Page 76 of Love and Other Goals

“I don’t think I’m going to tell him about my exact conversation with Aaron, per se,” I answer. “I’m not sure planting the thought in his brain that Aaron openly admitted to still having feelings for me is the right move, since I know I don’t feel anything for Aaron anymore. But I am going to tell him that we have class together. I don’t want to look like I’m hiding the fact that I see Aaron multiple times a week now.”

Tuesday evening, Mateo picks me up to drive to The Hangout together. It’s exhilarating having another excuse to spend time together each week, even if it’s mostly just time driving in the car.

We walk into the building, and Mateo’s entrance causes quite the stir. He’s immediately surrounded by all the middle and high school guys crowding around to greet him and offer condolences on the championship loss. Sofia has edged her way into the center of the group, loudly proclaiming that her mother said to pass along her well wishes to Mateo, posturing as a close acquaintance of his. I roll my eyes but inwardly laugh. This is exactly the spunk that made me fall in love with Sofia years ago.

“Okay, okay, get over here, Sofia, so we can find the other girls.” She throws her arms around me in a hug. “Oh, so you’re happy to see me too?” I chastise her in jest.

“Can you really blame me for going to Mateo first?” she teases back.

“Point taken,” I say with a smile as we head to our usual table. I glance back at Mateo, still surrounded by teenage boys, and grin at him as he winks my way.

Two hours later, I heckle him about his fan club as we walk back to his truck. He opens the door for me but doesn’t let go of my hand to let me climb in. “What can I say? Being your boyfriend has really put me on the map,” he says with a wry smile.

I giggle and lean forward on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Immediately, I hear Sofia’s enthusiastic voice calling out, “Awwww yeah, get it, Lana!”

My head snaps in her direction where she’s getting into her older sister’s car, along with Clara. My cheeks warm with embarrassment, and I clap my hand to my forehead. “Oh my gosh, I’ll never hear the end of it,” I moan under my breath.

The next thing I know, Mateo calls out to get Sofia’s attention, then firmly plants an arm around my waist before dipping me backward to kiss me full on the lips. Sofia and Clara are screaming, and I hear yells from a couple of the high school boys too.

Mateo stands me back upright and says, “Now you’ll really never hear the end of it.”

I can feel the Christmas-red color flooding my face down to my neck, which only encourages his smile. I playfully slap him on the chest before getting in the truck and pulling the door shut.

“I cannot believe you,” I chide as he gets in the other side.

“What? Just giving them one more reason to keep coming back each week. Hanging out at the program helps keep them out of trouble, right?” Mateo says with a sneaky grin that knows I can’t refute his point.

As we drive back to AOPi, he talks about the boys he got to know tonight playing soccer. He pulls up in front of the house, but I stop him from opening the door.

“Hey, I wanted to tell you something real quick,” I say. Mateo swivels in his seat to face me, and butterflies suddenly start churning in my stomach. “Um, I just wanted to tell you, well, it’s not like a big deal, but I wanted to just…let you know…that I have a class with Aaron Adams this semester,” I stutter out.

A hint of a frown flashes across Mateo’s face, and he glances down to my left hand, which is subconsciously playing “Moonlight Sonata” against my knee. I grip tightly onto my knee to make it stop.

“You have a class with Aaron Adams this semester,” Mateo restates. I give a slight nod. “So you’ll be seeing him every…?”

“Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” I gulp. “I didn’t know about it until he showed up in class yesterday.”

“He didn’t mention anything about it this morning at our Bible study with Kent,” Mateo remarks evenly.

“But it’s just class, it’s not like we’re casually hanging out,” I add, knowing I’m sounding flustered. “I wanted to be upfront with you, just because of my past, you know?—”

“Your past crush on Aaron and his current crush on you, you mean?” Mateo asks, more emotion filling his voice. His hand runs through his hair down to his neck.

“Well, yes. That. But it’s not that big of a deal, right?” I ask, a pleading tone now in my voice. Mateo has always been so quietly confident and self-assured; this is not how I expected this conversation to go.

He’s silent, lost in his thoughts for a moment, until I reach my hand up to his cheek, tracing the stubble that’s grown so familiar. “It’s not a big deal, right, Mateo?” I whisper.

Mateo traps my fingers against his cheek with his hand and sighs. “No, it’s not. It’s not a big deal, Lana. You’re right, it’s just class.”

“Should I not have said anything?” I ask, my voice still a whisper.

“No, I’m glad you did. I’m sorry for responding poorly. I’m glad you told me about it.”

“Honesty always, right?” I ask with a little more strength in my voice.

Mateo lowers our hands with a squeeze and nods. “Honesty always,” he repeats, although his voice seems to falter.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

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