9

Elizabeth's heart was racing as she leaned in and kissed Alex on the lips. She pulled away and blushed, feeling her cheeks grow hot.

""G ood night Alex," she whispered softly, pm turning and walking towards her front door. She resisted them urge to turn and watch him walk away, but finally gave in, glancing back just in time to see him disappearing around the corner.

Her heart was full of joy and excitement, but also a twinge of fear. What if this was too soon? What if Alex didn't feel the same way? She couldn't help but wonder.

As Elizabeth walked inside, she felt a sense of relief that dad was already in bed. She didn't have to worry about any more questions or prying eyes. She grabbed her new guitar and headed to her room, eager to strum its strings and play with the new sound.

Alex had surprised her with his gift, and she couldn't thank him enough. She sat on the edge of her bed and began to play, slowly at first, but then she grew more confident and started to improvise her own melody.

The music filled her room and her heart and she couldn't help but smile. Alex had been right - this was the perfect guitar for her, the sound was just what she had been looking for.

Elizabeth played for hours, losing herself in the music and the feeling of liberation that came with it. She didn't realize how much time had passed until she heard her dad's voice calling her name.

"Elizabeth, dear, are you still up?" dad asked, poking his head into the room.

Elizabeth quickly put the guitar down and smiled at her dad.

"Sorry, I lost track of time. I was just playing my new guitar."

"A gift from Alex, was it not?" dad asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Elizabeth couldn't help feeling a twinge of embarrassment. She didn't want to tell her dad that something had happened between her and Alex.

"Yes, it was. He's such a sweet guy, dad," Elizabeth said, changing the subject as quickly as she could.

"Well, you should get some sleep dear. I'm off to bed now. Goodnight, sweetheart,"dad said, giving her a kiss on the forehead before heading off.

Elizabeth lay down in her bed, still feeling the buzz of excitement from her evening with Alex. She couldn't help but giggle to herself, thinking about the kiss they had shared. She knew she had feeling for Alex, and now she felt a sense of hope that maybe he felt the same way.

With a smile on her face, Elizabeth closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She couldn't wait to see what the future held for her and Alex.