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Stephanie was intuitive enough to know that wasn’t true, but she didn’t question. “Alright, come on. Let’s go find a phone.”
Tully was too exhausted to talk on the way home other than a thank you to Stephanie’s dad and say goodbye to both of them.
She went inside and didn’t care enough to sneak into her room. She carried her dress shoes in her hand up to her room, tossed them haphazardly on the floor, and slipped from the dress.
Her bed was exactly what she wanted to see right now, so she walked up to it and flopped into the soft covers.
What did it matter though, when she couldn’t even sleep?
* * *
To make up for the teen-required hours of sleep, Tully slept until noon.
The inside of her head was an exhausting place to be when distractions were limited. It’d been forever since she’d had a real crush on someone, and because it was so sudden, she was making up for lost time by censoring endless stories of her moments with Nathan.
She now had to white out every hint of ‘what if’ and write in ‘won’t happen.’
He wasn’t interested in her. End of story. No epilogue, nothing.
What she should do is call Nathan this second and tell him the deal was off. That was exactly what she told Stephanie would happen if she started liking Nathan.
Yet . . . it wasn’t Nathan’s fault, so to punish him by depriving him of his tutor just because he’s a wonderful person is a bit backward. As a favor to him, she would stick it out and get over her crush.
Easy enough.
Her redemption exam was tomorrow, andthatwas what she should be focusing on instead.
She got up from her bed and left her room for the first time. Downstairs, she could hear the television droning on. She wasn’t looking forward to seeing anyone in her family, but it was inevitable when you’re forced to remain confined to the same house.
She made herself a bowl of cereal in the kitchen and sat at the table to eat it unbothered. Halfway through, her seclusion was interrupted by her mother walking in with her arms crossed.
Tully glanced up and saw the reprimand drooping from her stern frown before she spoke. “Cheating first, and now sneaking out for homecoming?” It was pointless to deny any of it. Only one of the accusations was true, but in her mother’s eyes, she was guilty of both charges. She chewed and said nothing. “You’re grounded for another week.”
Tully expected no less.
She finished her cereal and retreated out of the kitchen when there was a knock on the front door. She sighed.
Bright, warm yellow was the first thing she registered when she opened the door, and then sweet eyes. Nathan stood on her doorstep with a bouquet—sunflowers.
What if. . . no.Won’t happen.
“Is now a good time?” He asked.
Tully looked over her shoulder and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Let’s talk out here.” She stepped out and closed the door so that anyone inside wouldn’t overhear. “What is it?” She crossed her arms over her chest to hide her beating heart.
Nathan looked down at the bouquet in his hand and then held it out to her. “I’m sorry.”
“Nathan—”
“I get you’re mad at me, it didn’t look good. I know that . . .”
“Nathan—”
“She told me you were looking for me so I went to find you . . .”
“Nath—”
“But then she, like, ambushed me and I froze and—”
