Just One Kiss - J. Saman Page 0,11
Weird coincidence, right?”
“London. Why does it sound like you’re intentionally being evasive?”
“I’m not,” I protest. “I’m at his home now. In Vermont,” I qualify, though I’m not sure why. That probably should be obvious, but we did grow up in southern Connecticut.
“Do I know his family? Ford?”
“No. He never hung out in my circle of friends. Anyway, he’s a really nice man and he saved me as I said, cleaned up my cut and everything. I’m calling from his phone. In his guest room, not his bedroom.” I cover my eyes with my hand, because seriously? I just basically announced to my father that I think Miles is hot. Nothing like that ever squeaks past my family.
And in fact, my father chuckles. “You mean to tell me there is a man alive who hasn’t instantly fallen for your charms.”
“Dad.”
“I’m only kidding, London. I’m glad he took such good care of you and I’m relieved you know him. I’d send out the national guard to get you if I thought you were staying the night in some strange man’s house. You feel safe?”
“I feel safe. I just don’t know when I’m going to be able to leave with the storm and my car.”
“Don’t worry about the car. I’ll send Fletcher with one of the large SUVs once this all subsides, but they’re asking people to stay off the roads. Evidently, there have already been a lot of accidents and they need the roads clear for emergency vehicles and snowplows. But none of that matters to me. We want you here for Christmas. In the twenty-six years, you’ve been on this earth, you have not missed one with us and this will not be the year that happens.”
Christmas with my family is a big deal. I think I already mentioned that. My dad’s parents died when he was in college on Christmas in a terrible drunk driving accident. So Christmas with his family is beyond important to him. To all of us.
The one holiday we always spend together.
I need to get there. I need to make it up to my parents’ place by Christmas.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll be there,” I promise, twisting my lip between my fingers as I stare out the window into the darkness. “Hopefully for Christmas Eve, but at the very least, Christmas Day.”
“Okay. I’m counting on it. I’m going to tell your mother what happened. Call us tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Love you, London.”
I smile. “Love you too, Daddy.”
I hang up with a heaviness in my chest. I have no idea what this night or the next few days has in store for me, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about Miles. About how all this could go. After all, we’re not kids anymore.
Chapter Five
MILES
“Don’t give me that look,” I say to Betsy while she stares at me like I was being a cold and indifferent prick. I was sure as hell trying to be and I know it, but flirting with London is my eternal moth to flame and being anything but a dick right now with her is asking for trouble.
Betsy barks at me in that pissed off bark of hers and I groan, rolling my eyes at her.
“Will you forgive me if I put on Taylor Swift?”
She’s doing that dog tilt of the head thing and I know even Taylor can’t fix this.
“Fine. I’ll work on it,” I promise my dog, who is already smitten with London. Not that I blame her. I was struck the second I saw her on my very first day walking into our high school. It was hell for me, as I knew it would be, and then I saw her, and everything changed.
London Canterbury.
My mind wanders back in time. To that first day…
I step off the bus, hiking my worn messenger bag up on my shoulder and staring down the road to the building in the distance. You’d think I would no longer feel any nerves after attending five different schools in seven years, but this one feels different. Worse, somehow.
Maybe it’s the cars driving into the lot, the cheapest one being a Lexus SUV.
Maybe it’s the kids jumping out of those cars with bright smiles, pristine uniforms, and designer shoes, whereas I’m marching toward them on foot, wearing sneakers that are a size too small, a second-hand uniform, and a frown.
Whatever the reason, a creeping sense of dread fills my gut as I soldier my way to the front door of the large ivy snaked brick building.