But Nick seems okay with it. And I’ve had tons of family dinners with them when I was a kid and teenager. It’ll be just like those times.
I raise my eyebrow at Nick, silently asking if he’s sure. He just grins.
I look over at Shannon. “I’d love to come.”
Shannon claps in delight. Nick kisses me on the cheek, his lips grazing the hinge of my jaw before pulling back and looking me in the eye. I clear my throat and try not to swoon.
Nick quirks an eyebrow and leans his mouth to my ear. “So glad you’re coming, hot tutor,” he says in a low, soft growl that only I can hear.
Goosebumps flash across my skin as I fight a smile. “Me too.”
Chapter 17
Poppy
Nick parks in front of his parents' house, which is a pretty two-story brick home in a cute neighborhood.
“You sure this is a good idea?” I ask.
He kills the engine and smiles at me from the driver's seat. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I just feel bad.” I mess with the hem of the sweater I’m wearing. “Your parents are so sweet. Especially your mom. You can tell how excited she is that we’re together. It makes me feel like a jerk that I’m lying to her face about it.”
Nick’s expression softens. “It’s really okay. But honestly, it’s a good thing we’re doing this. My mom’s been pestering me for years to get a girlfriend. This gets her off my case for a little while and makes her happy.”
We get out of the car. He reaches into his backseat and grabs a bouquet of flowers.
“For your mom?” I ask.
He nods. “I get her flowers once a month.”
I almost trip walking up the driveway to the front door. “You do?”
He starts to laugh. “Yeah. Why is that so surprising to you?”
“I just didn’t know you did that. That’s really thoughtful.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “You don’t think I’m thoughtful?”
I shrug.
He laughs and says, “Ouch.”
“Sorry. That’s sweet of you. I bet your mom loves that you do that for her. Have you always done that?”
“Just since I started college. I wasn’t the easiest kid in the world to raise, especially in high school.”
I think back to then, how Nick was kind of a troublemaker. He’d skip school sometimes and goofed off a lot in class. He got detention way more than any other kid I knew.
He got in trouble with his parents too, for taking their car without asking sometimes. And I remember a few times when Anna told me that their parents grounded him for sneaking out of the house to hang out with friends and go to parties.
“I remember you causing a bit of trouble in high school,” I say as we walk up the porch steps to the front door.
“I was a dipshit, that’s for sure.” He tugs a hand through his hair and glances at me, the look in his eyes embarrassed. “I did a lot of insensitive things.”
We stand at the door, and for a moment, his gaze turns thoughtful. Wait, is he talking about that hurtful prom-posal prank?
But then he turns away and opens the door. I shake my head. Of course he wasn’t thinking about that. He was a popular student athlete who was always partying and having a good time. He probably doesn’t even remember it.
