allowed to keep from a boyfriend.
“Normal’s okay. Actually, normal can be great.” Liam looked at me, I mean, really looked at me, like he was trying to see something inside of me. His eyes were the color of milk chocolate, and I wanted to reach over and brush his hair out of the way.
Then I happened to glance up and see Lexi coming through the door with a couple of other girls. I rolled my eyes, and Liam turned to look over his shoulder.
“I think she’s stalking you,” I said. And ticking me off.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said.
I didn’t want to worry about it, but she was making a beeline for our table. I sat back in the bench seat as she stopped at the end of the table.
“Funny running into you two here,” she said.
“Hilarious,” I said.
Liam looked at her. “I think your friends are waiting for you.” He pointed to the booth they had grabbed near the windows.
“Oh, they can wait. I was going to ask if I could get a ride to church on Sunday.” Lexi smiled at him, a picture of feigned innocence.
Liam cleared his throat and looked at me. I tried to act uninterested, but my whole body tensed, waiting to see what he would do. I will not kill Lexi.
“Sure. I guess so.”
“Thanks!” Lexi grabbed his hand. “That’ll be such a help.” She bounced off, and he turned his attention back to me.
“Sorry about that.”
I wasn’t sure what he was sorry about. Lexi? Giving her a ride?
“We’re just friends, in case you’re wondering,” he added.
“I think she’d like to be more than friends.”
Liam fixed his eyes on me. “I’m more interested to know how you feel.”
I felt my cheeks grow hot as he took my hand in his. “About…?”
He grinned. “This. You. Me.”
“I’m pretty interested.”
He picked up my hand and kissed it. “Glad to hear it. Because I am, too.”
Now I was positive that there was a silly grin on my face, but I didn’t care.
The crowded restaurant seemed to disappear as we talked. I found out all sorts of things about him. He was the younger of two and was probably grossly underplaying his musical talent. I found myself wanting to hear him sing.
And he seemed genuinely interested in me. I told him about my family—leaving out the bits about Darby, of course—and about my friendship with Tess. By the time we left, I was no closer to understanding why I liked him so much, but I was surer than ever that I wanted to be around him. As much as possible.
Then we got in the car and I saw the time. Ten o’clock? Panic set in immediately. I couldn’t bring myself to even look at my phone.
I gave Liam a smile. “I need to get home. Quick.”
CHAPTER 7
He drove fast and mercifully didn’t ask any questions. As he pulled into the driveway, I saw my dad running up the porch stairs with a flashlight. He stopped when he saw the car.
“Thanks, Liam. I had a really good time, but I’d better go,” I said.
“Can I do anything to help?”
“No. No. Everything’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I jumped out of the car and hurried over to Dad. He pressed his hand to his mouth, his eyes wide.
Mom pushed open the front door. “Thank God… wait. Darby’s not with you?”
I shook my head.
Mom grabbed the flashlight from my dad’s hands. “Where the hell have you been?” She took off down the front steps and started up the sidewalk.
I looked at Dad. “I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to be this late.”
“I just got here myself. We’ve searched the house, and her car’s still here. Any ideas?”
I couldn’t handle the fear in my dad’s eyes, so I looked at the ground and really thought. It was dark, so she wouldn’t walk in the woods. But why would she walk anywhere at this hour? Maybe she wasn’t getting better like I thought. Butthis time I was the fool. Mom had been trying to warn me, and I didn’t listen.
I bit back the tears. Dad rubbed my shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m sure she’s fine. I’m going to go find your
“Normal’s okay. Actually, normal can be great.” Liam looked at me, I mean, really looked at me, like he was trying to see something inside of me. His eyes were the color of milk chocolate, and I wanted to reach over and brush his hair out of the way.
Then I happened to glance up and see Lexi coming through the door with a couple of other girls. I rolled my eyes, and Liam turned to look over his shoulder.
“I think she’s stalking you,” I said. And ticking me off.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said.
I didn’t want to worry about it, but she was making a beeline for our table. I sat back in the bench seat as she stopped at the end of the table.
“Funny running into you two here,” she said.
“Hilarious,” I said.
Liam looked at her. “I think your friends are waiting for you.” He pointed to the booth they had grabbed near the windows.
“Oh, they can wait. I was going to ask if I could get a ride to church on Sunday.” Lexi smiled at him, a picture of feigned innocence.
Liam cleared his throat and looked at me. I tried to act uninterested, but my whole body tensed, waiting to see what he would do. I will not kill Lexi.
“Sure. I guess so.”
“Thanks!” Lexi grabbed his hand. “That’ll be such a help.” She bounced off, and he turned his attention back to me.
“Sorry about that.”
I wasn’t sure what he was sorry about. Lexi? Giving her a ride?
“We’re just friends, in case you’re wondering,” he added.
“I think she’d like to be more than friends.”
Liam fixed his eyes on me. “I’m more interested to know how you feel.”
I felt my cheeks grow hot as he took my hand in his. “About…?”
He grinned. “This. You. Me.”
“I’m pretty interested.”
He picked up my hand and kissed it. “Glad to hear it. Because I am, too.”
Now I was positive that there was a silly grin on my face, but I didn’t care.
The crowded restaurant seemed to disappear as we talked. I found out all sorts of things about him. He was the younger of two and was probably grossly underplaying his musical talent. I found myself wanting to hear him sing.
And he seemed genuinely interested in me. I told him about my family—leaving out the bits about Darby, of course—and about my friendship with Tess. By the time we left, I was no closer to understanding why I liked him so much, but I was surer than ever that I wanted to be around him. As much as possible.
Then we got in the car and I saw the time. Ten o’clock? Panic set in immediately. I couldn’t bring myself to even look at my phone.
I gave Liam a smile. “I need to get home. Quick.”
CHAPTER 7
He drove fast and mercifully didn’t ask any questions. As he pulled into the driveway, I saw my dad running up the porch stairs with a flashlight. He stopped when he saw the car.
“Thanks, Liam. I had a really good time, but I’d better go,” I said.
“Can I do anything to help?”
“No. No. Everything’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I jumped out of the car and hurried over to Dad. He pressed his hand to his mouth, his eyes wide.
Mom pushed open the front door. “Thank God… wait. Darby’s not with you?”
I shook my head.
Mom grabbed the flashlight from my dad’s hands. “Where the hell have you been?” She took off down the front steps and started up the sidewalk.
I looked at Dad. “I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to be this late.”
“I just got here myself. We’ve searched the house, and her car’s still here. Any ideas?”
I couldn’t handle the fear in my dad’s eyes, so I looked at the ground and really thought. It was dark, so she wouldn’t walk in the woods. But why would she walk anywhere at this hour? Maybe she wasn’t getting better like I thought. Butthis time I was the fool. Mom had been trying to warn me, and I didn’t listen.
I bit back the tears. Dad rubbed my shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m sure she’s fine. I’m going to go find your
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