My heart just about rockets out of my chest. I stop walking in the middle of the dirt path and barely fight the urge to squeal so I can type back, but my fingers are shaking now with excitement. “The problem with that is my mom won’t let me date. She thinks I’m too young.”
“I see,” he texts back. “Well, in that case, it’s definitely not a date. Tell her I’m an idiot and you have to help me study. Tell her we’ll be at my house.”
“Lie to my mom?”
“You’re killing me, Bishop. We’ve gotta find a way to get that halo off your head.”
“I do not have a halo on my head, but I can’t lie to my mom. I’ve already bent the truth enough after that shopping spree your mom took me on.”
“Ok, new plan,” he says. “What time does your mom usually go to bed? Maybe you can sneak out and we can watch a movie at my place instead. My mom won’t care what time it is. We hang out on different levels more often than not anyway, so we won’t keep anyone awake.”
“I can’t sneak out of my house!”
“Not with that attitude you can’t,” he shoots back. “It’s not technically lying. What are the chances she will ever ask you what you did tonight after you both went to bed? See? This can work.”
“You’re a bad influence,” I tell him, despite smiling so much my face is beginning to ache. “I’m going to block you just for being a deviant.”
“Do it, I’ll just show up at your house. Your mom will really be happy then.”
I snort with laughter, grinning at my phone as I text back. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me.”
He probably would, so I text back, “All right, I’ll back down this time. I want my mom to like you, and if you showed up on my doorstep because I blocked your number she would definitely think you're a psycho.”
“So when we meet, I SHOULDN’T tell her about my nighttime hobby of peeking in your bedroom window. Got it.”
“Creep,” I answer.
“Your creep,” he sends back.
I nearly drop my phone. My heart skitters. I want to respond so he doesn’t think he spooked me, but I don’t know what to say. I’m elated—definitely not spooked.
Fortunately, Hunter has enough self-confidence that he does not doubt my interest just because he struck me momentarily speechless.
“Movie. You. Me. Tonight. How are we doing this?”
I have no idea, but while I may have started this conversation thinking a movie definitely wasn’t in the cards for us tonight, now I want it more than air.
Hunter called himself mine.
Maybe he was joking, but even if he was… you don’t just tell a joke like that if you’re not seriously into someone, right?
“Let me talk to my mom when I get home and figure it out,” I text back, finally breaking my silence. “I’ll text you in a bit with a better answer.”
“I’m looking for ‘yes,’ so just assume I’m going to talk you out of all your excuses until you land there.”
I roll my eyes indulgently even though he can’t see me. “I’m already looking for a way to give you a yes, don’t worry.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” he answers.
I sigh with pleasure, sliding my phone back into my pocket and resuming my walk home. Everything that just happened has thrown me so off balance, but in the best way possible. I was floored that Hunter even had my phone number and he opened the door to being able to talk to him whenever I want, but to ask me on a date and then talk like we’re already together? I may not be an angel, but I’m definitely in heaven.
My mind races with possible scenarios as I make my way home. First, I run through all the ones that don’t involve lying to my mom, but none of those end in a sneaky date with Hunter tonight. I don’t agree with him that a premeditated deception that doesn’t require vocally lying is any less shady than outright lying, but I already know my mom’s stance on me dating, and I know it won’t change for Hunter, who she has already decided she doesn’t like. I’ll find a way around that in time, but I’m not a miracle worker; I can’t pull it off tonight.
If I want to see him tonight, I’ll have to be sneaky.
That gnawing feeling threatens to flood my stomach with guilt just thinking about it, but I push out the guilt and replace it with excitement. Mom’s arbitrary rule about me not dating yet isn’t reasonable, so is it really that bad to find a way around an unfair rule? I like Hunter and he likes me. How old we are shouldn’t matter.
By the time Mom gets home, I have a plan. I’ve already called Sara and clued her in so she’ll be my alibi in case my mom calls to verify, but I’m going to tell Mom Sara wants to hang out. Sara doesn’t live far away so she’ll probably let me walk there, but even if she doesn’t, I have a backup plan. I will go in and pretend I’m gonna stay, but very quickly I will develop a stomachache or headache or some kind of ache and decide to go back home. I’ll insist on walking—fresh air will help my ailment—and instead of walking to my house, I’ll walk right past it, cut through the woods, and meet Hunter at his house.