Kyle flat-out gasps with wide eyes, then immediately shuts his mouth. “I’m gonna play the quiet game!”
Hailee scoffs. “Well, you just lost then.”
He starts to say something else but decides to shake his head instead before looking out his window. Fingers crossed that the silence will last.
My phone buzzes, and I check to see that I have a text from Lora.
Did you talk to him?
Me: Yeah. He said that he didn’t mean to bail yesterday at lunch, but it just kind of “happened.”
I send an eye-roll emoji to express my frustration, and she sends one back.
Lora: Lame. What was his excuse for avoiding you today??
Me: I didn’t bring it up, but I’m convinced that he’s keeping himself occupied with one of his admirers. Or more than one.
Me: I don’t want to waste time thinking about it. What Brayden does has nothing to with me.
Lora: Okay, I gotcha.
Lora: Hey, keep me posted about the dinner tonight.
I send her a thumbs-up, but I’m inwardly cringing. After my conversation—or lack of conversation—with Brayden, I’m dreading this stupid dinner thing even more now.
Surprisingly enough, Kyle manages to stay quiet the whole drive home, and Hailee’s only commentary is a brief remark to her phone.
At least something good has come out of today.
“Remember that the Knights are expecting us at six thirty,” Mom says once we’re all inside the house, “and I don’t want to be late—so everyone needs to be ready by six fifteen.”
Even though it’s only going to take us a couple of minutes to walk next door…
“Did you decide what you’re going to wear?” Hailee asks, looking at me expectantly. “Because I can’t help you with your makeup until I know what you’re wearing.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her with a forced smile, “I’m sure you’re busy with…other stuff. I’ll just figure something out.”
I go into the kitchen to wash my hands, silently hoping that she’ll let the whole thing go, but then I hear her following behind me. Dang it.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Meg,” she says with a laugh, “I have time to lend my expertise.”
I can’t even with her right now.
“I’m not really worried about my makeup,” I tell her, drying my hands with one of the kitchen towels, “and if I decide to wear any…I’ll probably just put some eyeliner on.”
“Fine,” she huffs, tossing her hands up, “but don’t come begging afterward at my door, because it’ll be too late.”
She narrows her eyes at me, and then strides out of the kitchen.
Pretending to be sick is sounding better and better…
——————
Mom saw right through my “I-don’t-feel-so-great” fib and reiterated that I was acting guilty of still liking Brayden. So, here I am, standing on the Knights’ front porch with my wonderful family. Because I, Megan Justine Taylor, DO NOT like him. I have totally indifferent feelings for Brayden.
“Ky-Ky, be careful with the platter,” Mom tells Kyle with a tight smile. “Just hold it the way I showed you…okay?”
Mom made Samoa bars for dessert, and once they were all placed on her blue and white-checkered melamine platter, Kyle begged to carry them over here. I’m surprised he didn’t trip and drop them everywhere already.
“I am,” he mutters, shifting impatiently. “Why is it taking them so long to answer the door?”
Probably because we’re fifteen minutes early, and they don’t want us in their house yet.
I don’t blame them.
Mom shushes him before fixing his hair for the umpteenth time.
A few moments later, the front door is opened by Brayden’s dad and he greets us with a friendly smile. My focus isn’t on him though—it’s on Brayden, who’s coming down their stairs while tugging a gray shirt over his ridiculous abs.
Ridiculous, as in a totally negative way. Because there isn’t a single, positive thing about those abs.
I find myself inhaling deeply, but thankfully everyone’s too busy walking into the house to notice. Just because he’s attractive, doesn’t mean that I still like him.
Mr. Knight closes the door once we’re all inside, and I try my best to be unaffected when Brayden is suddenly standing next to me.
“Hey,” he drawls as everyone else chitchats.
I can’t stop myself from swallowing. “Hi.”
He’s so close. Why is he so close? And why won’t I just step away from him?
“You look nice.”
What the—
I try to ignore the flash of heat creeping up my neck as I think of what to say. It was a compliment. Right? I mean, he didn’t sound sarcastic. And there’s nothing wrong with him complimenting me, but to say that I’m surprised would be an understatement.
“Megan!” Kyle exclaims, tugging on the hem of my top. “Come on already, I’m hungry!”
Oh good, the perfect escape from this awkward situation.
I start to follow him, and everyone else to the dining room, but then Brayden grasps my arm.
“Meg.”
Hellooooooo, tingles.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” he tells me before I can say anything, “it doesn’t have to be right now but—”
“Sure thing,” I interrupt, not liking the sound of this at all, “we can talk later.”
Ha, yeah…I don’t think so. Because that would be a TERRIBLE idea.
I slip out of his hold and try to be discreet as I fast-walk to the dining room. I don’t know what he wants to talk about, and I don’t care. I just need to make sure that there is some serious distance between us.
So, you can imagine my frustration when we “somehow” end up sitting next to each other again. Hailee literally chose to sit beside Kyle, just so I’d be stuck sitting beside Brayden. She is unbelievable. I scoot myself in, mentally cursing with each skid, and I send a discreet glare to Hailee. Being who she is, she responds
