Daphne's Questionable Bet, page 18
But it was so casual. Everything was nice, yes, but I instantly felt at home in the mansion. Every room looked lived in and used, clean and tidy, but comfortable.
Weston let out a sigh of relief, barely audible, so I was sure Mrs. Morris didn’t hear it.
I glanced over at him, whispering. “I already feel better.”
“Me, too,” he whispered.
Mrs. Morris looked over her shoulder at me. “How are you liking being back home?”
“Love it.” I pointed to her pants. “And love your jeans.”
She beamed. “Thanks! Got them on sale at Target! I should seriously just move into that place, I go there so much.” She stopped outside an open door and motioned inside. “Here we are.” She peered her head inside. “Zander, sweetie, I’ll let you know when the pizza gets here. You kids have fun.”
With a wink at Weston and me, she left us in the hall. I moved to go inside the room, but Weston grabbed my hand, keeping me in place.
He was breathing deep. Like, really deep. Just like I did before I had a panic attack. Oh, no. Was he going to have a panic attack? What did I do? Maybe I could stop it. But I could never stop mine. They just came and attacked like crazy, practically consuming me.
I needed to calm him. Reassure him. Tell him to shut out the noise.
His mouth opened, and words tumbled out of his mouth all in one heap, taking me a moment to process all of it. “WouldYouLikeToGoToSadieHawkinsWithMe?” He closed his eyes, pursing his lips like he was scolding himself.
“What?” I stuttered. I mean, I’d heard what he said. It was just, girls asked guys, right?
“Sadie Hawkins.” He sighed, then took a deep breath. “I thought maybe we could go together. If you’d like. We could both wear our Captain America shirts and belts.”
His question caught me off guard. Sadie Hawkins. It was in a couple of weeks. Veronica and Taylor hadn’t really talked about it. Were they going? I think they would have said something if they were. Maybe we could all go together.
Weston and I would look awesome in our Cap gear. It would definitely help the #DaphtonforPromRoyals campaign.
Time ticked by, and I realized I’d been silent for too long. Weston slowly nodded, like he was accepting my answer, but I hadn’t even given one!
He moved to go into the room, a slight frown on his face, when my instincts finally kicked in, and I lunged for him, trying to stop him from entering the room so I could give him my answer.
“YES!”
My outburst shocked him, causing him to stumble. Since I was already lunging for the guy, like he was about to be shot and I was going to take the bullet for him, we tripped over one another and fell to the ground, landing with a thud on the carpet.
Veronica and DeShawn rushed over, helping us to our feet.
“Are you okay?” Veronica asked.
DeShawn smoothed out Weston’s blazer, then patted him on the shoulder. “Digging the look.”
“Uh, thanks,” Weston stammered.
Both Weston and I were bright red. At least, it felt like I was. My cheeks and neck were on fire—a raging inferno of ‘why was I such an idiot?’
What was wrong with me?
“Oh. My. Gosh.” Taylor swept me into a hug. “I love your outfit!”
Zander and DeShawn moved quickly, guiding Weston away from us and talking to him about things that guys talked about. Whatever that was. But whatever they were saying had Weston at ease, slipping back into his smile.
“Thanks,” I said to Taylor. I tugged on the bottom of the romper, wishing the shorts were longer. “It’s Grams’.”
“Like, real vintage?” Veronica asked. She took a sniff. “Why does it smell like an old-folks home?”
I fiddled with the zipper in front. “I just pulled it out of the attic.”
Taylor reached forward, tugging the zipper down way too low for my liking.
I zipped it right back up, higher than I had it to begin with, ignoring her frown.
Veronica put her hand on my arm. “So, what was that all about?”
“Uh, he asked me to go to Sadie Hawkins with him.” I glanced over at the guys, who were by the soda machine—they had a freaking soda machine? Weston caught my eye, and we shared a smile.
“And that required you to maul the guy?” Veronica held up a hand. “Wait. He asked you? Isn’t is supposed to be the other way around?”
