All-American Princess - Maggie Dallen Page 0,48

is common sense?” My tone was sarcastic, but there was a little part of me that was truly curious to hear her answer.

Not that it would change anything. I wasn’t seriously considering leaving. I couldn’t.

She hitched her lips to the side as she studied me. “Look, I’m not going to tell you it would be easy, or even that it’s the right thing to do. Only you can decide that.”

I waited because I could hear the ‘but’ in her voice.

She turned to face me. “There’s a big world out there, outside of this town.” She arched her brows meaningfully. “Out there, no one knows you, there are no expectations, and you’ll find people to be a lot more open-minded, if you know what I mean.”

I stared at her because, yeah, I knew exactly what she meant. “I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

She nodded. “Understood. Coming out isn’t an easy thing from what I hear.”

I thought she was going to say more, do more to persuade me… but after a moment of silence, I realized she wasn’t going to continue with her sales pitch. She was leaving it up to me.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You need me to do this, don’t you? I mean, that’s why you’re still here, right?”

She made a funny face, and I saw a hint of confusion cross her face. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing here.” Her laugh was soft and breathy like she’d just surprised herself with that statement. “But yes. To answer your question, you’d be making my life a lot easier if you came back with me.”

“Easier,” I repeated. I studied her for a second. “But would it make your life better?”

She narrowed her eyes a bit, and I could see that the words hit home. “Maybe,” she finally said with a shrug. “Maybe not.”

After a second, she shook her head and gave another rueful laugh. “Sorry, you caught me at a weird time.” She turned back toward the poster she’d been studying, but it was clear she wasn’t really thinking about dances and dates.

Or maybe she was, but there was clearly something more going on. As I watched, she pursed her lips and made a face of disgust. “It’s not all that great here, you know.” She glanced over at me. “For all everyone talks about the charm of small towns and rural living, this high school is like any other.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “Mean girls, unrequited crushes, silly dances with stupid themes…” She cast me a sidelong look. “It’s kind of exactly like my school in Hollywood—just not as stylish.”

I laughed because I knew she was right. Pinedale wasn’t perfect and neither were the people. “With small towns, you’re bound to get some small-minded people, the incessant gossip, the toxic family dynamics…” I trailed off, and she gave me a small smile.

“So, you admit it. It’s not all sunshine and roses around here.”

I shrugged. “No, it’s not perfect.”

She arched her brows, and I felt compelled to add the ‘but.’

“But it’s home.”

She nodded and turned back to the poster. “I knew you were going to say that.”

I grinned. “What can I say? I’m sentimental like that.”

She smiled. “You’re lucky, you know that?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

I went home after school and got straight back to what I’d been doing all week.

Avoiding my mother.

Was it mature? No. But it was better than facing her with all the questions that raced through my brain. Questions I wasn’t sure I wanted the answers to.

The storm they’d been forecasting for days just hit when I got home, and the slashing rain made working outside sound miserable. I did the necessary chores and then went inside. I heard my mother in the kitchen and headed in the opposite direction as a reflex.

I was antsy, restless. Everything Lila had said and everything she hadn’t said played in my mind on a loop.

She could have used my secret. She could have tried to talk me into it. But she didn’t, and her silence had me filling in the blanks. It had me imagining what life could be like if I wasn’t constantly worrying about money, and if my mother could get the help she needed, and if I could live a life out in the open with a person I actually wanted to be with.

Temptation was there, and it had me seeking out inside chores—anything to keep my hands busy and my mind busy. There were countless