It had just been the two of us since I was young, and we shared everything with each other, or so I thought. My mother, though I hate even calling her that title, claimed to want more out of life than to run a hardware store, and whatever love she thought she had for my dad was apparently not enough.
Dad took it hard, as anyone would, but he picked himself up again and raised me the best he could.
He was the best dad in the world.
And now, here I am, trying and failing to make this hardware store stay afloat. It’s scary. It is all I have in the world that’s all mine, the only connection I have left to myfather, the only blood relative I knew, and I feel like I’m about to lose it all.
My phone chimes in my pocket, and I pull it out, looking at the screen and expecting it to be the group chat from the boys.
But my heart skips a beat at the display message.
“Hi, this is Elizabeth. I was wondering—” It cut off there, and I opened the message so fast, it’s a miracle my phone didn’t slip out of my hands and break.
I finally get the message open and read it.
Hi, this is Elizabeth. I was wondering if your offer to babysit was still on the table?
My heart sinks all the way down to my stomach, and I hang my head. Fuck. I never should have offered to babysit! I was happy to do that, though, because her daughter is adorable, and I have no problem chilling with her for a couple hours.
But I want to take Elizabeth on a date, not be the babysitter. And now what do I do? Do I take it all back when she was asking for my help?
That is not the type of person I am, or wanted to be, so begrudgingly, I type back.
DEREK: Of course. When?
Maybe she just has to work and needs some help for a day, and it’s not going to even be a time or day that a normal date would take place. Yeah. There’s still hope for me yet.
ELIZABETH: Are you available Friday night? Around six? It could be a kind of late night.
Fuck me.
Well, there goes that hope that I had tucked away in my pocket. Gone. Poof. It’s disappeared.
DEREK: No problem.
Friday night came fast, and as I’m getting ready to head out, Garrett pops his head into my room. “I’m ordering in, you want some?”
“Can’t, I have plans tonight.” I hesitate to grab my cologne. Do I need cologne? What if Elizabeth hugs me as she leaves while friend-zoning me, and I want her to notice that I smell incredible, cancel her date, and hang out with me and Aurora instead?
I spray a little on my neck.
“Hot date?” Garrett leans against the doorjamb and inspects me.
“Yeah, sure. Gonna grab a pizza and hang out at her place for a little while.”
“Nice. Elizabeth?” he asks, seeming genuinely nice for once. Garrett is the notorious grump of our group, but lately I’ve noticed a change in him.
“It is at Elizabeth’s place, yes.”
My words must give me away because he looks me over and shakes his head. “No way. You’re actually babysitting for her? On a Friday night?”
“What’s wrong with that?” I ask, grabbing my wallet and keys.
Garrett doesn’t reply at first, and I glance over to see if he left, but he’s still leaning against the door, watching me, his eyes slightly narrowed. “I thought you were into her.”
“I’m very into her,” I reply, stifling a sigh. “But I messed that up and offered to babysit.”
“So why not back out? Say you’re busy.”
