But then a car door slams, and Brody jerks upright like someone fired a gun.
I blink up, dazed, and turn my head just in time to see a small, tired-looking woman and a tall, thin guy with blue eyes like Brody’s standing at the edge of the yard. Brody’s mom and Davis, I’m presuming.
Well this is a great first impression.
“Uh,” I say.
Brody makes a noise that’s somewhere between a groan and a whimper and buries his face in his hands.
“Well,” Davis says after a long beat. “Guess that answers the question of whose fancy car that is. You could have called and said you got another ride, you know. I’m going to be late.”
Brody’s mom clears her throat, eyes flicking over our sprawled bodies, Brody’s shorts, my very obvious unbuttoned coat. Her cheeks are pink, but there’s no anger there. Mostly, I see something akin to cautious amusement.
“We do have somewhere we need to be,” she says gently. “Unless you plan to attend the meeting like that.” She gestures to Brody’s overall state of being.
Brody flails off me so fast he nearly face-plants in the grass. “Oh my God, I, uh, yeah. Right.Shit.The meeting. I’m…shit.”
His mom discreetly covers a laugh with her hand.
Brody scrambles to his feet and then immediately bends down to offer me a hand, eyes wide. “Are you okay? Your ankle?”
I take his hand and let him haul me up. The ankle protests, but I keep my face smooth because I’m not about to admit weaknessin front of his family ten seconds after they found their son dry humping me on their lawn.
“I’m fine,” I say. “Totally fine. This is all fine.”
No one believes me.
“This is, um, Beck,” Brody says.
“Ohh,” Davis says. “I see.”
“Shut up, Davis.”
What does he see?
It occurs to me that two people just witnessed me making out, quite inappropriately I might add, with Brody. Who is aguy. Of course he would be out to his family, though. So why do I care?
DoI care?
I don’t think I do. In fact, I feel a bit proud of myself, other than meeting my—is he my boyfriend?—um, person’s family for the first time.
Mrs. Miller steps forward and hugs me. She hugs me. I don’t move because I’m not sure how to react at first. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Brody’s mom, Sharon. Welcome to our home.” She chuckles a little awkwardly. “I’m so sorry we had to meet like this. Our front yard isn’t exactly the height of romance.”
“Ma’am,” I say, hugging her back tentatively. My heart is still pounding. “I, uh, apologize for that, um… display?”
Brody’s brother snorts.
Mrs. Miller smiles, and it’s tired but real. She seems surprisingly unbothered by what she just saw. “Oh, honey, if you think thatis the most scandalous thing that’s happened on this street, you have a lot to learn about this family.”
Brody groans. “Can we not?”
Davis claps him on the shoulder. “We really do gotta get going, but I totally understand if you can’t make it.”
“No, no. I want to go. I want to be there for this.” Brody glances at me, torn. “We’ll be back. I have to go.”
“Go,” I say immediately. “I didn’t mean to mess up your day. I just—” I swallow and pull him to the side so I can lower my voice privately. “I couldn’t let another minute go by without telling you the truth. That I love you. The stuff about Pierce, too, but mostly that I love you.”
His lips quirk. He gives me a small, heartbreakingly soft smile. “I’m sorry I ruined everything,” he says quietly. “I should’ve taken a step back and pushed pause or something.”
