“Uhh, let’s see. You spent all of your money at the fair on the chance topossiblycheer her up. Your entire face lit up the couple of times you talked about her. And also, Nora doesn’t exactly strike me as the straightest pencil in the box… if you know what I’m saying. I won’t tell anyone, Stevie.” I look up at him and he looks back at me. “I promise,” he adds, and I believe him.
I take a deep breath and plop down on the side of the road, wrapping my arms around my knees and pulling them in tight to my chest.
“I guess we were like… together. Before the accident, in the time that I can’t remember.”
“Whoa. Are you serious?” he asks, his eyes wide as he comes to sit next to me.
“Right before I came to the Dinor, I found this box…” I tell him everything that happened, about the photos, my confrontation with Nora, and finding out about UCLA and California, the truth and all the lies Nora told me since I woke up. The onlything I don’t tell him about is the kiss, because somehow I know saying it out loud would just make it sound small.
“Holy shit. So what are you going to do?” he asks after I finish.
“I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.” I shrug, feeling frustrated.
“Well, didn’t you say you like her?” he asks.
I let out a laugh at that. OfcourseI like her. I didn’t even know it was possible for me to feel this way about another person, but… “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I could ever actually…”
“Why not? You already did once,” he replies.
“Well, for one thing, my parents would disown me, Ryan.” I state the obvious. “I don’t want to leave my whole life behind. I don’t understand why I ever said I would.”
“Did Nora tell you how you came to that decision?” he asks. “I imagine there’s a reason.”
I think back to how quickly I left that day, and her trying to tell me more. “I didn’t really stick around long enough to get many answers.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
I think about that as my phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to find a text from my mom.
Ribs will be done in 20. Ask Ryan to join us! I won’t be weird I promise lol
“My dad’s making BBQ ribs with our… winnings. You want to stay for dinner?” I ask.
He looks at me deadpan. “Oh my God. You want me toeatthat adorable cow that I watched youpetat the fair?” I just stareback at him until his face breaks into a smirk. “Eh, why not. Sign me up,” he finishes, making me laugh. I hop up onto my feet and pull him up off the ground.
“Just so you know, my dad kinda thinks we’re dating. So he might be cleaning his shotgun or something when we walk in.”
“And here I thought that only happened in the movies,” he replies as we stand up to make our way back to my house.
CHAPTER 27
RYAN, WHAT DID YOU THINKof my meatballs?” my mom asks, leaning eagerly across the table as he forks the last one on his plate and pops it into his mouth.
He chews eagerly so he can swallow before answering.
“Oh, they were really good, Mrs. Green. Meat with a side of meat. I love it,” he says with a wink.
“I know, a little unconventional. I’ve been going a little crazy prepping for the spaghetti dinner.”
“Spaghetti dinner?” Ryan asks.
“Stevie, you didn’t tell him?” she asks, her eyes lighting up as she looks back at him. “Ryan! You have to come serve tables with us! We could use a pro like you out there. It’s a fundraiser for our church’s mission trip to Haiti. It’s in a couple of weeks, August twelfth. Can you make it?”
I butt in. “Mom, don’t drag him into… Ryan, you don’t have to comeworkthe fundraiser.”
“No, it’s okay. Really. I’d love to help,” he replies, and my mom explodes with excited squeals.
“Ryan, you look like you could use a few more,” my dad saysas he stands up from his chair and picks up the tongs lying on a spoon rest. Even after his shower, I can still smell the motor oil underneath the Ivory soap and aftershave.
