Page 78 of Inevitable

I hated that I’d put them in this position. Jonathan was jeopardizing his relationship with my dad for me. And every time Jonathan lied to be with me, or avoided my dad because of his guilt, it was chipping away at their friendship.

Their voices faded, and I didn’t hear anything more after that beyond the rush of blood in my ears, the distant ring of a phone. I sagged against the wall.

Cody walked through the door, a piece of paper in hand. He didn’t see me, not at first. But when he did, we both startled.

“What are you still doing in here? Wait—” He glanced toward the open door and the hallway beyond. “Were you…hiding from your dad?”

“What?” My voice came out as more of a shriek. “No.” I laughed. “Of course not.” I glanced around, searching for an excuse as if one would materialize. “Yes. Okay. I have a lot to get done, and you know those two with their bromance. I didn’t want to get dragged into lunch.”

He laughed. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about my sister’s bakery. Well, it’s more of a food truck at the moment.”

I sighed with relief, grateful for the change of topic. I followed him out of Jonathan’s office and over to his desk, where he procured a business card.

“This is it—Cutie Pies.” He handed it to me.

I grinned down at the business card where images of small, hand-sized pies were displayed. “Cute.”

“And delicious. But she’s going through some growing pains and could really use some advice.”

“I’d be happy to talk to her.” I smiled. “Gotta go.” I jetted down the hall.

It felt like that was all I did this summer—avoid people.

* * *

“Well, this is nice,”Lea said as we smoothed out the picnic blanket. “Though I wish Jack could’ve made it. I was really looking forward to meeting him.”

“Me too,” I said, moving my bag so it would hold down the quilt.

“I still don’t understand why you felt the need to hide that you were dating someone.” She flipped the corner back so it laid flat on the grass.

“I don’t know,” I sighed, thinking the longer the summer dragged on, the more lies I told.

Lie. Avoid. Deflect. Those had become my default. It felt a lot like dating Nico, except Jonathan was nothing like Nico.

And Lea was thirsty for information. She’d been peppering me with questions the past few weeks. Where was Jack from? When did we first start seeing each other? Was it serious?

My dad stood nearby, crunching a chip between his teeth. “Yeah. I was prepared to grill him.”

“Dad.” I rolled my eyes.

“Hey.” Lea swatted at him when he popped another chip in his mouth. “No eating yet.”

He pulled her in, giving her a quick peck on the lips. I wondered what that would be like—to be with someone who openly showed affection. Someone you didn’t have to hide your feelings for. Though that hadn’t always been the case for my dad and Lea, it certainly was now. But it had come at a price, and I knew their happiness had been hard-won.

And their love story—unconventional as it was—gave me hope. Hope that maybe there could be a future for Jonathan and me. A future where I didn’t have to lie and sneak around. A future where we could be together. Because every time I thought about the end of the summer or leaving for Palo Alto, I felt sick to my stomach.

“You have to wait for Jonathan,” Lea said, and I froze, wondering if I’d spoken my thoughts aloud. I was paralyzed with fear, but then I followed her gaze and saw the very man I’d been thinking about.

“Jonathan?” My voice was hoarse, eyes practically bugging out of their sockets.Thank god for sunglasses.

“Yeah. I thought I told you I’d invited him,” Lea said.

I shook my head. She definitely hadnotmentioned it. But it was too late now.

“Hey, Lea.” He grinned, giving her a side hug. She seemed so tiny in comparison to him. He and my dad shook hands before my dad pulled him into a hug, patting him on the back a few times.

What the heck is he doing here?