Footsteps rush behind me, and clutching the strap on my bag, I’m ready to go off on Elijah. Instead, Lucas recoils as I swing around, and he narrowly escapes stumbling off the path. Gasping, I reach for his hand and start apologizing.
“I thought you were someone else.” I hold onto his hand.
“I’m lucky you weren't carrying your crosse,” he says. “I want to know if you want a ride home.”
I look around and then at him. “Were you waiting for me?”
He shrugs his shoulders and then smiles sheepishly. “Yeah, I was, but my attention was on my phone. I almost missed you.” He drapes his arm over my shoulder, and we continue to walk. “Are you still worried about that creepy guy?”
I shake my head. “No, you know what? I was being silly. It was nothing at all.”
Lucas squeezes me tightly against his side, as if he’s giving me his approval. “My offer still stands to drive you home every evening, Livi. Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in class?”
Thank goodness it’s dark out because my face flushes, not from embarrassment at being called out but in a building rage over how he treated me. I shouldn’t have run out of class like I did something wrong. And for a second, I consider going back. After all, I’m paying to be there.
“Never mind,” he says smiling. “Why don’t we go out to eat? My treat. Wherever you want to go.”
I shrug. “Okay, I’d like that.”
I would be insane to still want Elijah after tonight. Lucas has always been kind and attentive, no matter what I do or say to him. Amanda has pointed that fact out numerous times. Maybe I need to stop fighting destiny and follow the path I should be on. A path to a stable but boring relationship.
I slip my hand into his coat pocket while we walk, and he squeezes my shoulder. I glance behind me, wondering if Elijah is watching. He obviously likes to spy, but no one is outside. I can’t even sense him. He wanted to prove something, I guess, and now that he has, he’s through with hurting me.
Lucas holds the door open as I climb into the Rover. He leans in as I sit back, and his face is so close to mine. He lowers his emerald gaze on my lips, and instantly, I know this is a mistake. His kiss is dry, and I keep my mouth tightly shut. He leans back, smiling as if he’s proud of that lifeless kiss. I wonder if it’s too late to say I want to go home instead.
***
“Were you with your dad again?” Amanda looks up from the couch as I walk into the apartment. It’s only nine, but she’s dressed in her pink plaid pajamas with a fluffy comforter wrapped around her shoulders. Her feet rest on the coffee table as she flips through her class notebook with her laptop on. Judging from the laugh track, she’s streaming something while she studies.
“No, why do you say that?” I ask.
“I’m asking because of the look on your face.” She stares at the door. “Is he about to show up again?”
I sigh, plopping down beside her. “No, he’s not coming. I was on a date.”
Amanda tosses the notebook off her lap and shuts the laptop screen. “With who?”
“Lucas. He took me to a really nice restaurant on Route 21. Di Napoli.”
Amanda’s smile widens with delight. “Oh. My. God. That’s a serious date restaurant. That’s a place you go to when you’re ready to commit. So, he must be your boyfriend now.” She waits for an answer, but I avoid her gaze. “Oh, Livi. Your ass has been dragging for days. You’ve either screwed up, or you’re deep in love or both.”
I moan. “It’s bad.”
Amanda shares the comforter with me, and I cuddle next to her. Tears trail down my cheeks, knowing that at least one decent person on Earth gives a shit about me. I tell her everything, including the hook-up at the bar. Her expression freezes a few times, but she keeps her opinion to herself. For now.
“So, you don’t know exactly what happened to Elijah?” she asks. “You might need to find out. It’s the only way to put it completely behind you.”
“I’ve been trying to figure it out,” I reply. “Elijah acted as if I should know.”
“You were a kid,” Amanda says gently.
I shake my head. “We met when I was nine, but he didn’t disappear until I was fifteen. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was doing after I hit puberty.”
“Did he know you were young?”
I bite my finger before I answer. “I lied about my age. He knew I was younger than him, but I added an extra year. He thought I was sixteen. He still wouldn’t touch me. He called me a kid. My dad must have found out about my crush, but I don’t know how that led to Elijah going to juvenile detention.”
Amanda looks at me as if I have no sense. “Your father is very intimidating. I stand up straight whenever I hear his voice, like a trained dog at Westminster. You’re tough, but when your dad wants something, he’ll get his way. And you are his daughter.”