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“You seem like a sweet person, Riley. I wish we could have gone out but you’re not into me. To be honest, that stung, at first but I’m over it. I told your sister it wasn’t going to work out between us, I don’t know how many times. I assume you told her the same but it seems she has no interest in seeing the truth here.”
“Tell me about it!”
Oh my God, I can breathe again. He gets it. Finally,someonegets what I’ve been going through my whole life with her.
Raindrops land on my cheeks as thunder rumbles in the distance. Lainey and the twins will probably head back now. I’ll be back to Daniel and a relaxing night of movies and cookies in no time.
For once, things seem to be going my way.
“Do you have any idea why she’s so insistent on setting you up? I mean, you have a boyfriend, right?” Spencer shifts from foot to foot and struggles to make eye contact with me.
“Are you fishing to find out if I’m still with Daniel?” I ask keeping my tone light. Not letting his prejudice get to me.
“You have to admit, it’s odd. He’s so much older than you.” He’s almost whispering.
I just chuckle and shake my head. “Maybe but I can’t imagine being with anyone else.”
“Time to go,” Lainey calls out from the tree line with Will and Jax behind her, just before the sky opens up and it starts to pour down rain.
“We’ll see you at The Pepper Mill,” Lainey says as we’re all climbing in our respective cars.
“What?” I ask her over the top of her car.
“We’re going out for drinks. Now, get in the car.” Lainey gets in but I don’t.
In seconds, I’m drenched but I’m not getting in her car if she’s not taking me home.
“What are you doing? Get in,” Lainey says leaning over to yell out the passenger window.
“No.”
“What? Why?”
“I don’t want to go out for drinks.” I swear I can feel my heart splinter. This is why I never argue with Lainey. I hate disappointing her.
“Fine. I’ll take you home first,” Lainey says.
“Daniel’s,” I yell over the rain pounding on the roof of her car. “You’ll take me back to Daniel’s place.”
She doesn’t answer right away. When she does, it’s not clear she’s going to grant my request. “Get in the car, Riley.”
If it weren’t so cold, I would hold out for a clear answer but the wind is biting my wet skin and I can’t take it any longer.
“Where are you taking me then?” I ask after I buckle up.
No answer. And I’m sure she’s never going to give me one until she blurts out as we’re heading back into town, “You’re insane, Riley. You realize he’s only a few years younger than our dad.”
Here we go. I’m so not ready for this. But I refuse to give him up. No matter how much it upsets her. Or anyone, for that matter.
“I don’t see him that way, Lainey. Why can’t you just be happy for me? I’m happy. Why doesn’t that matter to you? Why don’t you ever care about what makesmehappy?”
Silence.
I’m not sure if she’s listening or not. But at least she’s not fighting me. I take it as an opportunity to get everything out in the open. “I hate hiking. Spencer and I have nothing in common and beyond that, he told me he’s not even interested in me anymore. Daniel and I have everything in common.”
“He also has a daughter you could have been in high school with less than four years ago,” Lainey says, at last, briefly taking her attention from the road to look my way.
“I don’t care. And you better get over caring because I’m not breaking up with him.”Because I love him. I must. For me to stand up to my sister and tell her all the things I’ve always been scared shitless to say.
