Looking at it now, I really needed to redecorate. This room belonged to someone that was maybe entering high school, not getting ready to graduate and go off to college.
“I just need to use the bathroom,” I said. “You can . . . uh, you can wait up here or downstairs if you want.”
“I’ll wait in the hallway.”
I followed behind him as he walked out, detouring into the bathroom and closing the door behind me. Then I leaned against it and closed my eyes tightly.
I could do this.
My face fell as we pulled into the parking lot of the movie theater, and I heard Evan curse under his breath as he turned off the car.
“Did you plan this?” I asked, staring at Steve, Brittany, Grace and Adam as they stood at the entrance to the theater.
“What? No! I had no idea they’d be here, Anna.”
I looked over and stared at him for a few moments. Deciding I could trust him, I looked out the windshield and said, “Can we go somewhere else?”
He chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully, looking at his friends and then back at me.
“No. Come on.”
“Evan, I don’t want to deal with them.”
“I have an idea.”
“What is it?”
“Just get out of the car, okay? Trust me.”
I stared at him in disbelief as he got out of the car. I threw my hands in the air and then pushed open the door and got out.
The day really couldn’t get much worse at this point, so I might as well let him do whatever it was that he was so intent on doing.
He rounded the front of the car and stood in front of me, making sure to lock eyes with me as he reached out and grabbed my hand. I raised an eyebrow at him as he linked our fingers together and wondered if he could hear the stampede in my chest right where my heart was.
“What are you doing?” I asked, stretching out the words.
“We’re going to see a movie,” he said with a shrug.
“You’re . . . we’re . . . they’ll think we’re on a date.”
“So then I guess we’re on a date, aren’t we?”
I gaped at him.
What?
“Run that by me one more time,” I managed to say, circling my finger in the air and blinking at him.
“Then I guess we’re on a date,” he said.
“To them, right? That’s just what we’ll say to . . . to them, right?” I stuttered, looking away from him and over to the group.
Huh. I didn’t know Grace smoked.
I closed my eyes, and placed my hand on my forehead. There were more important things going on right now, and I was wondering about Grace’s smoking habits? Evan Drake was either taking me on a date or getting me all worked up just to humiliate me. Both of these scenarios made me nervous as hell, and after the day I’d had, right about now I wished I were back in my bed.
“Well . . . no.”
I snapped my head in his direction and dropped my hand to my side.
“Are you serious right now?”
“Yeah.” He looked down at his feet and tapped his toes against the pavement.
“You’re not feeling right, are you?” I asked.
“I’m feeling just fine, Anna.”
“This is insane. You’ve lost your mind.”
“Or I found it.”
“You’re like Jekyll and Hyde!” I exclaimed.
“Keeping you on your toes, though, right?” He gently swayed our still joined hands and laughed nervously.
“Oh, I’m on something, all right. Am I awake? Am I even really awake?”
“Yes, you’re awake.” He stepped in front of me. “Give in a little, Anna, please,” he whispered.
I closed my eyes and acquiesced.
He was trying, and now I needed to as well. Friendship—or whatever we were doing right now—was a two-person effort, and I needed to give in.
Opening my eyes, I said, “This isn’t a joke to you.”
“I’m being dead serious right now.”
“You’re really taking me out on a date.”
“I’m really taking you out on a date,” he said, grinning down at me.
Yes. My heart had officially stopped.
“Okay,” I said with a shaky voice.
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” He grinned, backing away and pulling on my hand as he walked to the entrance of the theater. “Ignore them, all right?”
“Yeah, sure. Ignore them. Right.”
“Hey.” He stopped us before we’d taken more than three steps, and I swallowed hard. “Just relax.”
“I don’t know how,” I admitted sheepishly. “Not around you, not around them. I just . . . I don’t know how to.”
He sighed, and I half expected him to call off the whole thing. I was very much ready to walk back to the car until he spoke.
“And that’s my fault.” I stared at him. “I’m so sorry, Anna.”
I shrugged, looking away from him and over to the entrance. His friends were openly gaping.
“We’ve been spotted,” I stage whispered.
He looked over his shoulder and then back at me, squeezing my hand.
“Ready to start our date?”
“It’s gonna take a minute to get used to that.”
He laughed, once again leading me toward the entrance. I squared my shoulders as we approached them, my heart beating rapidly, and I wondered briefly if all this activity was going to give me a heart attack. I did my best to ignore the group.
“You ditched me for her?” Brittany sneered.
“Yeah,” Evan said simply. “I did.”
“Are you going blind, dude?” Adam asked, stealing the cigarette from Grace.
“Nope. In fact, I’m pretty sure my eyes are wide open.”
“This has gotta be some kind of charity thing, right?” Steve asked, stepping in front of Evan. “Dude, we’ve never gone down this road. There are plenty of other girls—”
“Yes, there are. I wanted to be with Anna tonight.” He shrugged, and I did my best to ignore them. Easier said than done, but at least Evan wasn’t agreeing with them this time. “See you all Monday morning.”
“I’m calling you tomorrow. I wanna know what the
