comes to my family and friends, I often give in.
He gently squeezes my knee, giving me the final encouragement I need to answer candidly.
“It felt like you wished I wasn’t with you.”
Dipping his chin, his warm eyes lock with mine. “Maddie, that wasn’t the case at all. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t hoping we wouldn’t see anyone we knew, but not because I’m worried about Marshall finding out.”
“Then why?”
“Because I wanted you to myself. I realize that probably sounds crazy to you.”
“Not really.”
“We had so much fun alone out on the river and I didn’t want reality interfering.”
“Reality is something we need to deal with, though. We’re not going to always be alone. People we know will see us together and my brother will find out.”
“I am aware of all those things.”
“Maybe we should stop hanging out,” I suggest, and then I want to kick myself, because that’s not what I want. Not in the slightest. But I’m afraid he’s going to make me fall for him, and then break my heart.
“No,” he replies sharply. “That’s not an option. I enjoy spending time together. Can’t we continue and see where this goes?” His hand leaves my leg, gesturing back and forth between us.
“Okay.”
“I don’t want you to worry about Marshall. He won’t be a problem.”
“Pfft, that’s what you think.”
“I’m a good guy. Why wouldn’t he want you dating me?”
“You’re crazy if you think it’ll be that simple. He wouldn’t even want me dating a monk. I’m his little sister and he’s always going to see me that way, no matter how old I am.”
“I don’t think you’re giving him enough credit,” Shaw states.
“I know you’re his best bud, but when it comes to me, I know him better.” Marshall is a hothead who likes his way. Which is why I’m usually the one to give it to him.
“Regardless, we have almost two weeks until he’s back. Let’s make the most of them and not think about your brother at all. This is our chance to have a break from him.” He winks.
I laugh. “You’re right. As much as I love him, he can be a giant pain in my ass.”
After Shaw dropped me at home, I took a nap. Being in the sun for so long wore me out.
I run a brush through my hair and then scrape the strands back from my face into a ponytail.
I head down the stairs, my bare feet quickly meeting each tread. At the bottom, I veer to the left, following the tempting scents of my dad cooking dinner.
“Hi, Dad.” Ambling across the cold kitchen tiles, I climb onto a bar stool.
“Hey, honey. How’s your day been?” He quickly peers over his shoulder, smiling before tending to the chicken stir fry in the pan.
“It was fun. I went canoeing with a friend and then took a nap.”
He turns around, glancing at me. “You got a little color in your cheeks.”
“Yeah, even with sunscreen on. The sun was so strong, I had to wear a hat.”
Dad faces the stovetop once more while I smile at the memory of Shaw tugging his B.U. cap down on my head. It’s hard not to confide in my dad about Shaw and me. I can talk to him about anything and often do. Here I am dating the guy I’ve been crushing on for most of my life and I’m acting as if it’s business as usual. But I don’t want to put him in a bad position. If he doesn’t know what’s going on, he can’t be blamed by Marshall.
“What did you do today?” I ask.
“I went to the gym and then met Uncle Rex for lunch.”
“How are he and Ruby doing?”
“Great. She’s going to some local camp for budding artists.”
“That’s awesome. I envy her talent.”
“You do?” His surprised gaze swings over to me.
“Not really. Obviously I love Ruby, she’s my cousin.”
“You can love someone and still be envious of them.”
“I’m not really. I just wish I were that talented at something.”
“Maddie, at your age you’re just beginning to discover your potential.”
“I know. But Marshall has always had hockey. Why did he get all the talent?” I joke. Kind of. It does sting that I’m not particularly good at anything.
“You don’t know what your future holds. You’re a wonderful student. You’ve been blessed with intelligence.”
“I work hard to get good grades. I study a lot.”
“Yes, you do. And that means you’ve got a great work ethic. That’s a quality that will serve you well