“She brings out the best in me.”
It’s my only response as the hostess leads us to our table. When we reach the booth, I gesture for Lyla to slide inside so that she will be across from Cora, who has already done the same.
“This place is nice. I haven’t been here,” Lyla says.
“Wyatt, are you not taking your girl to nice places?” Cora clicks her tongue at me.
“Oh no. I didn’t mean that…” Lyla starts, but Kellan cuts her off.
“She’s teasing. This is our first time here too.”
I give him a grateful nod. Cora can be a bit much sometimes. She’s a good introduction to the group, though. If Lyla can handle her, then the rest will be a breeze.
“Sorry. I like to tease a bit. So, how did you and Wyatt meet?” Cora says, looking down at her menu.
“Yeah, I would like to hear that story too,” Kellan adds in.
Lyla looks at me, unsure what to say.
“We actually met freshman year,” I say.
“You remembered that?” Lyla blurts out.
I chuckle. “Did you think I would forget? A pretty girl like you running into me? I kicked myself for weeks when I realized you had started to date Kyle. I thought I missed my chance.” I pick up her hand and kiss the back of it. “Yet here you are.”
“Oh that’s so romantic,” Cora coos.
“Very. So you reconnected?” Kellan asks, shooting me a look.
Yeah, he remembers the pep rally we went to and how we caught Kyle cheating on her.
“Yeah. She and Kyle broke up, and we happened to be in the same place at the same time, and well, we hit it off. Isn’t that right, my love?”
She looks up at me. “That’s right.”
“It was fate.” Cora beams from across the table. “I love it. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone. The girls have been crazy busy between school and visiting the guys, but we are planning a girls’ trip soon. You should come.”
I watch as Lyla chews her bottom lip.
“I’ll think about it.”
Cora isn’t bothered, she moves the conversation onto something else. That’s how the evening goes. The girls chat about everything and nothing at the same time while Kellan and I try to add our own bits in when we can. Honestly, I don’t mind not being fully included in the conversation. I love watching Lyla light up with every topic change.
By the time dessert comes, an hour and a half has passed.
“We need to get going. I know. I hate breaking this girlmance or whatever the equivalent to a bromance is up, but Lyla has things to do,” I tell the girls.
Lyla looks down at her phone. “Shoot. He’s right. I can’t be late.”
I flag down the server and pay for the table, making Kellan glare at me. Then we head to the car. The girls continue their chat until we pull up to Lyla’s house.
“Thank you for the ride and dinner. It was amazing. I will text you later?” she asks me.
“I’m walking you to the door, Lyla. You guys can go on. I’ll walk home,” I tell Kellan as I climb from the car.
Lyla gets out and glares at me. “Get back in the car. You don’t have to walk me to the door.”
I walk around the car, grabbing her hand. “I absolutely do. Bye, guys.”