Taylor shoved her on the shoulder. “He got Daphne excited. It was kind of adorable.” She squeezed my arm. “It doesn’t matter who asked. I’m happy for you.”
Veronica smiled. “Me, too.”
“Daphne,” Weston called from the soda machine. “They have Coke and some cherry syrup. Want me to make you a Cherry Coke?”
“Yes, please!”
Taylor lifted her phone, turning it to selfie mode and squishing next to Veronica and me. “Smile, ladies!”
After a quick photo, Taylor rounded all the guys up with us, the six of us squished together in the frame. Weston’s arm wrapped around my back, and he pulled me closer to him, his head pressing up against mine. I noted how nicely I fit in the crook of his arm.
“I already saved us some seats.” Weston reached out like he wanted to hold my hand, but he hesitated, so I offered it to him. Taking it, he steered me toward the middle of the theater room. He motioned to our seats, our sodas already set in the cup holders, a blanket on each chair. A bag of Watermelon Sour Patch Kids sat in one of the chairs. “Best seats in the house.”
I quickly went for the seat with the candy, snatching them up before plopping onto the seat. “I call this seat.”
Weston grinned, taking the chair next to me. “I figured you would.”
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a king-size bag of peanut M&Ms, tossing them to him. “I heard those were your favorite.”
I’d texted Ivy to see, and also to check in on her. She was adjusting to her new life quite well. It was just such a shock at first, which it was for every girl.
As the movie started, I scooted to the left side of my chair, putting myself closer to Weston and setting my arm on the armrest. Weston leaned to the right, his arm pressing up against mine. I opened my hand, my palm resting up, letting him know it was there for the taking.
Halfway during the movie, he finally took my hand, interlocking our fingers. I tried so hard to contain my smile, but then I shot a sideways glance at him, noticing his huge smile, and I let mine fly free.
Now, all I had to do was secure my status as his girlfriend by the end of the night, and I was one step closer to winning the bet.
Chapter Thirty-Five
My wish didn’t come true. Weston had dropped me off, walked me to the door, and we stood there in awkward silence before he finally gave me a quick hug, said goodnight, and practically sprinted back to the van.
But that didn’t quite mean anything. Maybe he wanted to take things slow, which would normally be a good thing. Maybe I could tell him about the bet, then he’d understand how dire the situation was.
Although, we still had a couple of months until prom. Plenty of time to secure our power couple status.
Tonight was bonfire night, which was another opportunity for Weston and me to make our mark on the world.
DeShawn picked us all up in his SUV, Veronica in the passenger seat, Weston and me on the middle row, and Taylor and Zander snuggled up in the back.
Despite my best efforts to make it a onesie party, since Sierra had taken over the planning of it, that idea had been squashed. Taylor and Veronica wouldn’t even let me wear one to the bonfire.
A huge moving truck had finally delivered the rest of our stuff from Utah. Taylor and Veronica raided my winter supplies, borrowing thick jackets, beanies, scarves, and gloves for the night like we were heading into a snowstorm.
All I needed was a hoodie, and I was good to go. These people didn’t know the true meaning of cold.
“Oh, my.” Veronica looked over her shoulder at me. “Have you seen Sierra’s post today?”
Shaking my head, I pulled up Sierra’s social media page on my phone. Staring at me was an adorable picture of her and Bentley with the caption, “Hot date with this guy!”
“They make a cute couple,” Taylor said.
I shot a glare at her from over my shoulder.
She shrugged and mouthed, “What?”
Didn’t she understand the importance of #DaphtonforPromRoyals? Nope. Because Sierra said I couldn’t mention anything to Taylor or Veronica. Really, what difference would it make if they knew? Knowing Sierra, she told Rosalind about our change in the bet.
Rosalind. She’d be there tonight. I needed to keep my cool around her, even though I wanted to grill her about stalking me. It would be kind of fun to take Dax’s advice and file a restraining order.
