I hit send, shoved my key into the ignition, and roared up the engine. I had zero intention of actually confronting Jett, but I didn’t feel bad for lying about it either. I’d said the one thing that would stop Bailey and Summer from trying to fix this for me.
Jett wanted his ex back, and he’d used the one girl who’d always wanted him to do it. Nothing anyone said or did could fix that. With that horrid truth in my mind, I headed toward home.
Chapter Fourteen
Itried to get out of dinner with the grandparents that night but when my mom and Missy told them that I wasn’t coming, Gramps moseyed right on into my room, sat at the foot of my bed, and tapped the covers I was hiding under.
“Knock knock, Gal,” he said in that raspy voice of his.
“Who’s there?” I asked, my lips grazing the drooping sheet.
“Iffy,” he grumbled.
I might have been gripped by more layers of devastation than I’d known in all my seventeen years, but I had to know where he was going with this. “Iffy who?”
“If ye don’t come to dinner with us tonight, you’ll make ye grandma and I cry.”
I clenched my eyes shut under the covers and stifled a groan. How in the world could I say no to that? My mom was always reminding me that we didn’t know how long they’d be with us; I didn’t want to regret this moment for the rest of my life.
All the way to the restaurant, I imagined sitting at the table with my family, checking out the menu, and placing my order for all to hear. “I’ll take three pints of ice cream with a jumbo spoon, one box of tissues—could you make those extra soft? And a paper bag to hide under while I bawl my face off.”
I felt so sad and miserable and…humiliated! Just moments before the horrible incident, I’d convinced myself that Jett would be answeringmewith a giant YES at the assembly. I assumed he would call or text once the assembly was through, but he had the nerve to wait until school was over, which I thought was ridiculous and insulting and showed just how immature he actually was. And here I’d thought he was better than TJ all this time.Huh!
I waited clear until dinner was through to pull out my phone and reread the text he’d sent me.Have fun with your grandparents tonight. Maybe I could swing by once you guys are through?
I hadn’t answered him back yet because I wasn’t sure what kind of stupid game he was playing. I’d expected him to at leastacknowledgethe fact that I. Asked. Him. First! What did he want to say now?“Hope you and I were on the same page. You wanted TJ and I wanted Tasha, right?”And even if thatwasn’tthe case, even if Jett really did like me, what sort of excuse could he possibly have for ignoring my invite while saying yes to hers?
Back at home Gramps patted my back and planted a kiss to the top of my head. “Night, Gal. You stay away from those boys now, ya hear? They’re nothing but trouble.”
Grams chuckled and gave his cheeks a pat. “I ought to know.” She moved in, and the two sandwiched me in a hug. Floral perfume mingled with Old Spice as I wrapped my arms around them in return, fighting the moisture threatening to spill from my eyes.
“You don’t need to worry about the boys,” my mom said. “Harper’s dating the pastor’s son.”
Was I,though?
Missy danced a circle around us in the entryway. “Yeah, and he’scute,”she squealed with a clap.
Grams chuckled. “Uh oh, better watch out. She’s already boy crazy.” Grams moved over to give Missy a hug next, but Gramps stayed at my side.
“You know us guys aren’t the smartest creatures,” he mumbled under his breath. “Don’t be afraid to give that fellow of yours a little…guidance, if you know what I mean.”
“Alotof guidance,” Grams blurted, proving that her hearing aids were in top form. “If I hadn’t told this guy exactly what I needed over the years, we’d have both gone crazy.”
I laughed, but inside I was practically tripping over Grams’ comment. Gramps was like, the perfect husband. Always attentive. Helping her with her coat. Asking the waiter to refill her glass or bring an extra pat of butter so she didn’t have to do it herself.
I considered that long after we’d said goodnight to the happiest couple I knew. Why had Gramps said that? Had he sensed something was wrong? I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at myself as I recalled the way he’d knocked on the covers over my head and guilted me into going to dinner. Ofcoursehe knew something was wrong. I’d been moping the entire night.
“Harper, were you going to get that outlet replaced in my bathroom?” Mom asked from the top of the stairs. “I really don’t want to curl my hair in the kid’s bathroom again.”
Sounds of a bath running for Missy echoed down the stairs as she darted across the hall in a towel. “Why, because you don’t like bubbles?” She giggled.
“Yeah,” I said as I shuffled into the kitchen. I snatched the sack with the outlet and trudged up the stairs. I’d learned that I could find out how to do just about any type of repair by watching DIY videos on the web. It had sort of become an addiction of mine. Mom made decent money selling real estate and all, but there was no need for her to pay for jobs I could take care of myself.
“You’ll want to put some candles in there for Missy Moo,” I told her. “I’ll need to shut the lights out.”
“Good idea.” Mom gathered the battery-operated candles on the edge of her Jacuzzi tub. “Want me to get a flashlight for you?” she asked.
“Nope. Got my phone.” I pried open the closet door at the top of the stairs and pulled out the colorful craft box we kept the tools in. I hollered at Mom to shut off breakers number five and six, and tore open the package of screws as I waited for the lights to go out.
