Page 66 of I Hear You

“An appointment with who, your attorney? Someone trying to sue you for breaking their heart?” I tease.

He laughs, but it doesn’t sound sincere. He ignores my prodding and drives away. I have Emmett drop Madison off first. It’s agonizing saying goodbye to her. I want to drag out the time I’ve had with her. I’m panic-stricken that we were in some trauma-induced bubble that will burst when she has her first moment of alone time. I walk her to her dorm room, carrying her bag and the box of things she brought home from the storage shed. We’re standing outside her dorm room door now. So much still left unsaid between us.

“Thank you Ender, foreverything.”

“Anytime,” I say and lean in to kiss her.

When the kiss ends, she unlocks her door. Before she can get inside, I turn her back around to face me. I’m nervous and I don’t know why.

“Mads?”

“Yes?” She looks just as nervous as I feel.

I shove my hands into my front pockets and rock back and forth on my heels, trying to get the courage to ask her what I need to.

“Will you—will you go out to dinner with me tonight?” I finally ask her.

She chuckles quietly, and I’m about to puke or run away. I’ve seen, touched, kissed and licked almost every inch of this woman, but I’m still terrified of her rejecting me.

“I would love to,” she says.

I let out the breath I was holding.

“I’ll pick you up at eight?” I ask her.

She nods. I give her one more quick kiss, then press my lips to her ear and whisper.

“Don’t wear any panties,” I say.

She lets out a small gasp. I pull away to see her eyes wide, her lips parted. I turn on my heel and walk away, back to Emmett, waiting to take me home.

When Emmett drops me off at home, my mom’s car is in the driveway. I wonder why she wasn’t answering my calls. I make my way inside the house and find her taking her shoes off in the hallway. She’s in her scrubs and looks like she just got home. Weird, she doesn’t normally work on Mondays.

“Did you have to cover someone’s shift?” I ask.

“Oh, Jesus, Henderson,” she shouts. “You startled me.”

I can’t help but laugh. I apologize and go to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Um, no, I just had some things I needed to take care of,” she says, dumping her shoes in a nearby basket. “Are you hungry? Can I make you something to eat?”

We move to the kitchen and I let her make me a sandwich. It’s already after five, so I need to get ready for my date with Madison, but I’m starving. We hardly took any time to stop and eat while we were in California. Mom’s just finishing layering on the tomatoes for my turkey sandwich when I speak up.

“Mom, I have a date tonight.”

“With the pretty brunette from the diner?” she asks, not even looking up from the sandwich as she wraps in a paper towel.

She hands it to me and gives me a pitying smile.

“Henderson, I’m your mother, I know things. Where are you taking her?” she asks.

“I was thinking, Olivers.”

She nods in agreement. It’s the only nice restaurant we have in town. A small Italian place that has linen-covered tables and is lit mostly by candles.

“I think Olivers is perfect,” she says, patting my arm in the reassuring way mothers do.

She heads to her room as I devour the sandwich she made me.

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