Suddenly, I feel nervous.
I’ve never met the parents before.
Not that I’m meeting his parents, but still…
“You drovethatout here?” Luke says, whistling as he eyes my car. My thoughts are momentarily derailed. “That thing’s like a hundred grand, cuz.”
I suddenly feel silly. Maybe we should have taken Caleb’s Jeep. Maybe then I wouldn’t stand out so much. My obvious wealth is something I’ve always resented, and yet I don’t know how to live without it. Not sure I want to. The comforts it’s offered me in times of complete despair…
It’s what I’ve held onto for so long. It’s all I have.
Sem, Luke, and Caleb’s uncle move toward my car and stare at it, their hands trailing along the smooth, flawless paint. I just had it waxed, so it gleams, despite the dust lingering from the trip on the unpaved road.
“How’s she drive?” his uncle asks me.
“Smooth,” I say, and then realize I’m lying. It wasn’t smooth. My heart was jumping in my chest just like my car did as it rattled down the dirt road.
“Yeah, I fucking bet. I expect to drive it tomorrow,” Luke says, and his father frowns at him. I wince slightly, expecting something worse than what comes out of his mouth.
“It’s polite to ask, Luke. I raised you better than that.”
Luke shrugs and walks around to the other side of the car, and then meets my eyes. “Let me drive it tomorrow,please?”
I peer over at Caleb, and when I see him watching me, something glowing in those blue eyes, I just nod.
“Sure.”
Luke whoops, his fist in the air in triumph as Sem opens the passenger-side door, looking inside. I should be more upset by the invasion of privacy, but I know this is just how they are. There’s nothing I can do to change it. I just need to accept my fate.
“Warned ya,” Caleb murmurs, reaching out and squeezing the nape of my neck. It makes my skin break out in goosebumps as he turns and follows his aunt into the house.
He leaves me with Sem, Luke, and his uncle, who are still talkingabout my car. Sem has slipped into the back seat and brought the middle console down, looking in the small compartment there.
“This car has nice cup holders. I wish I had some of these.”
“You could have some if you got a newer car,” Luke replies with a grunt, opening the trunk and staring down at my suitcase and Caleb’s half-spilled plastic bag. What a perfect depiction of Caleb and me.
The rain picks up, and I brush the moisture gathering on my face away with the back of my hand.
“Still hasn’t gotten a duffel bag, I see,” his uncle says. “Never did like those. Says plastic bags work just fine.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, and Luke slaps me on the back.
“Well, Whit. Better get inside before it really starts coming down. Don’t want you getting sick here. My mom will smother you if you do,” Luke says.
I’m not sure I’d like that. Or maybe I would like it too much.
I grab my suitcase and then work on stuffing Caleb’s things back into his plastic bag before following the three of them inside.
When I enter, I see Caleb leaning against the counter, a half-eaten cookie in his hand. He turns my way, and his eyes flick down to his bag.
“Aw, babe,” he says with a dry smirk. “Thanks.”
He reaches out, takes the bag, and presses a soft kiss to my cheek. I don’t know why he did that, but I blush like a schoolboy with a crush all the same. I have no idea what’s gotten into him, but he seems…flirtatious. And if he keeps this up, convincing his family we’re not actually together is going to be impossible.
Thankfully, Sem and Luke aren’t paying any attention to us. Instead, they attempt to reach for a cookie, but their hands are slapped away by their mom, who exclaims that the cookies are for me.
That makes me blush for another reason.
