The front door flies open with a bang.
“How did the date go?”
I jump backward so fast I nearly trip over my own feet. River straightens, looking startled.
Micah stands in the doorway, his hair sticking up in twelve different directions like he’s been running his hands through it all evening. His eyes dart between River and me, and I’m sure he noticed how close we were standing.
“Micah!” I say, my voice coming out higher than normal. “What are you doing?”
“I heard you guys talking and thought…” He trails off, looking embarrassed. “I wanted to make sure you got home safe.”
River clears his throat. “She did. Safe and sound.”
An awkward silence stretches among the three of us. I can feel the tension radiating off Micah, though I’m not sure why he looks so agitated.
River turns to me and takes my hand, lifting it to his lips. He presses a gentle kiss to my knuckles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Thank you for a wonderful evening, Cricket. I’ll call you tomorrow after my audition.”
I swoon. It’s like something straight out ofPride and Prejudice—so elegant and romantic and gentlemanly. “That sounds perfect.”
River nods politely at Micah. “Good to see you again.”
“Yeah,” Micah mutters, though he doesn’t sound like he means it.
River walks to his car, and I watch him go with a dreamy smile on my face. When I turn back to Micah, he’s glaring at River’s retreating figure.
“What was that about?” I ask as we go inside.
“What was what about?”
“You bursting through the door like the house was on fire.”
Micah shrugs and closes the door behind us. “I was just checking on you. It’s late.”
“It’s nine-thirty.”
“Exactly. Late.”
I roll my eyes and head toward the stairs. “It’s a perfectly normal time to come home from a date. You’ve come home later than that on your dates,” I mutter.
“So, how was it?” Micah follows me, and I can tell he’s not going to let this go. “Did you go anywhere else besides the restaurant and the beach? What did you talk about? Did you have fun?”
“Yes, I had fun. We didn’t go anywhere else.” I stop at the bottom of the stairs and turn to face him. “Why are you interrogating me?”
“I’m not interrogating you. I’m curious about my best friend’s first real date, that’s all.”
The way he says “first real date” makes me defensive. “It was great, okay? River is really sweet and thoughtful.”
“Thoughtful how?”
“He asked about my writing. He wants to read some of my work.”
Something flickers across Micah’s face. “He does?”
“Yes. And he listened when I talked about it. Really listened.” I head upstairs to my room, and Micah follows me. “He’s going to call me tomorrow after his audition to make plans for another date.”
“Another date? Already?”
“Yes, Micah. That’s what people do when they like each other.” I grab my laptop from my desk. “They go on multiple dates.”
