“I know.” But she was tired of letting Zach’s issues rule her life. She wanted to make her own choices. Find her own voice. Maybe then, she could become the person she saw hidden away. “But I want to at least try and date him. See where it goes.”
“If you’re sure, you’re sure.” Nicky slapped her book shut. “I better go. Mom’s expecting me in twenty.”
“Can’t you stay for dinner? My mom made your favorite potatoes.”
“That sounds so good right about now, but I promised I’d be home when she got off work. Save me some, though.”
When they walked downstairs, Keeley’s mom came out of the kitchen. “I was thinking we could have a game night tomorrow. Are you free, Nicky?”
Tomorrow? But that was her date.
“I’ll bake a pie,” her mom promised.
Nicky shuffled her feet, looking uncomfortable.
Keeley was torn. Nicky loved family game night. Since it was just Nicky and her mom, she didn’t get to do many things as a big family. But she didn’t want to cancel with Talon. She’d never felt this way about a guy before. What the hell. Game night could be rescheduled. And Nicky would understand. “Mom … I have plans tomorrow night.”
“Are you girls going to the movies?”
“Um … well, y-you see …” she stammered, the words getting caught in her throat. She was sorely tempted to lie and say yes. It would be a hell of a lot easier than telling the truth.
“What is it, honey?” her mom prompted.
“I’m going out, but not with Nicky.” The answer got her dad’s attention, too.
“Who are you going with?” he asked. “Randy?”
“No. Someone else.” Keeley felt her cheeks flush.
“A date?” her mother asked brightly. While her mother encouraged Keeley to date, wanting her to meet new people and get out of the house more, her dad was more cautious. It took him a while to trust people.
“I’m just going to go,” Nicky interjected, pointing her thumbs to the door. She waved goodbye before Keeley could stop her.
“What’s his name?” her dad asked.
“Talon.” She hesitated, then added, “But most people know him as JT Harrington.”
An uneasy look flashed in his eyes. “Crosswell’s quarterback? Number seven?”
“That’s him.”
“Ah. Does Zach know?”
She looked down at her feet, stabbing her toes against the hardwood floor. “Not about the date.”
“You’re going to have to tell him.”
Judging by his previous reactions, Zach wouldn’t take it too well. “I don’t want to tell him yet. Not until I know if it will turn into something.” Keeley paused. “Can we just keep this between us for now?”
Her parents exchanged looks. Finally, her dad nodded. “That’s fine, but we can’t keep it a secret forever. One date is okay, though, I guess ...”
“What time is he picking you up? Do we get to meet him?” her mom asked.
The thought of her parents talking to Talon made her nervous. “Is that really necessary?”
Her mom smiled. “Afraid we’re going to embarrass you?” Keeley flushed. “Would it help if we promised not to show baby pictures?”
“I’d be more worried about the stories,” her dad piped in. “Honey, remember that one Halloween when she was six? She wanted to give everyone in her class a special treat, so she passed out candy she found in your purse.”
“Dad,” Keeley groaned.
“Special treat, indeed,” her mom chuckled. “Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call from the teacher asking why my precious daughter thought it was a good idea to hand everyone a tampon.”
“Can you please not tell anyone that? Ever?” Keeley asked.
Her mom just smiled.
That night, Keeley had a hard time falling asleep. Getting to her feet, she walked downstairs with Tucker. She turned the corner and was surprised to see the kitchen light on.
“Zach?” she croaked. He was seated at the small table in the breakfast nook. A partially eaten pie was in front of him as well as his phone. “What are you doing up?”
He put his fork down and nudged his phone to the side with his elbow. “I could ask you the same thing.”
“Couldn’t sleep.” After their argument, she wasn’t sure where they stood.
He pushed the pie in the middle of the table. “Sit.”
She grabbed a fork and sat across from him. They shared the apple pie, taking turns like they did when they were younger.
“What’s going on?” Zach finally asked.
It was the perfect opportunity to tell him about Talon, but she just couldn’t do it. “Thinking about next year. I have no clue what I’m going to do. Or what I’m supposed to do.” It was true, but not the whole truth. “What about you? Why are you up?”
If she hadn’t been watching closely, she would have missed the covert look at his phone. She grabbed it before he could stop her.
“Give it back,” he demanded. He tried snatching it out of her hands, but she was too quick.
It was a photograph of Zach and a black-haired girl sitting together on a bench at the beach. His arms were circled around her waist while her hands were clutched together in her lap. The girl’s body was angled into him, her shoulder and head resting against his chest. His head was tipped back, his mouth open with laughter.
Keeley had never seen this girl before. “Who is that?”
“None of your business.”
Zach’s hair was shorter in the picture and his cheeks were slightly fuller. Keeley realized the photo must have been taken a while ago. She zoomed in on the girl’s hand. Displayed on her middle finger was a silver and blue class ring. It looked exactly like the one Zach supposedly lost his freshman year.
“Missing, huh?” she asked.
“Like I said, none of your business.” He plucked the phone from her hands. “I’m going to bed.”
She knew she was keeping secrets from him, but it never crossed her mind that Zach was doing the same. What else hadn’t he told her?
The doorbell rang. Keeley raced downstairs before her parents could answer. Luckily, Zach was out with his friends so she didn’t have to worry about explaining. Her hands trembled slightly as she smoothed her hair and straightened her clothes. It’d taken her over an hour to pick out an outfit. Finally she settled on jeans, her favorite purple top and white high-tops. She’d even curled her hair and brushed on makeup.
Everything was going to be fine. Maybe if she said it enough, it would be true. With one last check of her clothes, she turned the handle and opened the door. Her mouth went dry when she saw him. In the porch light, his blond hair was almost gold.
“Hey, baby doll. You look gorgeous.” He stepped inside and hugged her.
She felt bad for pulling away so quickly but she didn’t want to linger. Her parents were close by. Then she heard footsteps. Too late.
“You must be JT,” her mom said, giving him a warm smile. Talon straightened. “It’s nice to finally meet you. In all these years, I don’t think we’ve ever had the chance to meet. Usually we see you across the field.”
“Talon, Mom,” Keeley corrected.