Page 62 of The Write Stuff

“She said that I was being a baby and going to regret not jumping at the chance to hang out with you because you were going to grow up to be the coolest girl in the room.”

I snorted, then caught myself. “What did she really say?”

He wagged the finger that was still pointed at me. “That’s what she said. She told me you were going to be a knockout, the sort of woman men go gooey for, and I was so caught up in my own feelings I refused to listen to her.

“Now, I get that teenage boys are idiots when it comes to feelings,” he continued. “I didn’t understand what she was really saying until last night, though.”

Last night? That was when he started acting differently. What was he about to say? “I … you … I’m not sure …” It was rare for me to have no words, but that’s where we were.

“Are you asking what I’m trying to say?” he prodded gently.

I nodded and swallowed.

“I’m saying that I was jealous when I was a teenager,” he said. “I don’t think that it likely would have worked between us back then, so I’m glad I was dense. As for now, I’m saying that maybe I don’t just want to be friends.”

“Maybe?”

Now he grinned, and it did something to my lady parts. They were heating up through no fault of their own.

“I want to spend time with you when I’m not locked in the friend zone,” he clarified. “I’m not sure I want to call it dating because I don’t want it to be all that different than what we’ve been doing.”

“Is you not wanting to call it dating the same as Kevin not wanting labels?” I asked.

His expression darkened. “No, it is not. I’m just saying that from now on, our outings are going to feel a little different.”

“Can you be a little more specific?” I asked.

“No, because I haven’t planned our first outing yet.”

Absently, I scratched my cheek. “Don’t you think you should ask if I’m up for having the parameters of our relationship changed?” I asked finally.

That seemed to catch his attention. “You’re right. I should ask.” He took a deep breath and appeared to brace himself.

“We can change the parameters,” I said before he asked the obvious question. “I was just messing with you.”

He narrowed his eyes, but his lips curved up. “Great. Do you have any requests for our outings?”

“Actually, yes. There’s a haunted ghost tour in an open-top hearse I want to go to.” I started ticking them off on my fingers. “Bonaventure Cemetery. There’s a riverboat cruise … and a trolley tour. Oh, and there’s a dolphin tour.”

He burst out laughing when I took my first breath. “Well, that gives me a lot to think about. I’m certain I can make that work for a start.”

“I was nowhere near done,” I complained.

“Save some fun for later, Wylie. We need to take this slow.” His smile disappeared. “We can’t risk telling our mothers unless we know it’s real.”

I understood exactly where he was coming from and nodded. “Okay, but I really want to do that hearse tour.”

His smile was back with vengeance. “I will make a note of it.”

17

SEVENTEEN

Ifelt better once I made the decision. Fighting the attraction I had for Wylie wasn’t going to work. It was torture, and I had no inclination to torture myself. I was too weak anyway. I would have given in eventually. It was better to do it now.

If Wylie and I decided it wasn’t going to work, then we would figure it out sooner rather than later. If it was going to work, then our mothers would have to deal with it.

Just picturing my mother’s face when I told her I was dating Wylie Dixon made me cringe. She didn’t have a problem with Wylie — she’d always been Wylie’s biggest champion — but the reality of dating Aggie’s daughter was something else entirely.