‘Cause even though I played baseball, I had to face the truth. In the end, I wasn’t a heroic book boyfriend. I was just pretend. All pretend. And I didn’t even need AI to accomplish that.
Chapter 25
Brielle
Lia had been listening the entire time Brooks and I stood in line waiting for our fries.
“I think you terrified the poor guy!” Lia sounded so empathetic for Brooks that I stared at her. Well, actually, I stared at her ceiling because she’d laid her phone down while she rearranged her bookshelves.
“Whose side are you on?” I whimpered. I bit my fingernail. Brooks was coming over soon to work on our project, but I was still struggling. I had been since my interview with Teen Writers.
“I’m on both of your sides at this point,” Lia stated. I heard a book drop to the floor. “Oh no! I just bent the cover.”
Everything else was unimportant in this moment. I sat up straight on my bed. “Which book?”
“Powerless!”
“By Lauren Roberts? Girl! Get a new copy ordered. You can’t have a bent cover.”
“I know, right?” Lia snatched her phone, and watching the sudden movement made me dizzy. I could tell she was ordering a new copy while she revertedto our former topic. “So here’s what you do,” Lia coached. “Just be honest with your dad. I mean, that’s what’s really bothering you. So tell him what happened. He’s not going to put it out on social media. He’s yourdad.”
“But he’ll make me break up with Brooks,” I moaned.
“Will he? I thought he liked Brooks.”
“He does! But he doesn’t like deceit.”
“Well, it’s better if you tell him than your dad finds out somehow, isn’t it? I mean, then you’re caught. Confessing is better for the soul.”
“You sound biblical,” I pouted.
“Itisbiblical. Confess your sins one to another and—”
“Stooooooop!” I whined. It was one thing to have a stroke of conscience. It was another for Lia to bring God into it. Because then, the answer was obvious.
“You don’t have to talk to your dad tonight,” Lia said. “Tell him this weekend or something. Work on the project and at least get it started. That way, when you tell your dad, if he wants you to stop dating Brooks—which we know he will—you have the project to argue with. Your dad also doesn’t like you to go back on commitments.”
“True.” Lia knew my dad well without actually knowing him. “And maybe he’ll understand—”
“No. He won’t understand,” Lia interrupted. “But maybe he’ll let you at least finish the project if Brooks will just readPride and Prejudice.”
“I think he’s a slow reader,” I replied.
“Then get him an audiobook. Bruh, he has to. If you tell your dad, there’s no way you can do the project about the two of you.”
“I know,” I sighed.
“It’ll be fine.”
“I know it will. I mean, Dad will understand,” I said, not believing a word I said.
“No, I was talking to my bent book cover,” Lia retorted.
“Oh.” I didn’t doubt it. Lia’s books were her babies.
Lia was still on the phone. I don’t think Brooks knew either, because I’d tucked my device on the floor, face down by the bookcase. We were in the living room with our laptops, sitting on the floor. Mom had brought us cookies, but then she’d left for a women’s Bible study at church. Reece was up in his room doing homework. Dad was down the hall in his office.
So really, we were alone—even though we weren’t.
