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I blink hard, taking in the kind creases in his face, and gulp. “Why are you saying that?”
“Because I don’t want you thinking you’re not good enough. You’re more beautiful inside than any other girl is on the outside.”
I pull away, rolling my eyes. “Thanks. I know what a great personality is code for.”
Parker sighs, shifting his weight. “That’s not what I mean. You’re beautiful inside and out. Any guy would be lucky to be with you. I would...”
He trails off, forcing me to look back at him.
Parker chews his bottom lip, hesitating on his words.
I search deeply into the eyes. “You, what?”
He clutches my hand and whispers, “I’d be lucky to be with you.”
My hand trembles in his, sending a shiver up my arm and coursing through the rest of my body.
“I told you,” he murmurs, “I’m done pretending today.”
“What...” I stammer. “What are you saying?”
He drops my hand. “That I’m not lying about you being beautiful.”
“Oh, okay. Umm, thank you.”
He smiles as the twinkle lights dazzle against his eyes. “You’re welcome.”
Somehow more confused, I rest my elbows against the railing, looking out at the view. He fidgets beside me, and I find myself wishing Lewis and Yvette were here. At least if we were on a fake date, I’d know where we stand. Him, saying wonderful things to me, just to be nice, has my head and heart in a scramble.
“At least you and your sister go into things by listening to your hearts,” Parker says. “I’m the one who’s messed up. I wanted to be with Yvette to prove I’m winning at high school.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, you’ve already figured this out. I work so hard at making sure everyone sees me as fun, adventurous, happy-go-lucky, so they never see me the way I am at home. I just figured, if I could get a girl like Yvette, then it’d prove I’ve got everything going for me at school.”
My expression is stiff. “That’s why you want to be with Yvette?”
He folds his arms, resting on the railing. “I thought we’d make a good couple.”
“No wonder you only called her hot. You just want to use her too.”
“That’s not true. I really do think I could help her. If she were with me, she wouldn’t be so nasty to other girls.”
“You think so?” I ask skeptically.
He huffs, looking ahead at nothing in particular. “I just don’t know what I want anymore.”
“Well, Yvette is a grade-A moron if she can’t see what a wonderful boyfriend you’d make.”
Parker puffs out a laugh. “Is that so?”
I smirk. “But maybe she is too dumb to see it. Perhaps on the camping trip, I’ll have to literally explain it to her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll tell her about all the nice things you’ve done for me.”
He looks down, a blush brewing in his cheeks. “Like what?”