I’d need to find a time to talk to Veronica and Taylor. Make them see the importance of Weston and me making things official. Or, at least, make people think we were official. I mean, that lady behind us at the basketball game thought we were a couple. Maybe I could convince everyone at school that we were a couple as well. And hope no one said anything to Weston.
The fire was roaring by the time we got to Huntington Beach. Sierra and Bentley must have gotten there way before everyone else to get things set up. Honestly, I was impressed. The fire was big and steady. There were tons of hot dogs, chips, soda, plus everything needed to make s’mores. People were milling about, way more than I expected.
“Did she invite the entire junior class?” Taylor asked as we walked through the sand to join them.
Well, if she wanted everyone’s votes for Prom King and Queen, then, yeah, Sierra would.
“I thought this was just a small gathering,” Weston said, a nervous quiver in his voice. Huh. Why was he nervous? He’d seemed fine at the basketball game, and that place was packed.
Reaching over, I took his hand in mine, interlocking our fingers. The tension in him seemed to relax, and he smiled over at me.
“Daphne!” Sierra jogged over to us, all smiles and fake appearances, dragging Bentley along with her. Man, if I didn’t know she hated me, I’d think she was actually excited to see me.
They stopped in front of us, and she snuggled into Bentley, making a show of it.
“Bentley brought a karaoke machine,” she said, putting her hand on his chest. I watched his reaction, seeing if he thought Sierra being super affectionate was weird. He squirmed a little, clearly uncomfortable, and I held back a smile.
“We’re having a competition,” she said. “Best couple to perform gets an iTunes gift card! You and Weston have to sign up.”
Weston tensed next to me, and I wasn’t sure why. Did he not like karaoke? Did he not like the thought of us being labeled a couple? We were still getting to know each other, but it was obvious he liked me. Right?
He released my hand, tucking his into his jeans’ pocket. Huh. Maybe not as much as I thought. I could have misread everything. Or maybe all my panic attacks had put him off. They were a lot to take in.
Taylor shimmied. “Well, then you should all just forfeit because Zander and I are going to kick your trash.” They high-fived each other, then moved in for a long kiss.
Okay, then.
DeShawn draped his arm around Veronica. “What do you say, babe? Should we join in on the fun.”
Babe? Had they reached that level of their relationship?
“Only if I get to choose the song,” Veronica said, smiling up at him.
Sierra squealed. “This is going to be so much fun!” She pointed behind her. “Rosalind has the sign-up sheet. You can’t pick the same song as another couple. So, if there’s a song you’re dying to sing, you better hurry over there.”
Taylor and Zander pried apart from each other, then hurried over to Rosalind. DeShawn was hot on their heels, tugging Veronica along. I loved that they were as competitive as me.
Weston didn’t budge, though. His focus was on the ground, his foot kicking the sand around.
Sierra leaned into Bentley. “We’re doing ‘You’re the One that I Want’ from Grease.”
Of course they were. She was even dressed like Sandy, pre-makeover.
I smiled at Bentley. “You chose the song, didn’t you?”
He laughed. “Uh, no. That was all Sierra.”
Her smile faltered for a second. “I thought you were fine with the song?”
“I am!” Bentley cleared his throat. “I’m going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?”
Sierra shook her head, frowning as she watched him walk away. Her fake smile came back, though, when her focus came back to Weston and me. “You’re going to sign up, right?”
I glanced over at Weston, who was still staring at the sand like it was the most interesting thing in the world. I looked at Sierra and shrugged. “I have an Android. No iTunes.”
She scoffed. “Who doesn’t have an iPhone?”
I raised my hand. “Me. I just said that.”
“I don’t, either,” Weston mumbled.
I smiled at Sierra. “Will you excuse us?”
Taking Weston by the arm—he wouldn’t pull his hands out of his pockets—I steered him away from the large group of people, stopping him when we were out of hearing range. With the sea breeze going, it wasn’t too far.
“You okay?” I asked.
