Page 17 of Love at a 7-Eleven

"Yeah, she met Caleb yesterday, too. She gave him one of her business cards. He was showing it to us last night."

"Hello again," Caleb said. "I didn't realize you were a Decker when we met."

"In the flesh," I said, like a goober. I was caught off guard by Caleb's indifference. He was looking at me like it was the second time we met and not the third.

"What are you guys getting into today?" I asked, focusing on Kevin with a smile.

"Basketball in a minute. My dad's friends are coming up here to play a game."

"Oh, that's cool."

"How about you?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know what I'll get into. I thought about walking the track, but I might skate."

"I didn't know you were the skater in the family," Marcus said.

"I've been doing it since I was a little girl."

"You should see her, she's amazing," EJ said.

I glanced at Caleb, and my heart ached at the unattached half-interest he was showing. He had texted my phone no more than an hour before, and now there he was, acting like he didn't know me.

"I’m going to let you guys get back to what you were doing. It was good seeing you all." I turned to my brother and hugged him. "Love you, E."

"I'll be around. I'll probably go with these guys to the courts. I know you mentioned walking the track, so if you do the one above the basketball courts, you can come with us."

There was a walking track that overlooked the gymnasium, and I had planned on going there so that I could watch them play basketball. Caleb's nonchalance, however, was making me feel stubborn. I thought I would skate instead.

"I may see you guys over there later," I agreed. "I think I'll skate first. Bye, Kevin. It was good seeing you, bud." I high-fived the boy and then waved at everyone else as I turned to walk away. I barely glanced at Caleb. I did one of those glances where my eyes only passed over him for a split second—just long enough to see that he was still emotionless.

I turned and took several strides down the aisle. I was walking past a row of weight benches when I heard my name from behind me.

"Lila!" I knew it wasn't my brother. I knew it was Caleb. I had been praying that he would do something to fix that awkwardness.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, falling into step beside me. "I told them I needed to use the restroom, so I'm going to walk this way with you. I'll meet them over there in a minute." He glanced behind us before continuing. "I'm so sorry about that. Kevin's really smart, and if I showed any sort of anything for you, he'd ask me a thousand questions about it. And honestly, my life is a little… complicated with that stuff."

I kept walking, not looking at him. I was going to my brother's office where I could find some skates. I was a veteran ice skater. I started taking lessons when I was four, and the idea of putting on some skates felt comforting at a moment when I had felt otherwise insecure.

"What stuff?" I asked with a shrug. "What's so complicated?"

"Just, you know, with me and women or whatever."

"Are you married?" I asked, squinting.

"No. I’m not married."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I do not."

I paused, thinking about it. "Then, it's fine. I don't care about anything else."

I assumed he meant there were things I didn't know about his family and his childhood, but I honestly didn't care about any of that.

I was still traveling down the wide hallways at a good pace, and I turned to glance at him as we walked. His expression was sincere, and he was devastatingly handsome. Just looking at him made my heart ache. I felt like I would tolerate just about anything to get him to like me.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

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