“Okay, then mini golf will be perfect!” She gives me a kiss on the cheek, then saunters off to her dark green Camry.
I let my head fall back and release a breath.
What a fucking mess.
I pull my phone from my pocket and try calling Cullen while heading to my car. It rings once, then goes to voicemail.
“It’s Cullen—you know what to do.”
Great. He’s ignoring my calls.
I don’t bother leaving a message. I toss the phone into the cup holder and drive home in silence, dreading the night ahead.
***
Time always speeds up when you want it to slow down. One second, I'm peeling out of the school parking lot, dreading the evening ahead, and the next, I'm parked in the Hackfords' driveway, nausea twisting my gut.
I feel like I’m about to walk to the gallows, so I pop open my glove box and pull out my extra bottle of pills, then swallow half a dose. I take a second to breathe, then head to the front door.
I’m walking up the front steps when raised voices hit my ears. It’s hard to make out the words, but it’s clearly Ella losing her shit. I hesitate, unsure if I should knock or turn around, but lingering on the porch like a creep feels worse.
Trying to keep my breathing even, I knock, the noise dying instantly. I can hear footsteps on the other side of the door before it’s ripped open and Ella’s beaming face appears.
“Hi! You’re right on time. Let’s go.” She steps out and slams the door behind her, but not fast enough to hide Mrs. Amy’s red, tear-streaked face on the other side.
“Um, is everything okay?”
“Couldn’t be better,” she tosses over her shoulder.
She hops into the passenger seat and stares at me through the windshield, her expression unreadable. I slide in, start the car, and pull out of the driveway toward town.
There’s a weird vibe hanging in the air, so I crank up the radio to drown it out. I’ve never felt uncomfortable around Ella before, but now that there’s some kind of expectation between us, I don’t know how to act.
“You look pretty tonight,” I voice out of nowhere.
It feels like the right thing to do, make a little effort. She’s excited, and I guess it wouldn’t kill me to try and have a decentnight. Even if I already know I’m going to let her down easy before it’s over.
She looks down at the turquoise wrap dress she’s wearing, then beams at me. “Thank you. I had a hard time deciding, but I thought this one matched your eyes, so I went with it.” She smooths out the pleats and folds her hands in her lap.
“You look handsome, too. We kind of match,” she laughs softly.
I glance down at the blue polo I’m wearing that’s only a shade darker than her dress. My grip tightens on the steering wheel as I take a steadying breath. Mom had insisted I wear this shirt, and now I know why. She must’ve talked to Ella’s mom, and together they set up this little scheme. I don’t know what matching outfits were supposed to accomplish, but the interference is seriously pissing me off.
I sigh and loosen my grip on the steering wheel. Maybe this is my karma for the stupid condom lie and the perfume joke.
I’d deserve it if it is.
“What a coincidence.” My response is flat as I pull into Melvin’s parking lot. I find a spot near the front door and cut the engine.
She shifts toward me as I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Listen, I know you were kind of annoyed our moms pushed this on us, but I’m really glad we’re here. I hope you give this a chance.”
Ah, shit.
She’s looking at me with wide, hopeful eyes. A lump forms in my throat that I’m unable to swallow. I can’t let her think there’s a future here, but I also can’t wreck her night right out of the gate.
“Let’s just see how the night goes,” I say.
Her brown eyes narrow for a split second before her face softens into a smile. “We can do that.”
