liked you.”
We walked quietly along the lamp-lit Kuhio Highway. While the date had started off rocky, it turned into a pretty good one. We’d skipped the overpriced dessert menu at the restaurant, did a little shopping in downtown Kapaa until the stores closed, then walked down to Lappert’s for ice cream. Now, on the walk back to the car, I felt almost relaxed.
Then Justin looked at me in a way that sent my stomach swirling again. I had at least learned, as the night progressed, to pause my eating and resume when the butterflies subsided. Same as Abbie had done when she was pregnant. Which reminded me . . .
“I still can’t believe you thought Owen was mine.”
“You know, it’s funny.” Justin stuck his free hand in his pocket. “I’ve been thinking about that all night, and there’s something I can’t explain away.”
“What?” I asked.
“Remember yesterday morning when I came and found you at the beach?”
I nodded.
“Well, when I went back home to change, Abbie was in the front yard with Owen. I went over to say hello and we talked for a couple minutes. And—” Justin reddened. I loved that. “Well, I was trying to find out information about Owen’s father, so I said, ‘I don’t think he looks much like Skylar.’ Abbie said, ‘You don’t?’ And I said, ‘Do you think he looks like her or the father?’ Abbie said, ‘Most people think he looks like me.’”
“And are we ever grateful,” I said. “The last thing she needed was Owen turning out just like Lance.”
“So, anyway, I said, ‘I bet that’s frustrating. People probably think he’s yours.’ And now that I think about it, Abbie did give me sort of a weird look. But she said, ‘Yeah, it’s annoying.’ And then she went on to say a bunch of stuff like she felt sorry for you because Owen took up so much of your time and that all your friends had deserted you, and that’s why you’re thinking about staying in Hawaii permanently.”
I gaped at him. “She didn’t.”
He looked uncomfortable. “She definitely wanted me to think Owen was yours. I even told her how nice it was that she’d babysit so you could have some time on the beach.”
My head ached from grinding my teeth. “What’d she say?”
Justin swallowed. “That it’d been really hard on you to have a baby so young.”
8
“Oh my gosh, relax,” Abbie said.
“Relax?” I hissed. I wanted to yell but couldn’t with Owen snoozing in his Pack ’n Play in the corner of our room. “You told Justin that Owen’s mine.”
“I was just having some fun. I knew it’d sort itself out. At the very least, he’d figure it out when I left on Thursday and took Owen with me.”
I stared at her—her unrepentant eyes, the amused curl of her mouth. I had no response, at least not one I’d be comfortable saying with Owen in the room. I marched out, letting the door slam behind me. Then winced. Yeah, I was mad, but waking up Owen seemed unnecessarily mean. Fortunately, no cries came from our room.
I stalked through the dark, silent house and out the front door. Just six more days and she’d be gone. I couldn’t wait.
I flopped onto the padded porch bench and curled my knees to my chest. Across the street, in the little yellow house, lights blazed. Chase’s girlfriend was there. Justin had invited me over as well, but I’d been too irritated with Abbie to even consider it. Maybe I should go over there now.
A few minutes later, when Grammy and Papa’s screen door opened, I hadn’t yet decided.
Abbie sat beside me. She drew her knees up as well, then returned her feet to the floor. Then crossed her legs, then uncrossed. She sighed. “I guess I was feeling a little jealous about Justin. We all knew it was coming, him asking you out, and I just . . .” Another sigh. “It’s never gonna be like that for me again.”
I frowned. “You’ve got Chris.”
“I know. But it’s so complicated. I’m not even sixteen. I should be able to go on dates
We walked quietly along the lamp-lit Kuhio Highway. While the date had started off rocky, it turned into a pretty good one. We’d skipped the overpriced dessert menu at the restaurant, did a little shopping in downtown Kapaa until the stores closed, then walked down to Lappert’s for ice cream. Now, on the walk back to the car, I felt almost relaxed.
Then Justin looked at me in a way that sent my stomach swirling again. I had at least learned, as the night progressed, to pause my eating and resume when the butterflies subsided. Same as Abbie had done when she was pregnant. Which reminded me . . .
“I still can’t believe you thought Owen was mine.”
“You know, it’s funny.” Justin stuck his free hand in his pocket. “I’ve been thinking about that all night, and there’s something I can’t explain away.”
“What?” I asked.
“Remember yesterday morning when I came and found you at the beach?”
I nodded.
“Well, when I went back home to change, Abbie was in the front yard with Owen. I went over to say hello and we talked for a couple minutes. And—” Justin reddened. I loved that. “Well, I was trying to find out information about Owen’s father, so I said, ‘I don’t think he looks much like Skylar.’ Abbie said, ‘You don’t?’ And I said, ‘Do you think he looks like her or the father?’ Abbie said, ‘Most people think he looks like me.’”
“And are we ever grateful,” I said. “The last thing she needed was Owen turning out just like Lance.”
“So, anyway, I said, ‘I bet that’s frustrating. People probably think he’s yours.’ And now that I think about it, Abbie did give me sort of a weird look. But she said, ‘Yeah, it’s annoying.’ And then she went on to say a bunch of stuff like she felt sorry for you because Owen took up so much of your time and that all your friends had deserted you, and that’s why you’re thinking about staying in Hawaii permanently.”
I gaped at him. “She didn’t.”
He looked uncomfortable. “She definitely wanted me to think Owen was yours. I even told her how nice it was that she’d babysit so you could have some time on the beach.”
My head ached from grinding my teeth. “What’d she say?”
Justin swallowed. “That it’d been really hard on you to have a baby so young.”
8
“Oh my gosh, relax,” Abbie said.
“Relax?” I hissed. I wanted to yell but couldn’t with Owen snoozing in his Pack ’n Play in the corner of our room. “You told Justin that Owen’s mine.”
“I was just having some fun. I knew it’d sort itself out. At the very least, he’d figure it out when I left on Thursday and took Owen with me.”
I stared at her—her unrepentant eyes, the amused curl of her mouth. I had no response, at least not one I’d be comfortable saying with Owen in the room. I marched out, letting the door slam behind me. Then winced. Yeah, I was mad, but waking up Owen seemed unnecessarily mean. Fortunately, no cries came from our room.
I stalked through the dark, silent house and out the front door. Just six more days and she’d be gone. I couldn’t wait.
I flopped onto the padded porch bench and curled my knees to my chest. Across the street, in the little yellow house, lights blazed. Chase’s girlfriend was there. Justin had invited me over as well, but I’d been too irritated with Abbie to even consider it. Maybe I should go over there now.
A few minutes later, when Grammy and Papa’s screen door opened, I hadn’t yet decided.
Abbie sat beside me. She drew her knees up as well, then returned her feet to the floor. Then crossed her legs, then uncrossed. She sighed. “I guess I was feeling a little jealous about Justin. We all knew it was coming, him asking you out, and I just . . .” Another sigh. “It’s never gonna be like that for me again.”
I frowned. “You’ve got Chris.”
“I know. But it’s so complicated. I’m not even sixteen. I should be able to go on dates
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