“ I missed you,” he offered quietly.
I smiled despite the circumstances. “I kissed a gay guy and I judged a strip-off at a gay club.”
His features morphed from thoughtful repose to complete shock, mixed with humor in a matter of milliseconds.
“ Wow.” He cocked his eyebrows.
“ Are you mad?” I asked. My hand was still wrapped around cardboard Orlando Bloom.
He shook his head and stepped closer. “I’m impressed . That must have taken some skill. Was he a better kisser than me?”
I thought back. “His lips tasted like strawberries and I was just tipsy enough to convince myself that he looked a little bit like you.”
Beck rocked back on his heels and laughed. “So… he had brown hair?”
I mashed my lips together and nodded. “That was the only similarity it turns out.”
Beck squeezed his eyes closed and laughed harder.
“ But, no. He wasn’t better than you,” I clarified, looking away to find my parents, or so I told myself. They were making their way over with confused expressions. Oh right, I was communicating with someone from the opposite sex.
“ That was such a good speech, Abs. Caroline would have loved it,” my dad offered when they reached me. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and tugged me closer, then looked up at Beck. There was an awkward silence for a moment before I realized I was meant to introduce everyone.
“ Um, Mom and Dad, this is Beck.”
“ Oh!” my mom clapped her hands together in recognition of his name. I guess it wasn’t hard to remember the one guy that had ever answered my phone.
“ Hi Mrs. McAllister, Mr. McAllister.” Beck offered his hand respectfully. I chanced a glance up to my mom to see her beaming from ear to ear.
“ So you’re the boy that whisked my daughter away on a secret road trip?” My dad joked, but his tone held an edge of sternness.
“ Paul!” My mother swatted my dad’s arm playfully.
“ Actually your daughter whisked me away on a road trip.” Beck shot me a private smile.
I just gripped Orlando Bloom and prayed that he would come to life and save us from this awkward moment.
“ Will you be joining us at the Pruett’s house?” my mom asked with a hopeful glint in her eye. Shouldn’t she hate him? Sure, maybe it wasn’t his idea to go on a road trip, but he was still a young guy who was most likely a bad influence on me.
His gaze flitted from mine toward my mother. “Actually, no, I have a family dinner, but I wanted to come and show my support for Abby.” His words were so sincere. I wanted to kiss him in front of my parents, at my friend’s funeral, with Orlando limply watching on.
“ Oh,” my mother answered, flitting her gaze between us, most likely trying to pin down what exactly was going on. “Okay, well it was wonderful meeting you. Abby, we’ll be in the car.” I loved my mother extra hard for dragging my father behind her and giving Beck and I one last moment of privacy.
“ You’re wearing the locket,” Beck noted. I hadn’t taken it off since the flea market. It rested around my neck, just above my scar.
“ I haven’t changed the photos yet,” I shrugged, playing down the fact that it was now one of my most favorite possessions.
“ I like it,” he murmured. I looked up at him from beneath my lashes.
“ Do you really have a family dinner?” I asked.
“ Just with my dad,” he answered with narrowed eyes.
I nodded. “You don’t seem so excited about it.”
“ He doesn’t know about my MIT transfer yet. I imagine it won’t be a very pleasant meal.”