“Only if I wanted to.”
The east coast seemed so far away. Going to school there would be like moving to a new country. If I was honest, even Stanford in Northern California intimidated me. “My dad went to USC. We’ve been working on stuff for my college apps since middle school.” We hadn’t even discussed it. Dad and I had just started planning at some point.
“That’s cool,” he said. “I mean, it’s a great school. They’ve got a baseball team, too.”
I looked at the ground, unsure of how to respond to that. For a few silent seconds, the only sound was our feet crunching on the forest floor and the chirp of crickets. I smelled the cigarette smoke first. It made its way through me instantly, leaving me warm and cozy, because it usually meant I was close to Manning. With as strongly as I associated him with it, it still surprised me that he’d never actually smoked in front of me.
“I hear voices,” Corbin said. “Who’s smoking?”
“Who do you think?”
“Your sister?”
I nodded and called, “Tiff?”
“We’re over here,” she said.
Corbin and I cut through the trees until two shadowy figures came into sight.
“What’re you doing out here, Lake?” Manning asked. “I told you to—” He stopped, and the four of us stood in silence a moment.
“Told her to what?” Tiffany asked.
“To stay where she was.”
It was so quiet, I could hear Tiffany shift in her platforms. “Why?”
I was following his rules. He couldn’t protest. And if he did, how would it look to Tiffany and Corbin? “He doesn’t think it’s safe to walk around in the dark alone,” I said. “But, as you can see, I’m not alone. So, goodnight.”
I felt his eyes on me. He wanted to say more. Now he knew how I felt, always having to keep things inside.
Finally, Manning took a drag of his cigarette and after a few seconds, he stepped back. “’Night.”
What had I expected him to do? Ditch Tiffany to walk me back himself? He couldn’t, but that didn’t make me feel any better. It just frustrated me more.
“He’s an intense dude,” Corbin said as we walked away.
I couldn’t answer, not without snapping at Corbin, who had nothing to do with this.
“You want to go check out the lake?” Corbin said. “It’s a little bit of a walk, but it’s amazing at night.”
“No, thanks. I have to be up early.”
“We both do.” Corbin didn’t speak again until we reached my cabin. He shoved his hands in his hoodie and backed away. “Later.”
“Are you mad?”
He stopped. “I don’t know, Lake. I’ve asked you out a couple times, and—”
“That was you asking me out?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “Well. It was no big gesture, I admit, but you don’t have to be mean about it.”
Corbin had been nothing but gentlemanly tonight. Since I’d met him, actually. And he was right, I’d sort of blown him off both times. Me, blowing off a Swenson. It was so insane, I almost laughed. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m not really . . . I don’t date.”
“Never?”
I shook my head. “For one, my dad says I’m too young.”
“He’s a real hard-ass, isn’t he?”
“Kind of.”
“And the second reason?”
“What?”
“You said for one. What’s two?”
“Oh.” I didn’t have a second reason I could vocalize. There was crushing on a boy like him, and there was whatever I felt for Manning. They didn’t compare in my eyes. “It’s just an expression.”
Corbin raised the zipper on his hoodie. The temperature had dropped once the sun disappeared. He nodded behind him. “It doesn’t have anything to do with that guy, does it?”
“Who? Manning?” Despite the chill, my scalp warmed. “No. Why?”
“No reason. Will you come to the baseball game tomorrow? Cheer me on?”
I’d pretty much been a jerk, turning him down, but he still wanted to see me. Corbin was sweet, fine, and by some odd turn of events, he might like me. I should just say yes. It was so much easier than this back-and-forth rollercoaster with Manning that left my stomach in knots. With Corbin, there were no knots. There wasn’t anything, really. Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.
I nodded. “I’ll come.”
“Cool. See you in the morning.”
“Corbin?” I said as he turned. “Thanks for walking me back.”
He smiled. “Anytime.”
15
Lake