I’m going over different scenarios in my head when the door opens and Patrick walks in, carrying a bag from Wayside Diner.
“Your mom told me to come feed you,” he announces as he sets the bag and drinks down on the counter.
“Thanks,” I mumble, but I find that I’m not all that hungry now.
“What’s going on with you, man?” Patrick asks as he digs into his own food.
“My mom knows that Hartley and I were fake dating,” I blurt out.
“Oh, shit. Is she pissed?”
“No, she’s happy about it or something.”
“Really?” he asks, sounding surprised.
“Yeah, she asked me if we were really faking it and—”
“And you realized what literally everyone else in town has already figured out. That you and Hartley are in love.”
“Everyone in town knows that?”
“Well, everyone with eyes does, yeah.”
“I haven’t talked to Hartley about it yet.”
“Are you going to?” he asks, shoving one of my French fries into his mouth and chewing.
“Yeah, I think I am.”
He grins, excited for me, but I feel like throwing up. I push my food across the counter toward him, letting him eat it instead.
“What are you going to say? Do you want me to pretend to be Hartley for you to practice on?” he asks, pretending to shake hair out of his face.
“No thanks. Hartley always has her hair up in a ponytail or bun, so you’re already doing a terrible job of pretending.”
“Ohh, what else have you noticed about her?” he asks, taking a bite of my burger.
Everything.
“Nothing.”
“Right,” he says, drawing the word out. “What are you going to say to her?” he asks again.
“I don’t really know. I guess what my mom said when I talked to her. Maybe I can get a read on what she’s feeling before I tell her that I like her.”
“How romantic of you,” he deadpans and I flip him off.
“She’s my best friend, Patrick. I don’t want to tell her that I love her and scare her off or ruin what we have. I can’t lose her.”
“You won’t,” he says confidently. “Like I said, everyone in town can see that the two of you are already in love.”
His words make me feel better and I catch up with him, listening as he tells me about Brennan getting his first crush on some girl named Marine in his class.
“He’s going to be a real ladies’ man. Unlike his uncle,” I tease and Patrick rolls his eyes.
When he doesn’t jump to say that he’s waiting until Brennan is older, my interest is piqued.
“Or maybe he is like his uncle?” I ask, giving Patrick a once-over.
His cheeks turn a slight shade of pink but he doesn’t say anything and I wonder who could have caught his eye and made him question his strict no woman or dating until Brennan was thirty and married.
“I’m going to get it out of you eventually,” I call after him as he balls up his food wrappers and heads for the door.
“We’ll see! Good luck with your girl!” he calls, making sure the last part is extra loud as he walks out of the door.
I curse under my breath, ignoring the looks I’m getting from the people on the street as I turn back to work and start doing inventory.