‘Maybe you’re still sick. I can call my mom and tell her we can’t be there.’
‘No, I want to go. I just need some water, and maybe the juice would help.’
‘I’ll go get it.’ I hurry up from the bed. ‘Be right back.’
I bring her both water and juice. She takes a few sips, then slowly gets up. She says she’s not sick, but she doesn’t look like she feels well. I hope she’s not just telling me she’s okay when she’s not.
By seven, we’re both ready to leave so I text my mom to let her know we’ll be there early.
‘Jason!’ a girl yells as Mia and I are walking to my truck.
I turn around and see Danielle running up to me. She moved into the building about a month ago and keeps flirting with me. She invited me to dinner last week, but I told her I was busy. I don’t want to go out with her. She went out with a friend of mine and he told me she went nuts whenever he wanted a night to himself. She expected him to spend every second with her and when he didn’t, she’d get angry and break his stuff, including smashing his phone. So yeah, we won’t be going out.
‘Hey, Danielle,’ I say. ‘I was just heading out.’
She glances at Mia, then looks back at me, giving me the smile she uses when she’s attempting to flirt. ‘I just wanted to let you know that I can go to your brother’s wedding with you. Iheard your mom telling someone at the grocery store that you still needed a date.’
‘I don’t need a date. I’m good.’
‘We wouldn’t have to call it that.’ She steps closer to me. ‘Unless you want to.’
‘I don’t. I mean, I don’t need a date. And I really need to get going.’
‘Did you already ask someone? Because if you did, I—’
‘I did,’ I tell her, knowing it’s the only way she’ll leave me alone. ‘I’m already going with someone.’
‘Who?’ she asks, in a tone that says she doesn’t believe me.
‘Mia.’ I put my arm around her. ‘Mia is my date. Mia, this is Danielle. She lives in the building. Danielle, this is Mia.’
Danielle looks Mia up and down before looking at her face. ‘Do you guys work together?’
‘No,’ Mia says. ‘I don’t live here. I live in Madison.’
‘How do you two know each other?’ Danielle asks.
‘We met at a friends’ wedding,’ I say. ‘We need to go, but have a good day.’ I take Mia’s hand and head to my truck. I look back and see Danielle watching us. She finally goes into the building when I pull out of the parking lot.
‘I’m really sorry about that,’ I say to Mia. ‘I didn’t mean to get you involved, but I didn’t know what else to do. She’s been trying to go out with me for weeks.’
‘Why don’t you just tell her you’re not interested?’
‘Because as you can tell, she’s very persistent. And a friend of mine went out with her and said she doesn’t take rejection well. She tried to set his car on fire when he broke up with her.’
‘Really? That’s crazy.’
‘Yeah, exactly, which is why I don’t want to piss heroff.’
‘So what are you going to do? You can’t keep pretending to be dating other people. In a town this size, she’s going to find out you’re lying.’
‘I’m hoping she’ll find someone else soon. Anyway, I obviously don’t expect you to go to the wedding. I’m totally fine going alone.’
‘And I’ll be busy that weekend. I need to get some things done before my parents arrive.’
‘They’re coming the following week?’
‘I think on Monday, but I’m not sure.’
