I shook my head with a snicker. I loved how excited he got over food and I was really glad Elliot wasn’t here to put a dampener on things with his ketchup antics or ruin my time with Dani. He was still wary of her and he’d noticed how much we’d been hanging out together. The girls seemed to like Dani, but Elliot would always be cautious.
I guess he had a right to be, but the more I hung out with this girl, the more I realized how cool she was. Sure, she had a few little secrets, but I was beginning to not care what they were. She was intelligent, great to talk to, she put up with all my ridiculous observations about the world. Heck, she had noticed over half of them anyway.
“I noticed that too,” she’d softly murmur.
The more time we spent together, the more relaxed she was and I liked it. I really, really liked it.
My need to figure her out was fading by the day. I wanted her to be good and trustworthy. I didn’t want to know if her secrets were dark and dangerous. I just wanted her to be Dani, the beautiful girl sitting next to me, studying for tomorrow’s test.
“Would you stop.” She looked up at me, her lips quirking to the left. “You’re supposed to be studying. If you keep looking at me, you’re gonna fail the test tomorrow.”
I gave her a cheesy grin, which made her chuckle.
“I’m serious, Zach.” She shook her head and glanced at her watch. With a sigh, she flipped her textbook closed. “I should go.”
“Why? It’s only just five.”
“My dad.” She shrugged, shoving her things into her bag.
“He’s really strict, huh?”
“He can be.” Her voice was light, but also strained. Whenever he came up, things got like this. No one else would probably even notice, but I’d been studying her for several weeks now and Dani’s voice was definitely more tense when she talked about her father.
“He…I’d like to meet him sometimes.”
She sniggered. “Not in a million years.”
“Why not?”
Zipping her bag shut, she tucked it under her arms, hugging it close as she faced me. “He likes me to stay focused on my work. I can’t afford to let anyone distract me.”
“And I’m a distraction?” I pointed to myself, openly hopeful.
She grinned, biting her lip. She didn’t say anything, but her soft blush told me what I wanted to know.
“I take it he doesn’t know about me.”
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she looked to the tabletop. “I’m not at this school to score myself a boyfriend.” A sad wistfulness crested over her face.
Unable to help myself, I leaned forward and took her hand. She let me gather up her fingers and I ran my thumb over her knuckles. I didn’t know what to say, but just touching her seemed to make her feel better. Her smile was soft, her blue eyes shining with a longing I knew all too well.
I could have kissed her right then.
In fact I would have if AJ hadn’t burst through the door with his damn meat sauce.
He made Dani stay and taste it. She said all the right things to satisfy his culinary aspirations and he flounced off happily.
“Let me drive you home. I’ll drop you round the block so your dad won’t even see me.”
“I’m fine, Zach. I like to walk.”
“Well at least tell me where you live.”
She gave me a droll look and crossed her arms.
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Why do you have to know?”
The question stumped me. The truth was I didn’t. I just really wanted to. I was guessing she didn’t want to tell me so I wouldn’t be tempted to drive by some day, which I totally would. Her dad must be really strict if she wasn’t even willing to risk that.
“You’re eighteen. You’re old enough to make your own choices, you know.”
I didn’t want her to play the rebel and get her in trouble, but I had a damn good point. Her father was being way too protective. No boyfriends in high school? Come on.
Her eyes said something I couldn’t decipher and her words were spoken with a softness that pierced me. “Some people don’t get as many choices as others.”
As if realizing she’d suddenly gone too deep and serious, she forced a bright smile over her lips. Leaning towards me with a playful grin, she touched her lips to my ear. “But I am eighteen and if I really want something, I won’t let Daddy stop me.”
Her breath was warm and tickled my skin, making goosebumps rise over my forearms. Her soft lips pressed against my cheek before she leaned back with a smile. Her eyes were dancing as she bit her lip. “See you tomorrow, Zach.”
She made a little nervous, excited face before slinging her bag onto her shoulder and heading towards the door.
I touched my cheek, my insides glowing as I replayed her words. I watched her walk to the door then lean against the glass. She glanced my way one last time, her expression wavering from a giddy thrill, then flashing with a moment of regret before ending on a forced smile.
Oh yeah. She liked me. She wasn’t supposed to like me, but she did.
I sat back in my seat feeling triumphant and a little sad. It was so my style, falling for girls with complications, but this time more than any others, I felt like the fight was worth it.
“Hey, where’s Dani gone?” AJ walked towards me with a bowl of something.
Plonking down beside me, he placed the bowl in front of us and my mouth instantly watered.
“Chocolate sauce?”
“Yeah,” AJ sighed.