Page 130 of Choosing You

He laughs. “I can’t even say that I missed you?”

I go in my room, tossing my keys on the desk. “Not if it’s only been a few hours. It has to be at least 24 hours. No, 48 hours. Or maybe a week.”

He closes the door and backs me against the wall, his arms on both sides of me. “You can’t tell me what I can say or when I can say it. If I want to say it, I’ll say it. I might even say it again. I missed you. There. I said it twice now. Within two minutes.”

“You’re really annoying me,” I say with a smile. “Keep it up and you’re not going to be my boyfriend for much longer.”

“That’s the first time you’ve called me that. I like it.” He goes to kiss me but I turn my head at the last minute. “Hey, what’s that for? You’re playing hard to get now? Last night you got mad at me for not making a move.”

“That was last night. This is now. If you’re gonna be with me, you’ve gotta learn to keep up.” I duck under his arm and go to my drawer to get my pajamas.

“I was thinking I’d stay down here in case that guy calls again.”

“You don’t need to do that. I don’t think he’ll call after just calling last night. Besides we could get in trouble if you’re sleeping down here all the time.”

“I’ve known your RA for years. She doesn’t care.”

“Well, even if that guy calls again there’s nothing you can do.”

“I guess. But I don’t want you to be alone if he calls.”

“I’ll be fine. But thanks for offering.” I kiss him quick. “It makes me want to keep you as a boyfriend. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He sits down instead of leaving. “I had another reason for coming down here. Besides the missing you thing.”

His tone is making me nervous. “Okay. So what is it?”

“We can’t go to New York next weekend. I’m sorry but I totally forgot that next weekend is that political fundraiser at my house.”

“But I thought you hated those things.”

I do, but I kind of need to go to this.” Garret’s not telling me something and whatever he’s not telling me is something I don’t want to know. But I don’t like him keeping secrets. He’s kept secrets from me before and it almost destroyed our relationship.

“What is it?” I ask, keeping my eyes on him. “Just tell me. I know you’re not giving me the whole story here.”

“It’s just that I . . . I used to date the guy’s daughter.”

“What guy?”

“The politician we’re having the fundraiser for. Royce Sinclair.”

“The guy who’s trying to run for president? The guy who could actuallybepresident? You dated his daughter?”

“Yes. It was last summer when I was interning in DC. She was an intern, too. But it was nothing. We just—”

“Okay. Hold on. I’m still trying to process the fact that you dated a girl who might live in the White House soon.”

“My dad’s been friends with her dad forever, so it’s not that big a deal.”

“Is that why you dated her? Did your dad make you?”

“No. Actually I didn’t even tell him that Sadie and I were dating until we’d broken up. Anyway, I feel like I should go to this thing since it’s for her dad. Plus, like I said, the guy’s kind of a friend of the family.”

“And will this girl you dated be there?”

“I don’t think so. She goes to college in DC. She won’t come all the way up here for a fundraiser.”

“So this means what? You have to go with Ava?”

---