The telling
I thought for a long time about where I wanted the slow burn between Nick and Lizzie to unfold. I had a few options - maybe a kiss in the rain while running from paparazi, or a goodbye kiss after a dinner date. But none of that sat write with me. I wanted something that reflected their craving for peace and privacy. Something Nick would plan, thinking about Lizzie’s need for a safe place where her feelings could speak louder than her structured, overanalyzing brain.
When I first visited the lavender fields in Mayfield, I knew I had found the place to set the scene - and I ran with it. I wrote the first draft while I was there, in the middle of summer 2024. I thought that I could best capture the feeling and experience of being there in real time. And in many ways, it did. It is indeed a beautiful, peaceful place.
But as I wrote the scenes leading to that moment later on, I felt that early draft didn’t quite live up to their (and my) expectations. A few weeks ago with the build-up between them finally cemented, I revisited that scene and brought my mind back to Mayfield - and with all the emotions pouring from the two of them, I rewrote the entire moment in a rage (and I mean it in a good way :)).
You can find the scene leading up to it here:
I hope you find it as immersive as I did when I wrote it.
The writing
Lizzie
I smell it before I see it.
It smells like his shampoo, but way more intense.
It’s peak season and the lavender fields are in full bloom. It’s a sunny thursday afternoon, and apart from a few tourists it’s not really crowded. Nick probably considered that, for both of our sakes.
As we walk toward the fields, I stop at the edge to take it all in. The scent of the lavender, carried by the gentle late spring breeze, hits my skin and lifts my hair. The sun is starting its descent, clothing the fields in a golden, warm glow. It’s magical.
I don’t know how long I stand there, completely still, when I glance at Nick. He is beaming at me. I shift on my feet and smile back, feeling a bit self-conscious.
I break eye contact first. He speaks second.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Experience everything as if you’re discovering it for the first time?”.
“Well, it is the first time I come here, believe it or not” I tease.
He keeps looking at me as if trying to decipher what is going on inside my head. But how could I explain that the peace I feel surrounded by soft hues seems to soak into my skin? That the silence of nature soothes my anxiety? That the gentle breeze helps me breath - and here, out of reach, I don’t have to mask my feelings and reactions to belong?
I can just be me. Nature accepts me, exactly as I am. No judgment.
Nick shifts beside me, pulling me from my thoughts. I see his hand stretch toward me, a shy, silent invitation.
“I want to show you something”, he says.
I take his hand and as we walk further into the fields, soft violet shades surround us from every angle.
As we move down the narrowing path, the few people lingering around slowly disappear behind us.
We stop at what seems like a dead end: a wall covered in dense foliage. Nick lets go of my hand and pulls a key from his pocket, brushing the leaves aside to reveal a small door.
“Mind your head”, he says with a smile.
I duck through, Nick following, having to bend much lower because he’s a good fifteen centimeters taller than me.
He closes the door behind us.
And when I finally look around, I am speechless.
We are standing in a hidden garden, lavender growing everywhere, waist-high and wild. A small path leads to a clearing where water flows from a small, stone fountain.
It feels like stepping inside a Monet painting.
Peace painted in every shade of violet.
“Nick…this is - ” I try to put my awe into words but fail.
“I know”, he says, finishing my thoughts for me.
When I look at him, he is smiling - the wide eye-to-eye smile he only gives when he feels relaxed and off-camera.
“So, I take it this is mission accomplished - you’re surprised?” he teases tentatively.
I chuckle “Oh, I am definitely surprised. And I have so many questions… but this place deserves nothing but quiet contemplation.”
“Then let’s contemplate,” he says, reaching for my hand again.
I’m still getting used to this physical closeness when he pulls me gently against him, hugging me from behind. His arms settle across mine, and I inhale sharply at the contact.
Nick stiffens behind me, misreading my reaction, starting to pull away.
But I press back into him, relaxing fully into his embrace. I can hear his breathing slowing down as he relaxes too.
I lean my head against his chest, his chin resting lightly next to my head. We stay like that as if we were the only two people left in the world, listening to the water as the sunset washes the small garden in deeper orange tones.
No cameras. No fans. No small talk. Just us.
I’m aware of every piece of skin we touch, so I feel it immediately when he shifts. His breathing picks up slightly against my back, his heart beating a little faster.
I am torn to break this moment, but after a few seconds, I can’t help teasing him, a smile playing on my lips.
“This is suppose to be relaxing. Why does your heart sound like you’re about to sprint?”
He lowers his head, brushing his lips against my ear, sending a shiver straight down my arms.
“That’s the Lizzie effect” he murmurs.
I exhale a nervous laugh, stepping away just enough to turn and face him - and to give myself a second to calm my own racing heart.
“The Lizzie effect?” I repeat, raising an eyebrown.
He smiles, saying it lightly, trying to play it off.
“You know that feeling of relief?” He says, voice softer. “Like a coolness spreading through you when you realize you’ve found what was always missing… but couldn’t name it, until it was right in front of you”.
He pauses. His gaze holds mine. The smile fades as he sees the effect of his words on me.
“And at the same time, like a fire. Burning every time I look into your eyes”.
The meaning of his words hits me fully and it’s suddenly too much.
I break eye contact, my heart hammering.
Nick reaches out, tilting my chin gently so I have to look back at him.
I swallow, my mouth dry. The only word I manage to whisper is his name.
“Nick…”
He leans in, resting his forehead against mine. I close my eyes.
“Truth?” He asks softly - the word we use when we want to speak without pretense, without walls.
“Yes”, I breathe.
“I’ve been thinking about this since the day we met and I really, really would like to kiss you right now”.
I open my eyes.
He is watching me - completely still, waiting.
He’s not going to move unless I do.
I reach up, cupping his face with my hand, and he leans into the touch.
I think about all those past weeks together. The feelings growing between us. The lingering looks, the comfortable silences. The way his eyes always seemed to light up when he saw me. How he never rushed me, even when he didn’t fully understand me.
I close the space, brushing my lips against his.
He kisses me as if I’m a secret. Something precious.
I kiss him back, without over-thinking, without replaying our conversation, without fear.
Just feeling.
He pulls away slightly sighing against my lips. And I feel it with my entire body.
“Damn Lizzie” he says, voice low.
I chuckle, feeling weightless.
He smiles back - all emotion, no walls.
And now is my time to finish his thoughts - “I know” - I whisper against his mouth.
He kisses me again - deeper, slower - and I feel the intensity he’s been holding back since the day we met. And just like that, we fall into our own private violet dream.
Great writing. You are a talented writer, and able to create dialogue naturally, even dialogue with nature with charm, I like it.