Page 21 of Love to Prove You Wrong

He smiled, showing off those damn dimples again. “Great. It’s a—”

“Favor. It’s a favor,” I said before he could finish his sentence.

Chapter Seven

Iwas ready to go fifteen minutes before Justin was due to pick me up at my house. I’d spent an entire hour debating what to wear before settling on a pair of high-waisted jeans with a white tank top tucked in. I combined the outfit with my favorite pair of suede shoes and a long teal-colored cardigan. I wanted to look nice. Not for him, for me. And maybe also as revenge. If Justin saw how good I looked, he’d realize how wrong he had been calling me stupid names in high school.

I knew it was ridiculous to keep thinking about that. It was a long time ago and I should leave it where it belonged: in the past. Yet I felt the need to prove to him just how blind he’d been back then. For years, I’d been afraid to talk to guys, all because I felt I would never live up to their expectations of what a woman should look like.

No more. People would have to accept me for who I was, and what I looked like. I no longer cared if I fit their idea of the perfect woman or not.

I flopped down on the couch with my phone and scrolled through Instagram while waiting for Justin. The first picture to stare me in the face was one of him, a selfie he had taken while cutting wood at Jeff’s barn the other day. It was captionedOne of my fav places in the world. And in the background, there I was, staining wood with a look of concentration on my face.

Huh. Why hadn’t he posted one without me in it? I didn’t know what to make of that. The picture had half a million likes and thousands of comments. In a way, I felt weirdly proud for being in that picture with him, but it also made me frown. The least he could’ve done was ask me if I was okay with having my picture posted online. Then again, it didn’t matter. I was nothing but a nameless small-town girl to the world. No one knew who I was, and no one cared.

A honking sound made me stop thinking about what all of this meant. I tucked my phone away and hurried outside to Justin’s car, which turned out to be a sleek black Tesla. Figures. A more down-to-earth vehicle probably wasn’t special enough for a star like him.

“Hey. Nice rental,” I said as I got in.

He was silent for a beat while looking at me. “Nice outfit.”

“Thanks. I wish I could say the same about you.”

He shook his head, amusement written all over his face. “The cap and hoodie might be a bit too much, but the last thing I want is to be recognized. That’s the whole point of this outing. I want to kick back and have fun, without whispering crowds of people around, trying to snap a picture of me eating a slice of pizza.”

“It must feel like torture, being famous and successful,” I said while clicking my seatbelt into place.

Justin picked up speed as we turned onto the main road, ready to leave Old Pine Cove. “I’m not kidding. I once had someone come up to me in a restaurant, asking if they could take my leftovers home with them. It’s creepy. And I can never fully be myself. If I drink some beers, there will be pictures and rumors about me being an alcoholic. If I go to the movies with a friend who happens to be a girl, I suddenly have a girlfriend and a diamond ring in my pocket. I can never live up to people’s expectations. I always have to be polite. Do you know what it’s like to not have the luxury of having a bad day? I’ll tell you, it’s exhausting.”

“Well, if you put it that way, it does sound like torture,” I said.

“Told you so.”

He turned the car onto the highway and I glanced over at him. Even though I’d made fun of his outfit, he looked incredibly sexy. His hair spilled out from under his cap, which was barely visible because of the hoodie he had put over it. It was like double protection. I let out a giggle.

He threw me a questioning look, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting what I’d been thinking about.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked instead.

“Roger’s. It’s a place in the city I used to go to every week when Asher and I both still lived in Old Pine Cove. They serve the best burgers you’ve ever tasted. And they have themed nights. Should be fun.”

“What if someone recognizes you there? It hardly sounds like a low-key place.”

“I doubt anyone will. The lights will be dimmed, and I have this,” he said, pointing to the cap and hoodie pulled over his head. “Besides, we’re not in some big city. I doubt people here watch my show.”

I shook my head. “Jeez, Justin. What, you think people here don’t have TV or Netflix subscriptions? Just because this is a small community doesn’t mean we’re dumb.”

He rolled his eyes. “I never said people here are dumb. Why do you always need to twist my words like that?”

“Okay, maybe you didn’t say it. You implied it.”

A grin traveled to the corners of his mouth. “I did not.”

“Let’s not play that game,” I said. “So, burgers, themed nights and dimmed lighting, huh? I’m not sure it’s going to be my scene.”

“You’ll love it, trust me.”

He put a hand on my leg and gave it a small squeeze. I stiffened. All I could do was look down at his hand burning into my leg. I could feel his touch all the way to my toes. Then, just as suddenly as he had put his hand there, he pulled it away again.

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