Parker began to speak but Dr. Ballard began her lecture. The subject of Thanksgiving made me think of my previous plans to help Travis with a turkey. I thought about what that would have been like, and I found myself worrying that they would be ordering pizza yet again. A sinking feeling came over me. I instantly pushed it from my mind, trying my best to concentrate on Dr. Ballard’s every word.
After class, my face flushed when I saw Travis jogging toward me from the parking lot. He was clean-shaven again, wearing a hooded sweatshirt and his favorite red baseball cap, ducking his head away from the rain.
“I’ll see you after break, Abs,” Parker said, touching my back.
I expected an angry glare from Travis, but he didn’t seem to notice Parker as he approached. “Hey, Pidge.”
I offered an awkward smile, and he shoved his hands into the front pocket of his sweatshirt. “Shepley said you’re going with him and Mare to Wichita tomorrow.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re spending the whole break at America’s?”
I shrugged, trying to seem casual. “I’m really close with her parents.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s a drunk, Travis. She won’t know it’s Thanksgiving.”
He was suddenly nervous, and my stomach wrenched with the possibility of a second public breakup. Thunder rolled above us and Travis looked up, squinting as the large drops fell against his face.
“I need to ask you for a favor,” he said. “C’mere.” He pulled me under the closest awning and I complied, trying to avoid another scene.
“What kind of favor?” I asked, suspicious.
“My uh…” He shifted his weight. “Dad and the guys are still expecting you on Thursday.”
“Travis!” I whined.
He looked at his feet. “You said you would come.”
“I know, but…it’s a little inappropriate now, don’t you think?”
He seemed unaffected. “You said you would come.”
“We were still together when I agreed to go home with you. You knew I wasn’t going to come.”
“I didn’t know, and it’s too late, anyway. Thomas is flying in, and Tyler took off work. Everyone’s looking forward to seeing you.”
I cringed, twirling the damp strands of my hair around my finger. “They were going to come, anyway, weren’t they?”
“Not everyone. We haven’t had all of us there for Thanksgiving in years. They all made an effort to be there since I promised them a real meal. We haven’t had a woman in the kitchen since Mom died and…”
“That’s not sexist or anything,”
He tilted his head. “That’s not what I meant, Pidge, c’mon. We all want you there. That’s all I’m sayin’.”
“You haven’t told them about us, have you?” I said the words in the most accusatory tone I could manage.
He fidgeted for a moment, and then shook his head. “Dad would ask why, and I’m not ready to talk to him about it. I’d never hear the end of how stupid I am. Please come, Pidge.”
“I have to put the turkey in at six in the morning. We’d have to leave here by five…”
“Or we could stay there.”
My eyebrows shot up. “No way! It’s bad enough that I’m going to have to lie to your family and pretend we’re still together.”
“You act like I’m asking you to light yourself on fire.”