“You two don’t do that.”
“We do,” Mom says. “We have. We try not to, but it’s human nature to take bad moods or sadness out on those we’re closest to. We know that they’ll be there no matter what.”
“I don’t even know if she’s willing to start something.”
“But haven’t you already?” Mom asks.
“Not really. We’re just hanging out.”
“When do you see her again?” Dad asks.
“Tomorrow night. I’m supposed to be making her a steak. She says it’s too much work to chew, and the guys told her that mine aren’t like that.”
“You’re welcome,” Dad boasts, making us laugh.
“Can we meet her? You did meet her family after all.” Mom gives me a pleading look. I know she’s been waiting for a time when I would bring someone home. Neither one of us ever thought it would be this complicated when it finally happened.
“I don’t know. I don’t want you scaring her away.”
“I’ll do no such thing.” Mom raises her hands as if she’s being sworn in under oath.
“I’ll ask her. Maybe you all can be here for dinner with us tomorrow night?”
“We’d love that. You and I can take care of making dinner for our girls,” Dad says, already making plans.
“She’s not my girl.” And for the first time in my life, I want to call someone my girl. I feel like I’m living in an alternate universe. This isn’t me. I don’t chase after girls, and I don’t lose sleep over them either.
“Well, we’ll help with that too.” He laughs.
“No. No. No.” I shake my head. “I don’t need help. Let me see how she feels about it.”
“Let us know,” Dad says.
With that, I stand and kiss Mom on the cheek, giving her a hug. I’m feeling a little sentimental after our talk, so instead of a fist bump, Dad gets a hug, too, before I head up to my room.
I don’t bother turning on the light. Instead, making my way to my bed in the dark, I plop down and pull out my phone. I debate on texting her or calling her, and calling wins. I just left her, and I already wanted to hear her voice.
Maybe I was abducted by aliens?
Shaking out of the thought, I pull up her name and tap the call button.
“Do you miss me already?” she greets me.
“Yes.” I don’t think about my answer or how desperate it might make me sound until the words are out of my mouth. Oh, well, honesty is the best policy.
“It hasn’t even been an hour.”
“Too long, Peyton.” I’m smiling, knowing I’ve caught her off guard. “What are you doing?”
“I was sitting out in the living area talking to Holden, Cameron, and Parker, but when you called, I came to my room.”
“Do you want me to let you go?”
“Do you want to let me go?”
“Never.”
“I’m good,” she says softly.
“So I was talking to my parents, and they’d like to meet you.”
“Really?” she asks, surprise evident in her tone.
“Yeah. I thought maybe they could join us for dinner tomorrow night.”
“I’m leaving, Griffin.”
“I know.” We’re both quiet, and I finally speak again. “Did you know that it’s a twelve-and-a-half-hour drive from here to Nashville?”
“How do you know that?”
“I told you I had a hard time sleeping last night. I looked it up.”
“That’s a long drive.”
“But a short flight,” I counter.
“What are you trying to say, Griffin?”
“I don’t really know, to be honest. I know that I like you more than any girl I’ve ever met, and the thought of you leaving in two days and never seeing you again doesn’t sit well with me.”
“Long-distance relationships rarely work.”
“You have to want it.”
“Do you? Want one, I mean?”
“Yeah, Peyton. I think I do.”
“This is crazy. We just met.”
“I know. And I’m not proposing marriage. But I think we should at least consider it.”
“Consider what exactly?”
“Seeing each other again.”
“We have school and ball. I’m not sure when that would be.”
“I know.” I sit up, resting my elbows on my knees, running my hands through my hair. “I’m aware that it sounds like I’ve lost my mind. I am. I just… my gut tells me that if I let you leave without a promise of at least keeping in touch and seeing what might happen with us, I’d regret it.” She’s quiet, but I can hear her breathing. I don’t push her to answer me. I know that this is intense and crazy as hell. We barely know each other, but my gut never steers me wrong.
“Let’s just take the next two days and see what happens. I don’t want expectations or plans for what could possibly happen in the future hanging over our heads. I just want to spend some time with this great guy I met and make some memories with him.”
“Done.”
She laughs. “That was easy.”
“I didn’t even mean to have this conversation with you tonight. It just kind of happened.”