I was turning into a sap. If the guys knew how worried I was about Hadley's feelings, then they would revoke my man card. Not to mention all of the teasing I'd endure. Although, if Colin was right, I was probably facing quite a bit of teasing anyway just for wanting to be with Hadley. And I was okay with that. To me, she was worth it. Of course, I had to make her believe I wanted to be with her when things got bad at school. Normally, I'd say a few more kisses and she'd be eating out of my hand, but not with Hadley. She was different, and different was good. Very good.
Morning couldn't come soon enough. I couldn't wait to see what she'd wear in the morning, and I was definitely looking forward to breakfast.
Chapter Five
Hadley
I tugged on my denim skirt as I looked in the mirror. The three-quarter sleeve aqua top was cute, but I'd shoved this skirt to the back of my closet for a reason. It had been a gift and was the shortest skirt I owned, barely passing school regulation. I'd only pulled it out that morning because I thought Tyler might like it. Even when I'd dated Hunter, I had never dressed to please him, and I wasn't sure I liked the fact I was doing it now. It shouldn't matter if Tyler liked my outfit. It should only matter that I liked my outfit.
My hair was washed and straightened so it hung long and sleek down my back and a little past my waist. When it dried naturally, there was a bit of wave to it that made it shrink up. It wasn't often that I took the time to straighten my hair, but Tyler had said we were going out for breakfast this morning, and I wanted to look nice for our date. Or was it a date? He hadn't called it a date, but … I shook my head. I was overthinking things again.
I looked presentable, nice even. Smoothing some peach gloss on my lips, I gave my reflection one last, long look before grabbing my stuff and heading downstairs. I was halfway down when there was a knock at the door. Mom beat me to it, but I smiled when Tyler stepped inside.
His eyes widened and his jaw went a little slack when he looked up at me, and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. Hunter had never had that look, not with me. I'd seen him look that way at the cheerleaders, when he thought I wasn't watching, but Tyler's look was all for me, and it warmed me from the inside out.
"I thought we'd stop by that little diner that's a few blocks from the school. We should have time to sit down and eat. Unless you'd prefer to grab something from a drive-thru?" he asked.
"Sitting down to breakfast sounds nice."
He smiled and held out his hand, taking my bag from me. Then he wrapped his fingers around mine. I waved at Mom on my way out the door and let Tyler escort me to his … truck? My brow furrowed in confusion.
"What happened to your car?"
"The car actually belongs to my Mom, but she'd needed my truck to haul some stuff. She's actually needed it a lot since school started, so we just traded cars for a while. But she tossed my keys to me this morning and said she was finished with it."
I cocked my head. "What could she have possibly had to haul for the entire school year? We've been in class for about two months now."
He opened and shut his mouth.
"I bet I know why she kept your truck from you." I couldn't stop the smile that I knew bloomed across my face. "I'm guessing this truck has seen a lot of action, and she figured you wouldn't fool around in her car."
He snorted then laughed. "I think you may be right. I told her about you last night, and there was a change in the way she looked at me. So maybe you helped me get my truck back, to which I owe you more than just breakfast."
"Speaking of, if we sit in my driveway much longer, we'll miss breakfast and have to head to class."
He winked at me, backed out of the driveway, and headed toward the diner. The radio was turned up enough that we could hear the songs but could still talk if we wanted to. We'd nearly reached the diner when he took my hand in his, threading our fingers together. I loved the way my heart kicked in my chest every time he took my hand, and I was certain there was a goofy grin on my face, but I just couldn't help it. No matter how many times I told myself this was all for pretend, I couldn't help but enjoy the attention Tyler gave me. It made me want more, to want it to be real.
At the diner, we claimed a booth by the window. A waitress dropped two menus on the table, then wandered off. Tyler didn't even look at his.
"You already know what you want?" I asked.
"I eat here several times a week and always order the same thing."
My nose wrinkled. "Isn't that kind of boring? What about all the things you're missing out on?"
"I guess I never thought of that." With his eyebrows up, he reached for the menu and looked it over. "What are you going to order?"
"I can't decide between the biscuits with gravy or the waffles with hash browns."
"Definitely the biscuits. Mom used to order those when she came with me and swore they were the best in the state."
I nodded. "Then that's what I'll get."
"You should probably get some eggs or something to go with it though. It's more of a side item than a meal."
My cheeks warmed. "Are you saying I'm too fat to want to eat something small?"
His head jerked up and his eyes were wide. "What? No! I never thought you were fat."
I wasn't entirely sure I believed him, but his shock seemed real enough.
"Who's called you fat?" he asked.
"Hunter used to say I ate too much. Or if I ordered a burger instead of a salad, he'd make a comment. I don't understand why he's been such a pest. It wasn't like what we had was all that great. He was always criticizing me, like I wasn't good enough for him just the way I was."
"Hunter was an idiot."
I couldn't argue with that.
"What's he been doing?" Tyler asked.
"He pinned me to my locker a few days ago and tried to force me to kiss him. He's badgered me to take him back, saying that he'd made a mistake and I should forgive him. Then there were the roses I found in my locker with a creepy note. I'm not sure if he thought it was romantic or if he was trying to freak me out."
"Has he put his hands on you, other than to pin you to your locker?"
I shook my head. "It's mostly verbal."
"Well, it's about to stop. If seeing the two of us together won't do it, I have no problem having a little chat with the guy. I'm not going to let him harass you anymore. You should be able to go to school without worrying about dealing with that jerk."
Hope welled inside of me. Tyler wouldn't offer to do something like that if he didn't really like me, would he? I supposed it could have been a way to make him look good to everyone else, but I didn't think that was it.
"Do you have to write an essay in English about where you see yourself in ten years?" he asked.
"Yeah. I think they gave the same assignment to all of the senior English classes. Something about preparing us for those college application essays. Have you applied anywhere yet?"
"A few places. You?"
"I'm debating between staying in state and going to University of Tennessee, or going to University of Texas. Both have an excellent music program, and I want to continue playing, even if I'm not in the marching band."
"You want to study music?"
I nodded. "I think I'd like to be a music teacher to elementary kids, teach them early to appreciate the different types of music, and even show them how to play a few things."
He smiled. "I can see you as a teacher."
"What about you? What are you going to do after high school?"
"I'm still deciding what I want to do. I've thought about being a fireman, but I'm not sure my mom would appreciate that career choice. She'd probably prefer me to sit behind a desk all day than to run into burning buildings. What about you? Could you see yourself with a fireman for a boyfriend?"
My cheeks must have heated a hundred degrees at the implication we'd still be together after high school. I knew it wasn't likely, but it was everything I'd ever dreamed of.
"I would want my boyfriend to do whatever made him happy, and if it happened to be a dangerous job, I would pray for his safety every morning and night."
He reached out and took my hand in his. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a kind heart?"
"My parents, but I don't think they count."
"You have smart parents."
The waitress came and took our orders, brought some drinks, and then left us alone until our food was ready. We talked about college and our future plans a little more, and it made me feel even closer to Tyler. He'd made a comment about adding two more college applications to his list, but I didn't dare hope he really meant it. But at the same time, I really, really wanted him to. What if this wasn't just a fake relationship? What if, by spending time with me, he saw that I was someone worthy of this attention?