Page 71 of Obsessed with my Temptation

My parents went on with a proud spiel about how great my grades were, that all my professors were happy to have me, and more nonsense about my popularity. They of course also asked about Candace, whose parents were also very proud of her because she was a good girl that never gave them trouble.

“She’s a princess herself, our Candace, I’ll just say that,” her mother said, making Candace blush with a low outraged “Mom.”

“It’s true!”

The dinner should have been by all means lovely but it was pure torture. My parents and hers weren’t very subtle, and Candace seemed to like me, but I felt dead on the inside as I tried to pretend I wasn’t. That I was fine with this, that I was everything my parents wanted me to be.

That I didn’t feel like I was betraying the guy I was in love with.

By all means, I should have been considering this. I could let our parents set us up and see where it went. I should have wanted to try something new, go on dates again, and this time, I could try to be myself more. Months ago, I’d wanted to just go back to the way things were, to slide back into my ‘perfect Prince’ persona without it feeling horrible and fake.

And it probably wouldn’t feel like that with Candace. We’d known each other during a time when I felt more myself, and dating someone like that might make things easier.

Maybe I’d just been going after the wrong type of person, or approaching dating with the wrong mindset. Maybe I should have been considering guys too.

But the truth was that I was in love with Travis and none of that mattered because none of them would behim.

As if hearing my thoughts, Candace said, “And I even heard you were selling cupcakes with a bit of a…rough guy, didn’t you? A boxer or something. My friend told me everyone was talking about it, how weird you looked.” She chuckled and continued, “I will say, she pointed him out to me earlier today and he’s quite intimidating. Definitely not someone I would have seen you hanging out with.”

My knuckles were white on my lap.

“Really?” My mother asked. “Well, Scottie doesn’t really hang out with the bad kids, but he’s so nice that everyone would like him. You could probably befriend a wall, couldn’t you, dear?”

I should have let this go. They were making small talk, they didn’t evenmean it.

But I couldn’t.

“Travisisn’t a bad guy. Not at all.”

“Oh?”

I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out. “He looks intimidating, and people call him a ‘bad boy’, but I don’t know anyone better than him. Anyone would be lucky to be able to call him a friend.”

My parents looked at me oddly, not to mention everyone else, but Candace seemed to notice I was feeling uncomfortable and started talking about something else.

When we were done and our guests were leaving, my parents encouraged me to go and say goodbye to Candace, and like the coward doormat I was, I did.

We were alone in the hallway as our parents talked outside, and Candace pushed her hair behind her ear, looking shy and a bit hesitant.

“Scott, I really liked seeing you today, but I couldn’t help but notice…Well, I wanted to say I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Our parents were kind of forward and, to be honest, I didn’t mind it so I let them be. Not to mention—I’m sorry about what I said. About your friend.”

My friend.

“No, I—” I started saying on instinct but cut myself. Why did I have to be nice even now? No. I wasn’t going to be. I didn’t have the energy to. “Yeah, I was. I’m sorry to disappoint.”

Candace shook her head with an understanding expression on her face. “No apologies necessary.”

Maybe it was because I still remembered the friendship we used to have, or maybe it was because I felt the need to make tonight less horrible on my conscience and my heart, so I said, “I’m actually seeing someone. My parents don’t know yet. That’s why this was…a bit awkward.”

Her eyebrows raised high. “Oh, wow, of course, it would have been! Gosh, I’m so sorry then, Scott. I hope we can at least be friends?”

I nodded and we hugged. It was exhilarating to have finally told someone but it didn’t take away the heaviness from the rest of the evening.

Or the fact that the person I was seeing had told me again and again that we werecasualand that was all we would ever be.

“They’re very lucky, whoever they are,” she whispered to me before waving goodbye and leaving with her parents.

The fact that she didn’t assume it would be a woman almost made me want to cry.

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