Page 33 of Say You'll Stay

“Yes.”

“I’ll have to come up with one for you, then.”

One thing about Lucas Kennedy that I can’t stand is the way the dimple on his cheek stands out under that stubble on his cheeks. Seriously, does he shave at night to wake up with the perfect shadow?

“Allie?”

“Huh?”Good going, Allie. He probably thinks you’re an idiot.

“I said my dad and his wife are in town for a few weeks and they’re staying with me. I was wondering when you wanted to break the news because I’d like to introduce him to my dad and Jen.”

He didn’t want to do it at dinner the other night. So, again, the only people that know are Lucas, my dad, and me. Oh, and Charity.

I have yet to tell Ted.

“Oh. We can do it tonight before I leave, and then you two can spend some time together while my dad is home.”

“You sure he won’t need you there afterit?”

Yes, we’ve perfected talking in code around Jadon.

“I’m sure.” He’ll be perfectly fine. I hope. He ran to Lucas first yesterday when we went to pick him up. He’ll be excited to have Lucas in his life. I realize it hasn’t been that long, but I know Lucas is more than serious about this.

“If anything happens and I have to stay home, then I have to stay home. It’s no big deal. Ted will understand.” It wouldn’t be the first time I had to cancel our plans. Ted is understanding and sweet. Last time we had to cancel a trip, Jadon was in bed with a fever. I was an emotional wreck while Ted and my dad calmed me down off the crazy train.

“Are you sure yourboyfriendwon’t mind?” Lucas presses for some annoying reason.

“Yeah. Ted is easygoing, which is perfect for this life.”

“What life?” Lucas asks.

“Parenthood,” I simply state.

Lucas is quiet through Jadon’s drop-off. When we get to work, he does his usual wave goodbye and heads for his office, while I settle at my desk. John will be out today so it will be slow, meaning I can get some of my assignments done for the next couple of days for my summer class.

Around 2:30, a supermodel walks in. The kind with the hair and the face with the salon fresh look. She looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t place where I know her from. She’s absolutely gorgeous and has one of those bodies girls like me wish they had. That long and thin, flawless complexion type. I should watch more of those makeup videos. And get my hair cut.

She approaches the main office desk, and I head up to see what she needs. Her eyes scan my outfit and, yep, I feel the weight of her judgment. She was definitely that prom queen type, and we definitely wouldn’t have been friends. Still, I smile even as I crumble while she judges simple, unimpressive me.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for Lucas Kennedy. Can you point me to where I need to go?”

“Oh, sure. I can let him know you’re here and he can come get you. It’s a maze navigating to the field.”

“Well, I was hoping to surprise him…” Her pink lips pucker, and I wonder if a filter does anything to her face in pictures.

“Oh, okay. I can take you there if you want.”

She flashes a perfect smile at me as I come out from behind the counter. This has to be Katrina. She’s absolutely gorgeous. The girl that wouldbe with someone as gorgeous as Lucas. She oozes wealth right out of her perfect, invisible pores. I’ve seen her dress before on a celebrity in a gossip magazine I was flipping through at the grocery store, and her shoes would land me in the emergency room.

Yeah, she’s definitely spoiled. I wonder if Lucas spoils her with stuff like this. She’s wearing diamonds on her ears, neck, and wrist. He probably got her those, right? That’s what you do when you date someone like Katrina, I’m sure. Not just date.Livewith.

Meaning sex. They see each other naked and do naked things...

I need to stop.

Maybe Lucas comes from money too. You wouldn’t know it by looking at him. I mean, the guy is gorgeous and dresses nice, but not like he comes from money. They’re just on that same level of beauty, like gods living among us mere mortals.

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