Page 46 of The Confidant
“My friends aren’t bad people,” I tried to say. They might not believe the same things as me, but they all had great hearts and were about doing good things.
“I know they have been good friends while you’ve been at school,” Dad said. “But you need to look to the future. You’ll be graduating soon. Getting married. Starting a family. You know just as well as I do that you won’t find someone among your current circle who can give you the life you want and need.”
Which meant, he probably knew Hunter was skipping church and Bible class if he was including him among the group of people who couldn’t give me that life.
Which also means that I really can’t let him find out that I’m going on a date with Hunter tonight.
“So will you give Xander a chance to get to know you better?” Dad asked when I didn’t say anything.
And since I was all about keeping the peace when it came to my dad, I nodded and said, “Of course.”
Just let me have one night where I didn’t think about any of that stuff first.
15
SCARLETT
Hey,Dad. I just had a friend from church invite me to hang out at her house. Be back at eleven?
I practiced the words in my head as I paced around my room. It was five-thirty and I’d changed into a pink blouse with textured polka dots that I knew was Hunter’s favorite.
I’d also curled my hair and took extra care on my makeup.
I’d even given myself a spritz of the perfume Hunter always complimented me on.
The only thing I hadn’t done to get ready for my date, though, was to get the actual go-ahead to leave the house.
When I was at school, I could basically come and go as I pleased on the weekends, as long as I was back by curfew. But even though I was technically an adult at eighteen years old, whenever I was staying at my dad’s house, I was back to needing permission to go anywhere.
I paced the rug in my upstairs room some more.
Hey Dad,I practiced again,so there is this really cool new movie that I wanted to see—it’s rated G, of course—so I’ll just see you guys later? I might also grab dinner while I’m out. Be back by curfew?
He’d believe I would go see a movie by myself, right?
My phone buzzed with a text from Hunter.Excited to see you. Still okay to meet me at the gate at 6?
Ah! That was only thirty minutes away.
Me:I still haven’t told my dad about my plans for the night…
Hunter:You might need to get on that then…
Hunter:That is, if you’re still up for everything.
Me:I’m up for it.
Seriously. I hadn’t been so excited for a Saturday night in months.
Me:Just trying to find a way to word it without lying…
Hunter:You can’t go with the“hanging out with Hunter” plan?
Me:Probably not.
Not after what my dad said about spending my time with people on the straight and narrow—
“Scarlett?” Dad called from the other side of my door, followed by a light knock.
