Page 6 of The Confidant
“I know you and Scarlett usually hang out at these things,” Addison added, as if sensing my hesitation. “But I just thought that since she was taking someone else, maybe you’d be open to going with me. If not, I totally understand…”
What…?
I looked back at her. “Scarlett told you she already asked someone?” Because this was the first I’d heard of it.
When had that happened? Who had she asked?
She’d been talking to Ben and Casey for a while during class. Had she asked one of them?
“Yeah, at least that’s what I’m pretty sure she said when I asked her if she’d be okay with me asking you…” Addison said, her words trailing off.
She’d asked Scarlett if she could ask me to the dance?
And Scarlett had given her the green light?
Not that I needed Scarlett’s permission to go on a date with anyone else. We weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend anymore.
But Scarlett was taking someone else to the Valentine's dance?
“I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have asked…” I heard Addison say through the fog overtaking my brain. “I’ll just go now.”
She was turning to leave when my sense of shock wore off long enough to realize that I was being a complete jerk right now.
“No sorry, wait.” I reached out to touch her arm before she could leave. “I’m just, I—of course I’d love to go to the Valentine's dance with you. Sorry, it’s been a long day, and I think my brain decided to check out of school twenty minutes ago. But that sounds fun. And I’m free.”
Apparently.
“Are you sure?” she asked, insecurity reflecting in her blue eyes. “Because if you already have other plans or were hoping someone else would ask you, I understand. I mean, I was originally thinking about, well…” She shook her head. “Never mind, but you don’t have to feel obligated to—”
“I don’t feel obligated,” I cut her off before she could feel even worse than I’d already made her feel. “It’ll be fun getting to know you better. And the dance sounds fun.”
Since it appeared that my usual dancing partner already had found a new replacement for me, it was probably time for me to accept that after being in a stalemate with Scarlett for nine months, I needed to at least look like I was trying to move on.
And Addison was nice—a little quieter than my usual type, sure. But my usual type wasn’t working out so great right now, so it would probably be good for me to try going out with a different type.
A second later, Addison’s stepbrother, Evan, showed up at the classroom door with his backpack slung over his shoulder. I briefly wondered if he would be as overprotective of Addison as Scarlett’s dad was of her. They were always together, and while Evan seemed like a pretty good guy, he was also huge—about the size of my cousin Arie who had been a bodyguard at one point.
I shook those thoughts away. It was just a date to a school dance. I didn’t need to worry about every relative of the girl I was going out with having huge reservations about me dating their daughter or sister or whatever. Even if I was a lot different than I’d been a year ago—different in ways Pastor Caldwell found unacceptable to date his daughter—I was still a good person.
But it did suck that the reason Scarlett and I couldn’t date was because I’d made some changes to my life plans that her father didn’t approve of. To not be with the person I’d always expected to end up with—not because we didn’t get along or weren’t great together, but because I no longer believed everything Pastor Caldwell or the High Priest said as gospel truth.
He saw himself as an authority on the workings of the universe and didn’t like to have his authority questioned.
“We’ll go tubing at the ski resort during the day—I’ll let you know the exact time when it gets closer,” Addison said, giving me a few more details about our date. “And then dinner will be at the Italian Amigos before we head to the dance.”
So we’d be going as a group with the rest of my friends? And I’d get a front-row view to watch Scarlett and her date flirt?
Yay…
“Sounds like a fun day,” I said, trying hard to sound enthusiastic.
“I think it should be,” she said, not seeming to realize how potentially awkward this group date could be.
She gave me one last smile, and then with a quick wave, she walked out the door with her stepbrother to head to whatever after-school activities they had planned.
Once I was alone again, I blew out a long breath and tried to center myself.
This day had taken a sudden turn. Instead of going to another school dance with Scarlett as “just friends” like we’d been doing all year, she was moving on. And before I was ready, I was going on a date with someone new.
