Page 54 of Falling Backwards
“At our booth with Paxton.I was with them, too, until Kyle—the guy—started talking to his server at his own table.We were sure you’d be here really soon, so I snuck out here to wait while Kyle wasn’t looking.I thought it would be best to ask you somewhere he couldn’t see.”
Kyle, huh?Good to know the name I’m apparently adding to my shit list.
That said, I frown about one of those other details.“What’s Paxton doing at your table?”
“Flirting with Emma.”
Now I roll my eyes.“Oh.Okay.”
“Yeah.”
She takes a slow breath.
She finally reopens her eyes and looks at me straight again.
She gulps.
“Luke?”
Her voice around my name sounds so…frail.
It makes my stomach clench again because flustered, shaken, frail Maggie is not the Maggie I’m used to interacting with.
I nod my assent for her to go on.
She gulps again.“There’s no way to…to ask this that won’t sound strange.You’re gonna think it’s a crazy idea.I thought the same thing, but Joy was right, it’s the strongest one we have.It’s the least confrontational or antagonistic or whatever, you know?We aren’t sure if the cops should be called because he hasn’t tried to hurt me, he’s just made me feel afraid, which isn’t exactly a crime, and we don’t know if calling them into the bar would anger him somehow, and of course I couldn’t set Emma on him because she angers almost everybody, and he already wasn’t happy when he asked me out and I said no.”
Trying to keep up with her vague babbling is difficult enough, but that last part threatens to fully distract me.
I don’t have time to think about why before she levels a downright pleading look on me.
It nearly takes my breath away.
“I’m afraid to leave Merritt’s right now even if other people go with me, and our friends are afraid of it, too, because we don’t know if Kyle might try to follow.We don’t know if he would try to figure out where I live or something—and then what if he alreadyhasfigured it out?I don’t know what to expect from him, Luke.”
Holy fuck, that would be—
“So I wondered—Joy—wewondered—” One of her feet starts up a jittery bounce against the floor.“The thing is, when I told him a little bit ago that I won’t go out with him, he got this way about him that made me nervous, especially on top of him finding me on my own last night, and he asked why I said no and I kind of panicked and lied and told him I have a boyfriend.But I don’t think he believed me.I’m worried he knows it’s not true ’cause he’s been admiring me from afar for God knows how long, plus I didn’t think to say it last night.So this idea we have….”
All of this leaves me short on breath for real.
Am I understanding this right?She isn’t dating that lame-ass dude anymore, so she can’t call him, so she wants me to pretend—?
“I mean, I’m not asking you to act like you’re my boyfriend,” she hurries out.“I know we’re…um….”
Oh.
I only realize my pulse had taken off on a sprint when it starts slowing back down.
But it doesn’t slow down much.
“I know you hate me,” she goes on, “but since Paxton and Emma are talking and it’s Joy’s birthday and we don’t wanna try to leave yet and I’m not with Marcus anymore, will you just sit next to me in there?If you’ll sit with me, if you’ll just be there, maybe Kyle will be convinced that I do have someone.Maybe he’ll go away and we can leave later without being….”
This time when she trails off, she looks like something unpleasant is dawning on her.
She vehemently stomps her foot and sends her eyes from me back up to the ceiling, clearly frustrated all over again—though not with me, I don’t think.She looks like she wants to pull her own hair out.
“What am I even saying?”she huffs out.“He probably knows you and I aren’t on good terms.He was watching me that night you made me spill my drink on myself, and who knows what else he’s seen?Why the hell would he believe we suddenly like each other?Even if we managed to be decent to each other for a little while and not argue the entire time, we don’t have it in us to look convincing.Which means this is a stupid idea,nota strong one, and it’s insane of me to ask you to go along with it—and why would I think you’d go along with it even if itwasa good idea?What’s wrong with me?Why would I think you’d wanna bother with this?This isn’t your problem, and you’re not my friend.This ismyunbelievable problem.”
