Page 37 of The Confidant
And also partly because Xander was actually fun to talk to. He was smart and witty, an engaging conversationalist. We had a lot of things in common—New York, the church, and the insatiable drive to be high achievers—so that gave us plenty of things to relate with.
The fact that he was also really attractive and had half the girls in the room turning their heads to steal glances at him might have also helped me feel slightly better about the night.
“I think this is actually the song my parents danced to when they got married,” Xander said, bringing my thoughts back to the music we were swaying to.
“Really?” I asked, surprised a guy in his early twenties would even remember something like that.
“Pretty sure, at least.” He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “So it’s kind of cool that we’re dancing to it tonight.”
“Well, that’s cool you know that about your parents,” I said. “I have no idea what song my parents danced to at theirs.”
They hadn’t exactly stayed married long enough for me to get to an age where I would even think to ask them such a question.
“Megan is your dad’s second wife, right?” Xander asked.
“Yeah, they got married when I was ten,” I said. “So she’s been my stepmom for a while. But my mom lives just down the street from them since she wanted to be close by.”
She actually lived in the same building as Hunter’s family. And while Hunter and I hadn’t been friends until coming to school here, it made it really nice now for hanging out together when I had my weekends with my mom.
In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell were actually the ones to tell my mom about Eden Falls Academy, since their oldest son Sebastian had attended the school and enjoyed it.
“I don’t think I’ve met your mom,” Xander said, his brow narrowing thoughtfully. “Did she stop attending our congregation when your parents divorced?”
“It was a little before that,” I said, flushing a little since my mom’s church inactivity was a little embarrassing to talk about. “She became inactive a year before they split.”
Which was a big reason why their marriage had fallen apart. It was difficult to make a relationship work when you were on two different paths.
“Is that why they divorced then?” Xander guessed before quickly adding, “I only ask that because from what I hear, it’s difficult to have a mixed-faith marriage.”
“I think there were other reasons, but yes, it was a big part of it,” I said.
There had been a lot of heated arguments late at night where my dad tried to get my mom to come back to The Fold. He’d say that my mom choosing to be a career woman was putting worldly thoughts in her head. It was making her selfish and conflicted with the example she was supposed to set as a pastor’s wife—the example of a godly woman who knew that the most valuable thing she could pursue here on Earth was to raise me and help build up the kingdom of God.
Most of the women in The Fold were housewives—at least while their kids were young. So that was what he’d always planned for my mom to do. But she’d gone back to school when they found out they couldn’t have any more kids, and she found she really enjoyed working outside the home.
But instead of those conversations bringing my mom back into strong activity like my dad had hoped, they had only pushed her further away. Further from him and further from the gospel.
I would like to think that deep down my mom still knew the church was true, but that run-in with the patriarchy had left her with a bad taste in her mouth for our religion.
And yet, I was still holding out hope that she’d return someday, because the thought of not having her with me in the next life was just something I couldn’t accept.
“So your dad mentioned that you got accepted to Yale,” Xander said, changing the subject. “Is that true?”
“It is.” But before he could think that was the only school I was considering, I quickly added, “I was also offered a scholarship to Columbia, so I’m still trying to decide where to go.”
I was leaning toward Columbia, since it was closer to home, and I liked knowing Hunter and Mack would be there. But I was also giving myself a little time to make sure before sending in my official decision.
“Well, if you don’t mind hearing my totally unbiased opinion,” he said with a wink.
“Since we both know someone who already attends Yale is unlikely to have a bias,” I said with a smile.
“Naturally.” He chuckled. “But I’d have to tell you that Yale is a great option. And aside from having great professors and some of the best courses, I think I heard there’s also a pretty cool guy named Xander who goes there, too.”
“Xander, you say?” I asked, playing along. “I think I might have heard that name before. But I thought for sure he was a senior this year. So I don’t think that’s much of a selling point because he’ll be gone before I even get there.”
“But didn’t you hear?” he asked.
“Hear what?”
