We watch each other for a minute, and then his jaw tightens. “Got it.”
He walks off and disappears around the side of the building. I take a deep breath and go the other way, back to the rec room, trying to figure out what I’m going to say to Willow and how the hell I’m supposed to explain what just happened.
NOW
Because Willow is pretty much the sweetest human in the entire world, she’s more worried about me than anything.
“I wanted to punch Eric’s face in,” she says. “Are you sure you don’t want to report him to Diana?”
I shake my head. “No, it’s fine.”
Because Willow is also unequivocally the most inquisitive person in the entire world, she wants to know everything.
“So obviously you know Duke. Luke. Whatever his name is. How do you know him?” she asks as we clean up the rec room while our campers are at art with Rouge.
“How do you know I know him?”
She gives me a disbelieving look. “Because people who just met two days ago donotkiss like that. Also, I’ve been trying to set you up with my cousin since the day we met, and you’re like, ‘No, are you sure he’s a good guy? I don’t think you’ve known him long enough.’ ”
I laugh. “I did not say that.”
“You implied it. You were like, but how do youknowhe’s good?”
I wince at her impersonation of me. So maybe I am a little overzealous about knowing people before dating them, but given the fact that I knew my only boyfriend for ten years before anything happened, can you blame me?
“So how do you know him?” Willow asks again.
I struggle to find the right words.
Do I start with Mel? Ro? Mel and Ro?
“He’s my ex,” I say, the simplest answer I have.
“Oooh. But you’re back on now, right?” she asks. “That kiss was definitely Back On.”
“We’re, um, figuring it out,” I say. As easy as it would be to just deny everything, Luke had a point about keeping our story straight. If we’re pretending to be something for the next few months, I better get used to it. I guess I hoped that the only person we’d be pretending for was Mel.
“I wish you’d have told me when I met him. I was likehe’s so cute. I’m such an idiot.”
“You’re not,” I say. “I should have told you. I’m sorry.”
Willow stares at me for a second. “It’s weird that you didn’t, but I forgive you. Relationships are so confusing.”
“Is everything okay with Brett?” I ask.
She sighs. “I guess. It’s just that he keeps wanting me to introduce him to my parents, and I’m not ready. He’s like, ‘So what happens if your dad stumbles on one of your videos and I’m in it?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, if he stumbles on one of my videos, that’s problemnumero unobecause xothelodown does not exist as far as he’s concerned.’”
“Do you ever think you should just tell your dad?” I ask.
“Every day,” she says. “But he’s so weird about everything. He thinks my only concerns should be school and getting my business degree and taking over the family business. He thinks makeup is my hobby. And that boyfriends are a waste of time. Where exactly does making fun videos for a living fit into all of that?”
I give her a sympathetic look. “Parents are so weird.”
“Agreed,” she says. “Well, anyway, if you and Luke ever want to double with me and Brett, we could totally do that.”
I wipe at a swatch of marker graffiti on a desk. Someone needs to tell these kids to maybenotwrite their full name when they’re defiling city property. “Thanks,” I say noncommittally.
I know the last thing Luke and I are going to be doing anytime soon is going on double dates, but I decide this is one more thing I’m going to have to keep to myself.
