“Um. Yeah, hi,” she said with a wave because she didn’t know what else to say or do. Why was she being so awkward with him? This wasn’t Lucy. She was strong, she was smart, and guys didn’t have any effect on her!
But when he grinned, she found everything she just thought was not true. Shit.
“Hey.”
Ugh. Just that word had her skin breaking out in gooseflesh. What in the world? Swallowing hard, she said, “Thanks for not being put off or judgmental with the whole crazytown thing. I said it once, regretted it, but now, it’s our normal.”
He nodded. “No big deal. When was she diagnosed? ADD?”
“ADHD, two years ago.”
“My brother had bad ADD when we were growing up, so I get it. No big deal. She’s still the coolest kid I’ve ever met.”
Lucy smiled. “She’s great, but when she isn’t medicated, she’s too busy to feel her emotions so she may be a little scattered. That’s why I worry like I do when she is medicated because she feels everything due to the fact she is so focused. That’s why I probably came off as a psycho mom the other day. I was kinda panicking. But with Jayden not here to calm her and know her triggers, I was freaking out. But you did really great with her and I appreciate that.”
Damn it, she was rambling. Telling him way more than he needed to know. But when he shrugged, like she wasn’t rambling or crazy, her heart raced. “I don’t think that’s psycho at all. I think that makes you a great mom.”
Looking away, Lucy tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket and her heart stopped. “Er…thanks.”
“It’s the truth,” he said, so simply that Lucy had to fight back the tears before looking back up at him. Angie and her family always reassured her that she was a good mom, but Rick wasn’t kind and took every chance he could to knock her down. It was tiring, and she knew he was just a sick piece of shit, but still, it hurt. She had one job that really mattered in her life and that was caring for her daughter. Being the kind of woman her baby could look up to. To know that someone thought she was doing a good job… It just meant a lot.
Swallowing around the emotion in her throat, she smiled. Here went nothing. “So, anyway, I’m really sorry for the way I acted on Monday. Between the panicking about Jayden not being here, Angie’s anxiety, and then just being tired—I’m tired a lot—I kind of lashed out at you, and I’m really sorry for that.”
His face curved into a grin and he nodded. “That seemed really hard for you.”
She laughed. “It was. I don’t apologize much since I don’t think I’m ever wrong, but I was wrong to treat you the way I did. So, I’m sorry.”
His eyes were sparkling. How, she didn’t know since they were dark like storm clouds. “Well, thank you. I’m glad we had this talk.”
God, his eyes. They were really the windows to his soul. Did she just think that? She was insane. Looking away to keep it together, she agreed, “Me too.”
Clearing his throat, he started. “I know I’m a little strange—”
“Just a bit,” she said with a grin, looking back up at him. “But Angie and Jayden are good at reading people, so I’m gonna trust their opinion of you.”
“But you won’t trust me,” he asked, his eyes challenging.
She scoffed. “I don’t know you.”
He moved his hands into his pockets, his eyes still holding hers as his lips curved. “So let’s change that.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Huh?”
“How about you let me take you out to dinner? Get to know each other. Angie said she’s going to her dad’s this weekend. So how about Saturday?”
Lucy’s brows pulled together as her whole face scrunched up. “You’re asking me out? On, like, a date?”
She hadn’t realized her voice had escalated until Benji laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised.” She could only stare at him as one side of his mouth quirked up. “But yeah, I am.”
Sputtering like a bumbling baboon, she couldn’t keep her eyes from widening. She wasn’t sure why she was so surprised. It was obvious he was feeling her and she was feeling him, but this was ludicrous. Why would he ask her out? “Why?” she squawked and he looked away, laughing.
“Because I want to. Because I think we’d have fun.”
“Fun? You want to?” she said, repeating what he said, and his whole face smiled.
“Didn’t know you had a part-time job as a parrot,” he teased and she just gawked at him. Looking away, he chuckled nervously. “I’m not sure how to read you right now. Not sure if your surprise is good or bad. It’s awkward and you’re making me squirm, if that’s what you wanted,” he admitted, but all Lucy could do was stare at him.
He was so beautiful, but this couldn’t happen. “You’re my kid’s coach.”
He shrugged. “Eh, I mean, kinda. But not full time if that makes it better?”
“I don’t know you.”
“Yeah, which is why we’d go out.”
“But—”
“Do you want to go out with me or not?” he asked simply and Lucy’s eyes widened more, if that was even possible.