbing her keys and purse, they headed out. When they reached Caitlin’s car, Caitlin opened the passenger door for Sienna, who slid in wordlessly, feeling a little nervous about spending the day with the most famous basketball player in the country.

The drive was mostly silent, except for Caitlin humming along to Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted.” Sienna watched her, noting how Caitlin’s eyes lit up as she hummed. Finally, she decided to break the silence. “Let me guess, Clark. You’re a Swiftie, aren’t you?”

Caitlin grinned. “That would be correct, Sunshine. I love Taylor Swift.” She chuckled. “What gave it away?”

Sienna shrugged. “Lucky guess, I guess.”

Caitlin smirked. “Well, I’ll guess that you’re a Gracie Abrams kinda girl.”

Sienna blinked in surprise. “That is right. How did you know?”

“Lucky guess, I guess,” Caitlin repeated, mimicking her earlier words.

Minutes later, Caitlin pulled into a forest clearing. “We’ll have to walk from here, Sunshine. It’s not too far.”

They exited the car, and Caitlin grabbed the picnic basket before leading the way. The forest was serene, the only sounds being birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze. Sienna glanced at Caitlin and joked, “Are you trying to murder me, Clark, and leave me here as animal food?”

Caitlin laughed. “Trust me, Sunshine, I would be caught easily. I’m not exactly cut out for murder. I’m a decent person.”

Sienna giggled at her playfulness. Moments later, Caitlin came to a stop. And Sienna tore her gaze away from Caitlin, looked in front of her and gasped. “Wow, Cait. This place is beautiful.”

Before them lay a crystal-clear lake, surrounded by towering trees. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a golden glow on the water. It looked magical.

Caitlin chuckled, pleased with Sienna’s expression of wonderment and enchantment. She gently took Sienna’s hand and led her closer. “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s enjoy the view.”

Sienna felt a spark shoot up her arm but ignored it, nodding wordlessly. Caitlin spread out a blanket and unpacked their lunch. As they ate, they fell into easy conversation. Caitlin asked about Sienna’s favorite colors-blue and purple. Sienna, in turn, learned that Caitlin’s birthday was January 22. “Wow, Clark, I was born on September 22. We could’ve been birthday twins if I had been born in January.”

Caitlin chuckled. “Yeah, well, I guess you weren’t ready to be born yet.”

They laughed before Sienna admitted her favorite ice cream flavor was mint chocolate chip. Caitlin wrinkled her nose. “So, Colgate?”

“Hey! Don’t diss my favorite ice cream! What’s yours?”

“Java Chip. Best flavor ever.”

Caitlin then asked Sienna’s middle name. “Sienna Thea Callaway,” she answered softly.

“Beautiful name,” Caitlin said. “But I bet you already know mine.”

Sienna blushed. “Yeah. Caitlin Elizabeth Clark.”

The last question Caitlin asked made her heart pound. “What’s your dream date, Sunshine?”

Sienna hesitated before answering. “I love stargazing and picnics, so a night picnic would be perfect.”

Caitlin stored that information in her mind, hoping Joseph hadn’t already made that dream come true. As Sienna stared at the lake in awe, Caitlin stared at her instead, memorizing her features.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sienna whispered.

Caitlin, still looking at her, murmured, “It definitely is.”

They spent the afternoon laughing and talking, their comfort with each other growing. Sienna never expected Caitlin to be so funny and carefree. As the sun began to set, Sienna turned to Caitlin with a soft smile. “Hey, Clark, thank you for bringing me here. I had fun today.”

Caitlin felt butterflies in her stomach. She hesitated before extending her hand. “Friends, Sunshine?”

Sienna took Caitlin’s rough hand in her soft one, grinning. “Friends, Clark.”

Authors Note :

HEY Y’ALL….. HAPPY UPDATE DAY, THIS CHAPTER TOOK LONGER THAN EXPECTED BUT I HOPE Y’ALL LIKE IT, SORRY FOR THE GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND PLEASE EXCUSE ALL ERRORS. SO CAITLIN AND SIENNA ARE GONNA START OFF AS FRIENDS BUT DON’T WORRY I’M PLANNING ON MAKING THIS ANGSTY. ANYWAYS SEE Y’ALL NEXT TIME AND PLEASE DON’T BE GHOST READERS COMMENT AND VOTE…LOVE Y’ALL

XoXo V 💜💜💜