Page 14 of Savage for You

He smiles then laughs. He has a gorgeous smile with his straight white teeth, even though one at the bottom sticks out just a bit more than the rest. I think certain things that make people insecure should make them feel unique.

“I also just wanted to say thank you for bringing my sister to the party. She doesn’t have many friends and well, thank you for being her friend,” he says.

I stop at the register to pay for my stuff. I look at him like he has two heads. I don’t think anyone has ever thanked me for being their siblings' friend. As we’re walking out, he holds the door open for me.

I open my mouth to speak when someone walks up to us—well, to Rocky—she’s beautiful and tall. In retrospect, everyone is taller than me. She’s maybe five-foot-six and looks like a dancer or a cheerleader. She has long, blonde hair—very stereotypical, I know—and she kind of looks like Khaleesi from Game of Thrones, maybe her ears are actually pointed. I have this thing where I connect people with TV show characters. I know, weird.

She walks up to Rocky, twirling her hair between her fingers, batting her eyelashes and smiling up at him, talking to him like I’m not even here. Rude as hell.

Rocky interrupts her and introduces us. When I put it together, I realize she’s the same one that I saw at the lake, the one who always wanted his attention.

“Addison, this is Montana.” He puts his arm over my shoulders and looks at me and says, “Montana, this is my friend Addison.”

Whew, if looks could kill I'd be sixteen feet under. I don’t think she liked being friend zoned just now.

“Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you because we got our picks for senior baskets this year and I got you.” She smiles at him. “I just can’t wait to make it special for you.”

I’m sure she can’t. I roll my eyes.

“Cool. Can’t wait to see what goes in the basket this year,” he replies nicely.

I’m beginning to see he is just nice. Not flirty with girls who throw themselves at them. Is he oblivious maybe?

“Well, I was also wondering if we were going to the football banquet this year together, again?” she asks, as if she is trying to rub it in my face.

“Nah, I think this year if everything goes how I want it, I'll have a date,” he says while smiling down at me.

Swoon.

I smile back up at him, rolling my eyes. Damn, he is not making this easy at all. He’s playing dirty.

She smiles a fake smile and excuses herself, saying she would see him later. Oh, I bet she will try to see him later. I’m not for this. The date is not a great idea.

“Look, Rocky, about the date and your sister,” I start.

“What about them?” He looks at me nervously.

“Can we go somewhere and talk?” I ask him as I feel my palms starting to sweat.

We head to a diner that I loved when I was younger—my parents used to bring me here all the time. Mickey's Diner is a place where I still feel close to them.

“Everything is great here; you can’t go wrong with anything,” he says.

I look around and see an album of pictures on the wall including my dad and uncle, and I internally wince. Please, don’t start crying. Why of all places did we have to come here? Rocky means no harm in it; he doesn’t know that just walking through the door is a stab to the heart.

We walk past the wall of pictures; he doesn’t mention them and neither do I. The place is cute, though. It’s like a 50s diner with a jukebox that I am eyeing and wanting to go see what songs they have.

“Want to go see what they have and pick a song?” Rocky asks as he hands me coins.

“Umm, actually, yes. I’ll be right back,” I say softly with a smile.

I walk to the jukebox and play a song that’s been living rent free in my head since I met Rocky.

“What song is this?” he asks when I sit back down at the table.

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