“They’re the best.”
“That was sweet how you paid for dinner.”
I shove my hands into my pockets and shrug. “If only they knew how I really got the money to pay for it. They’d flip.”
“No, they wouldn’t.”
I let out a tired laugh. “I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be very happy if they found out that I’m a secret thirst trap on social media.”
Briar shakes her head. “Okay, maybe they wouldn’t be thrilled about it. You’re their kid. No parent wants to think about their kid doing sexy stuff like that. But I’m sure they understand that you’re an adult, and you can do whatever you want. They wouldn’t let it affect how they feel about you. They love you. No matter what.”
That shameful feeling inside of me fades at the way Briar explains it. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“And it’s not like you have to tell them about your secret account. That’s private, only for you to know.”
I smile at her. “And you.”
She playfully smacks my arm. We start to walk home when Briar’s phone buzzes with a text.
She stops walking. “Shit.”
I turn to her. “What’s wrong?”
“My parents are in town.”
Chapter 34
Blake
That beautiful smile drops from her face as she stares at her phone screen.
“They’re here in Denver?” I ask.
She closes her eyes and sighs, her shoulders sinking. “I guess so.” She looks up at me. “I should call them.”
She taps her thumb on her phone screen and exhales sharply. “Hey, Mom. I got your text. You and Dad are here in Denver? Like, right now?”
She goes quiet for a long moment. Then she closes her eyes and tilts her head back, like she’s tired of whatever her mom is saying to her on the other end of the line.
“I wish you guys had told me you were coming…No, I’m not mad, I just wish I had known so I could plan something for us to do…This is kind of a last-minute thing you’re springing on me…I don’t want to argue with you…That’s fine, but I just wish you guys would…Fine. Whatever. Okay. Bye.”
She hangs up, her lips pursed, and her brow furrowed. She looks so stressed. So different from how happy she was a minute ago.
“What happened? Are you okay?” I ask.
“It’s official. My parents are in town. Yay,” she says, her tone defeated.
“I thought you said they didn’t know about parents weekend.”
“They didn’t until they got a flyer in the mail a few weeks ago that Hollis U must have sent to all students’ parents.” She tugs on her ponytail and closes her eyes. “I don’t have the energy to deal with them. Not when they’re still mad that I transferred here and every conversation with them turns into an argument.”
“Where are they staying?”
“At a hotel downtown. They want to meet me for breakfast in the morning.” She groans. “I really don’t want to sit across from them at some cafe and politely nod along while they rip into me for transferring here so we don’t cause a scene in public.”
My chest aches. I hate seeing her like this. So stressed out and sad.
“Then don’t,” I say.