Nodding, he rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah. I just, uh, I’m not really a karaoke person.”
“No biggie,” I said.
Yeah, it would have been good for our #DaphtonforPromRoyals campaign to sing a song as a couple, but I’d never seen Weston so uncomfortable before.
I glanced over my shoulder at everyone around the bonfire. Rosalind caught my eye, a sneer on her face. She made a show of turning to Sierra and Bentley, making them cuddle so she could snap a picture of the two of them.
So, Sierra had told Rosalind the change in the bet. Of course, she would. A part of me wanted to march right over and sign Weston and me up for karaoke. I’d pick “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay, and Weston and I would nail it.
But then I looked back at Weston, who was currently staring out at the sea, watching the waves, and my competitive nature took a back seat. Mostly because I shoved it back there and duct-taped it shut.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” I asked him.
He blew out a breath of relief. “Yes, please.”
Stuffing my hands in my hoodie pocket, I moved away from the group, going closer to the shore. Weston walked next to me, his hands in his pockets, his focus on his steps. The sand became more packed the closer we got to the water, making it easier to walk on.
Pausing, I bent down and took off my shoes and socks, holding them in my left hand. The sand was cold under my toes, but I welcomed it. It had been a while since I’d been to a beach. I’d missed it.
“Aren’t you cold?” Weston asked, looking down at my feet.
“Nah,” I said. “This is nothing.”
We walked for a bit in silence. I didn’t want to push anything or make him talk if he didn’t want to. Something was bothering him, but I figured if he wanted to talk about it, he would. I didn’t mind silence. It was time to think. To reflect.
Which got me thinking about my dad, and I just started talking.
“My dad hated the beach. He wasn’t a fan of all the sand getting everywhere. Not to mention, he had the most sensitive skin ever. It’s where I got it. We burn so easily.” I stared up at the night sky, the clouds covering up the stars. “I’m probably getting burned right now.”
Weston chuckled next to me. “I’m the same. Redheads and sun don’t really go together well.”
“Dad was ecstatic when we moved to Utah. More of a mountain man. We’d go on hikes all the time.”
“Did you go camping?” Weston asked.
I nodded. “Oh, yeah. It was Dad’s favorite thing to do. He loved campfires. Roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. He’d always tell ghost stories before bed, and I’d pretend to be so tough, but then I’d wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare and end up crawling between my parents in the tent.”
“Is that where you get your love of horror books? Your Dad?”
“Yep. I have a love-hate relationship with being scared. Like, the books, movies, and TV shows scare the crap out of me. But I love it and always go back for more.”
Weston’s hand suddenly grabbed mine, holding on loosely. “I have social anxiety.”
I turned to him, startled. “Really?”
“I can do fine for a bit. Like at the basketball game.”
“It seemed like you were having so much fun.”
He looked eagerly at me. “And I was. I had a blast with you. But, I was lost in the crowd, you know? The focus wasn’t on me.”
“I get that,” I said. “I hate being in front of people or knowing there are a lot of people staring at me.”
“Exactly.” He licked his lips. “Last night at Zander’s, I was nervous at first, since I’m still getting to know DeShawn and Zander. And Taylor. But having you by my side made it so much easier. Your presence is always so calming.”
I bumped our arms. “I feel the same about you.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Tonight, well, it was the third night in a row that I’ve done something social.”
I interlocked our fingers. “You’re nursing a social hangover.”
“Yeah. Is that weird?”
“Not at all.” I stopped walking, turning to face him. “We can just hang out, the two of us tonight. Veronica can text me when it’s time to go.”
His hand landed on my waist, pulling me closer to him. “As nice as that sounds, I am hungry.”
“We can swoop in, steal some hot dogs, and swoop out, like pelicans in the night.”
“I don’t want to take you from your friends.”
“They’ll understand, trust me. They know all about my anxiety.” My eyes went wide. “Not that I’m going to tell them about yours! I can say it was mine or something.”
