on my bed, crossing my legs and pulling a pillow to my chest, shaking ever so slightly. That was a close call. From the expression on Walsh’s face, I didn’t think that he’d seen any of the words on the page. He probably couldn’t even read my handwriting.
“Did I do okay down there?” Walsh asked, almost uneasily, glancing toward the floor. His fingers tapped the mug’s edge uneasily. “I’ve never exactly…met parents before.”
I never assumed that Walsh Hunter was a ladies’ man, or whatever that was, but his words struck me as odd. “You haven’t?”
“Not, like, a girlfriend’s parents. Nothing was ever serious enough.”
Even though I tried, I couldn’t remember Walsh having a girlfriend. Before, I tried not to pay much attention to him in the hallways, but there wasn’t even a faint memory of him holding hands with someone, never heard Edith talking about him being in a relationship.
“You did great,” I told him, squeezing my pillow tighter. “I think they fell in love with you, actually.”
Relief was evident, washing over his face and his posture. A genuine reaction.
“So, what are you doing here, anyway?” I asked. “And don’t give me the parent version.”
“The what?”
“You know, what you say to impress parents. Because you were totally schmoozing down there.”
Walsh sipped at his coffee. “That wasn’t the parent version. It was the actual version. I just wanted to spend time with you.”
The look I gave him was skeptical, one eyebrow raised, probably a mock of Scott’s look, only not as stern.
“I mean it, Sophia.”
He was telling the truth. “Sophia” was the clear indicator. Huh. The idea of someone wanting to spend time with me just because was…nice. It made my insides feel warm. Made me want to smile.
I tried not to think about it too hard. “What time are you leaving for the bay?”
Walsh was admiring my butterflies, ignoring my gaze. “Soon. Do they have names?”
I flopped onto my back, staring at the ceiling, and the bed bounced with my weight. “My butterflies? Uh, no.”
“That one looks like a Beatrice. Or Beverly. Definitely a B-name.” Walsh hesitated for a moment, probably taking another drink. “Scott kept asking about you yesterday at practice.”
As I stared at the ceiling, I found that I couldn’t care less about what Scott asked. Not a single ounce of me seized up at the idea of Scott inquiring about me. Which was definite progress, and I would’ve patted myself on the back if I wasn’t concerned that I moved on so fast. Maybe because I realized how horrible he was for me. But we were both happy with other people now. Or, you know, in my case, happy with other people in a fake way. “Oh?”
“He just asked if you were happy. Why we started dating. If I really liked you or if I was stringing you along.”
Now my insides felt a little prickly. And Scott always got mad at Walsh for butting in? “And what did you say?”
“Yes, you’re happy. We started dating because we just connected.” He blew out a harsh breath. “And I really, really like you.”
I really, really like you. Those words shouldn’t have made my insides feel even warmer, shouldn’t have made my fingers spasm on my pillow, but they did.
The space between us quieted for a moment as I thought about what he said, and I traced the air with my fingertips. It didn’t really surprise me that Scott asked about our relationship. If I were Scott, I would’ve been suspicious.
I wanted to dance and sing ha-ha-ha. Go up to Scott and say, “See, I am good enough! Take that!”
I heard something clink, and in the next moment, Walsh sat on my bed, lying down alongside me. The bed shifted underneath his weight, causing me to rock toward him. “Told you it would work.”
My foot nudged his, and I could feel his sock underneath my toes. “Does that mean we break up now? You know, since it worked, and he bought it. No need to draw it for two more weeks.”
Walsh didn’t look at me. “You want to break up?”
I snorted at the surprised tone of his voice. “Aw, you almost sounded like a real boyfriend for a second.”
The smile he offered seemed stiffer than usual.
I rolled onto my side, tucking my hands underneath the side of my head as I watched him. “Hey, I know I was jerky about it before, but thank you for sticking up for me. I’m sorry you had to do all this.” I gestured