Page 87 of When Love Is Unexpected

"Patricia wants you back," says Mom. "Vanessa has more than hinted at the fact that her daughter regrets her decision to turn your offer of marriage down."

"She emailed me several times telling me how she feels."

"How do you feel?" asks Dad.

"I love Laila. I haven't thought about Patricia in over two years. The day I met Laila, I knew my life would never be the same again."

"Why did you leave New York if you knew how you felt about her?" asks Dad.

"She had a boyfriend," I say. "She was unavailable. We were friends, and he didn't care too much about me."

"But she's available now," says Mom.

"Yes," I say, "but her career is now her focus. Just like it was for Patricia."

"We're spinning our wheels here, Son," says Dad. "If you let that young woman go, you will be miserable for the rest of your life."

Dad gets up from the table and walks away. That's my cue that he's done with this conversation.

"He makes it sound so simple," I say.

"We know love is complicated," Mom says. "But look at you. You look so despondent right now. I can't imagine it being much worse if you let her know how you feel and she turns you down. Think about it."

"I feel much worse than I look, then," I say.

"We're all going to Amanda's for dinner tonight," Mom says. “If you decide not to go dancing, you and Laila will be on your own for dinner.”

"Okay, Mom," I say as I watch her walk away. She's going to find Dad so they can discuss where they went wrong with raising me.

"Great!" I think. "Now everyone's mad at me."

A couple of hours later, I go upstairs and knock on the door to ask Laila if she still wants to go line dancing.

"Come in," she says.

I walk in just in time to see her put on the cowboy hat. Her hair is down, with wild curls framing her face. She's not wearing the cowboy outfit she bought. Instead, she's wearing a cream-colored lace dress with spaghetti straps and a ruffled skirt that is short on the front and long on the back. She's wearing the leather belt without the buckle and the cowboy boots that hit right below the knee.

"You look amazing," I say.

"Thank you," she says without looking at me. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"I still have to get dressed," I say. "Do you want to wait for me downstairs? Everyone's gone."

"Sure," she says. "I'll meet you down there. I'm still doing my makeup."

I change into a blue and black long-sleeve western shirt, jeans, leather belt, and boots.

On the drive to the bar, Laila is quiet.

"Are you going to be mad at me the whole night?" I ask.

"I'm not mad," she says. "It just feels weird between us. I don't know what to say or how to act."

"I don't want that," I say. "I want things to be the way they were before."

"Before we kissed," she says, finishing my thought for me.

"Yeah," I say. "Before we kissed."

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