18. Mae
EIGHTEEN
Mae
When Seth leaves the restaurant, he doesn’t meet my eyes, which is good, because then I might go running after him. Abi and her date Bryan are sitting closely at our small table, her head tilted slightly toward him. His arm is draped casually around her shoulders, his fingers lightly caressing her arm.
I can’t tell if she wants him too or if she’s just putting up with it. Usually, I’m pretty good at reading her, but tonight she seems off, and I can’t figure out why.
“So D.C., huh?” Jonathan asks. “That sounds like fun. My internship is in Roanoke.”
“But yours is in IT. You’ll make way more than I will.” Unless of course I stay here and work at Whisper Springs.
He chuckles. “This is true, but your job will be more exciting.”
He sits close to me, but he doesn’t make any move to touch me. Which I find slightly annoying. He hasn’t tried to hold my hand or anything. I mean, it’s better than Abi’s date, but still. I can’t tell if he’s all that into me or not. It seemed like he was earlier, but now it doesn’t. Not that I plan on doing anything physical with him, but I was kind of hoping we could string this along for a few dates just to get my dad off my back.
The pizza arrives, and he scowls at Bryan and Abi, who are lost in a long kiss. “Can you not do that at the dinner table?” That’s pretty bold. The two just met about a half hour ago.
Abi pulls away with a fake giggle.
Bryan runs his hand over her neck and onto her shoulder. “Maybe we should skip the movie and go back to my cabin after this.”
Abi leans away from him. “Aw, but it’s The Wizard of Oz , my favorite movie.” The Wizard of Oz is not her favorite movie. Far from it. In fact, when I told her what was playing tonight, she whined that it was boring.
Time to find out what’s really going on. “We’re going to the little girls’ room. Be right back.”
I grab her hand and drag her to the bathroom.
It’s a single stall, but I pull her in anyway and throw the lock. “What’s going on? Do we need to ditch Bryan?”
She shakes her head, but her face twists. She takes a few deep breaths to compose herself before she speaks. “No. I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it. But Bryan hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“You clearly aren’t into him at all.”
She stands tall and runs her hand over her hair. “Yes, I am. He’s hot and is a good kisser.”
I cross my arms and glare at her. “Abi.”
Her shoulders slump. “Okay, fine. But you know how you are using Jonathan to get over Seth?”
“I’m using Jonathan to prove to my dad that there’s nothing going on. I’m not ready to get over Seth yet.” I still have no idea where we stand or what we’ll do once the summer is over, but we need to get out under the threat of my father first.
She waves her hands in the air. “Whatever. I’m trying to move on too, and it’s not working very well.”
“Move on from who? You haven’t told me about any special guys.”
“You don’t know him. It all happened while you were working with Seth. It was fast, and then it was over, but I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“So go after him.”
“It’s not that simple. Just let me be with Bryan and see how things go. I’ll let you know if I’m uncomfortable.”
“Okay then. But you promise you’ll tell me?”
“Promise.”
I search her eyes but find no sign of deception.
The rest of dinner passes uneventfully. Bryan keeps trying to make out with Abi, and Jonathan is very good at shutting it down. I expect the movie will not be as easy.
After we reach the bustling town square, we unfurl a few blankets and arrange them on the grassy lawn. The sun is just beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow over everything. Bryan and Abi seem to have forgotten about the movie entirely, lost in each other’s embrace, and Jonathan lets out an exaggerated eye roll. The sounds of chatting and laughter from the people at the nearby food trucks fill the air, adding to the vibrant atmosphere. People walk by, some stopping to chat with us or grab a snack while others settle onto their own spots on the lawn. This would’ve been so much more fun with Seth.
Jonathan jerks his head toward Abi and Bryan. “I swear, some people have no self-control.”
“Eh, they like each other, why not?”
“And do you like me?” he asks.
“I do.”
He’s going to kiss me, and I’m not sure if I really want him to or not. In a way, I do. I want to know if I can even stomach kissing another guy. But I’ll probably only be thinking of Seth. Instead, he slides his hand over and intertwines his fingers with mine. It’s nice. Not butterflies in the stomach but nice. A lot like things with Rick. I lean into him as the movie begins.
Just after Dorothy gets the Tin Man up and running, Abi shouts, “I said no.”
Both Jonathan and I are on our feet, and I grab Abi while Jonathan towers over Bryan.
“What did you do?” he growls. It’s the most aggression I’ve seen from him.
Bryan stands as well and straightens his shirt. “Nothing. She just suddenly got prudish on me.”
Abi opens her mouth to argue, but Jonathan beats her to it. “I doubt that.”
A few people stare at us, but no one else stands up. We’re close to the edge, so that helps.
Bryan pushes past Jonathan. “Come on, Abi, you don’t mean it.”
Jonathan shoves Bryan backward. “Find your own way home, asshole.” He leans down and grabs both blankets. “Let’s go.”
I’m seeing Jonathan in a whole new light, and I kinda like it. Again, he’s not Seth, but he’s not Rick either. Maybe I will enjoy the rest of the evening after all. But I’ve got to take care of Abi first.
I put my arm around her, and we rush away from the park and the movie.
“Are you okay?”
Abi nods. “He let his hands wander where I didn’t want them, and after the second time, I wasn’t going to put up with it anymore.”
“Good for you. I’m sorry it didn’t work to take your mind off of the mystery man. You know you’ll need to tell me that story at some point.”
“I know. But not tonight. Tonight you’ve got a knight in shining armor to play with. Just take me back to the bunkhouse and then maybe take a long walk in the woods with your boy toy.”
“That sounds delightful.”
Anxiety pools in my stomach. Because it doesn’t sound delightful at all.