“You weren’t—”
“I was,” he cut in, and I clamped my mouth shut, not wanting to argue with him there.
I shrugged. “It’s okay,” I said. “I wasn’t very nice tonight, either.” I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself an ass, but…I definitely could’ve tried harder, all around. Could’ve been better. I just didn’t see the point, since Calum so clearly wasn’t into it. There was no use pretending that there was nothing between us, just to make Michelle happy.
It was like he didn’t hear me, or he was too busy putting the blame on himself. “Kyle dragged me into tonight, and I resented him for it. You didn’t deserve tonight.”
At that, I didn’t know what to say. I had no idea what I deserved and what I didn’t; I’d long since stopped thinking like that. In this horrible world, few people ever got what they deserved, good or bad.
Calum grew quiet then, his eyes raking over me through the darkness. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, what was running through his head as he stared at me. I knew I was no model, I knew I was nothing at all like my younger sister, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was more like her, if my life would be better. If I wouldn’t be me.
Would Calum like me better if I was like her? Probably, and that thought made me sad.
What he said next I definitely wasn’t expecting: “Why don’t you let me make it up to you?”
At that, I could do nothing but blink and wonder if I’d heard him correctly. Was he really suggesting he and I go out again, after how awkward and weird tonight was? Just…why? Why bother? Why couldn’t we just forget tonight had ever happened and both move on with our lives?
I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest at the mere thought of going out with him again—this time without Michelle and Kyle nearby. My voice came out airy, soft and wispy like the wind could blow it away: “That’s okay. You don’t have to—” Whatever else I was going to say died in the back of my throat when I watched Calum step up onto the porch steps, inching closer to me with every step he took.
He stopped when he stood on the step right below the one I was one, once again taller than me. Only by a few inches now, but still. He had to be well over six feet tall to make me feel so small. “I want to,” he whispered. “Let me, Bree, please.”
That time, when he said my name, he didn’t sound annoyed that he was with me. He actually sounded genuine, like he really did want to make it up to me.
Or maybe that was just me hoping, wanting something I never had before.
“I’m not an asshole,” he went on, “I’ve just been going through some things, and I…you deserve to be taken out on a real date, not forced to go on some awkward double date with my brother and your sister. We’ll have fun, I promise.”
I had no idea why he thought he could promise something like that, why Calum believed that I would somehow have fun on any date with him, but I found I could not argue with him, either. All I could do was stand there and wonder why this was happening.
Calum was, without a doubt, out of my league. I wasn’t the type of girl he liked, I knew it, so why did he want to try this date night again, without our two chaperones?
“What do you say?” he asked, quieting as he waited for my answer.
I let my gaze fall, staring at his cheekbones, at his nose…and, just for a quick, split-second, his lips. “I guess.” I spoke it so quietly I could hardly hear it, but he did, for a smirk grew on his face. Funny how Calum could look good both frowning and smirking. It wasn’t fair of him to have power like that.
“What was that?” Calum leaned closer, cocking his head and turning his ear to me, even though I knew for a fact he’d heard me.
“Fine,” I said, this time louder.
He chuckled. “Next Friday, seven o’clock. Does that work for you?” Calum glanced around our yard. “I’ll pick you up right here.”
Another date. Me. It didn’t sound right, but it looked like Calum wasn’t going to take no for an answer. If I was honest, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. A part of me wanted to be normal, of course, to go on this date and have a good time, to laugh and smile and really feel alive—but then the other half didn’t want to bother, because I knew I’d be let down eventually.
I nodded. “Okay.” I knew I didn’t sound enthusiastic, and that was because I had no idea what was going on.
He smiled—this time a real smile. No smirk, no tight-lipped grimace. A real, true, warm smile that made a heat grow in my lower gut. God, he really was attractive, wasn’t he? Any straight girl would turn to goo when that smile was flashed at them. “Good,” he whispered, leaning in, “I’ll see you then.”
Just when I was wondering what the heck he thought he was doing, I felt his lips brush my cheek in a quick, gentle goodnight kiss.
What the…
My lips parted when he pulled back and gave me another smile. “Night,” he said, sticking his hands in his hoodie pocket and turning to head back to his car.
I watched him go, because there was hardly anything else I could do at that point besides
