Page 115 of Let's Pretend I'm Okay

He laughs. “Wow, you’re really living on the edge.”

“I know, right?” I frame my face with my hands and wink. “This is the new me.”

There’s a look in his eyes that I like. It’s the gaze I’ve seen in so many movies. The look the guy has when he wants to kiss the girl. When he’s mesmerized by her.

I can see why Annie is a romantic now. Why she’s always dreamed of having someone look at her like this. It’s nice to be liked. Wanted.

My gaze falters as my back pocket buzzes, and I take out my phone. We’re almost next in line. “I need to take this. Could you order mine for me please? I’ll be back soon.”

He nods.

I step out of the line, trying to find a spot less crowded and quieter if possible.

“Hello,” I say.

“Hi. Margo, right?” Her voice is soft, hard to hear through the noise. “This is Meghan. I got your message.”

“Hi!” I cover my other ear to try and block out some of the chatter around me. “I’m so glad you called.”

“I’d love to answer your questions in person. I also have something for Daniel. Would it be okay if we met? I’ll actually be in Spokane for business later this week.”

My heart leaps for joy. This is exactly what we’ve beensearching for. “That would be amazing. I can’t hear very well because we’re at the fair, but I can text you a place.”

“Okay, great. Would Friday work?”

My chest pounds, and my nerves flutter. “I have to check with Daniel, but I’m pretty sure it will.”

We exchange goodbyes, and I run back to Daniel, weaving through the sea of people. He’s sitting at a table in the grassy seating area in-between the food venders and the stage where a man is playing a country song. I rush up and smack the table with my palm. “Guess what?”

He raises an eyebrow. “What?”

I frown. “I told you to guess,” I say, sliding in next to him.

He chuckles softly. “You found a penny on the ground.”

I cross my arms. “You think I’d be this excited over a penny?”

“Sure,” he says. “Why not?”

I show him my phone even though the screen is black. “That was Meghan. She wants to meet us.”

He shifts his weight, eyes widening. “For real?”

I nod. “Friday. It’s happening. That’s when we’ll find out about your father.”

He looks down at his food, which isn’t the reaction I was expecting. I wanted him to be as excited as me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“We’re getting so close,” he says. His voice is small and timid. “What if he doesn’t like me?”

How could he think that? I hate how that idea is floating around in his head.

I put my hands on his face, one on each cheek, and turn his head toward me to make sure he’s looking me in the eyes. “Then he doesn’t deserve you.”

His stare is strong, melting me from the inside out. Time seems to slow down as he reaches up and covers my hand.

I should move my hands, put them away in my pockets—better yet, sit on them, so I don’t touch him again—but they stay against his skin. His head moves closer, and my heart skips a beat. His mouth is a mere inch away from mine, so close that if someone were to bump into us, our lips would brush against each other.

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