Before I can think it through, the words are leaving my lips.
“I’m seeing Hartley, Mom. It’s just new and I didn’t want to get your hopes up. We’re not really telling people in town yet either, so please don’t say anything. We don’t want to jinx anything.”
“I knew it!” my mom yells and I jerk the phone away from my ear as she continues to yell to my father about my new girlfriend.
I lock the truck and head up to the store, ignoring the looks I get from the tourists that I pass. I should be used to people gawking at me because of my height, but it still stings. It feels like needles poking into the back of my neck as they stare at me.
I grab a basket and hurry down the aisle, grabbing some Gatorade and a box of saltine crackers before I head to the checkout. The store is close to closing, so it’s nearly empty and I checkout in record time and hope back in my truck.
My mom is still talking to my dad, making plans to meet my new girlfriend while they’re in town next week and that’s when it hits me.
I’ve made a terrible mistake.
“Is Hartley coming to the wedding with us?” my mom asks and I panic to find a way to explain why they can’t meet Hartley.
“Um, no, I didn’t request a plus one.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that! I’ll call your aunt Jenny right now. I think she said that your cousin Robby and his girlfriend broke up, so there’s an open seat.”
I can hear my mom making plans with my dad in the background and my heart starts to race as I realize just how screwed I am.
“Your father wants us all to go out to dinner too. Before the wedding. Oh, but if you two are keeping your relationship a secret, maybe we should just make dinner and have her over? How about that chicken cacciatore recipe that you love? Oh! Maybe Hartley can teach us all a new recipe since she’s such a good chef?”
“I’ll have to ask her, Mom.”
Sure, Eli, keep digging the hole deeper, you freaking idiot.
“Okay, well, I’ll just let you two talk and you can get back to me. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to meet the girl who captured my Elijah’s heart!”
I spend another five minutes promising my mom that I will talk to Hartley and get back to her before we finally hang up. I stare out the windshield for a minute before a text from Patrick comes in asking if I’m close.
I text him back, telling him I’m on my way, and pull out onto Main Street heading toward Patrick’s place.
I can’t stop thinking about how the hell I’m going to convince Hartley to go along with all of this. The girl seems to hate my guts and we can barely spend five minutes together without getting upset with the other.
As I pull up in front of Patrick’s place, I try to forget about this new mess. At least for tonight.
I spend a few minutes with Patrick, who looks exhausted and worried, and Brennan, who looks even worse. The kid perks up when he sees me and looks even more excited when he sees the Gatorade.
I listen to Brennan tell me about seeing the doctor and getting to leave school early. He still has to do his homework while he’s home, and I can’t help but laugh when I see his disgruntled face.
Brennan’s eyes start to drift shut and I take that as my cue to leave. I pat his head, letting Patrick tuck him in and make sure that the trash can is by the bed before he shows me out.
“Thanks for grabbing that stuff,” he says as he follows me out onto the front porch.
“My mom heard about Hartley,” I blurt out.
Patrick blinks and then bursts out into laughter.
“Thanks for sharing that, man. I really needed a laugh after the last two days.”
“I’m glad that you can find humor in my pain,” I grumble.
It takes Patrick a second to get himself under control, and he finally calms down and leans back against the porch railing.
“What did she say? Is she already planning your wedding?”
“Yep. I told her that Hartley and I were dating.”