Page 23 of Just Another Meet Cute

After we got out of the movie, it started to drizzle. Not enough to get wet, but enough for a light mist to cover the air. It made everything seem kind of foggy and fuzzy, like a dream.

Linh stared at the sky for a full minute or two until her face got all dewy. Finally, she turned to me. “Do you want me to drop you off at home? I assume your date with Ryan is over now, since Ian is here, too. Unless you want to keep flirting with both of them.”

“I didn’t—I wasn’t—” I glanced over at the twins as they stood a few feet away.

Ian twirled the keys around his index finger as he peered out at the parking lot.

The wind rustled through his hair, making a couple of dark strands fall on his forehead.

On his other side, Ryan was busy typing something on his phone.

He bounced back and forth on each foot like he was anxious.

His shoulders rolled a bit under his gray polo shirt.

It was more fitted than Ian’s T-shirt, so I could see the lean muscles on his arms flexing as he typed.

He must be typing an essay or something by the way he was going at it. Not that I minded.

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you.” Catching the light blush that crept up my face, Linh winked and called out to the guys, “I’ll drop Nina off at home. You guys can go first.”

“Are you sure?” Ian asked as he stopped twirling the keys. “I thought you had something to do.”

I shook my head as Ryan came up beside me. “It’s okay, Linh can drop me off. The house she’s babysitting at is in our neighborhood anyway.”

“If you’re sure …” At my nod, he leaned past Ian and kissed me on my cheek. “I’ll call you later.”

Ian caught my gaze behind Ryan’s back, and he looked away. Or maybe I did.

When the guys crossed the street to the parking lot, Linh motioned toward the side of the building where she parked. “Ready? I think the rain’s getting lighter.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Before we could take a step though, a gray SUV suddenly pulled up and parked right next to us, blocking our way. The driver rolled down the window, and I could hear a Westlife song in the background. Only one person I knew listened to the British boy band religiously.

Dad.

“Hey, girls, I was worried that I would miss you,” he called out. His arm hung out of the driver’s window as he waved us over. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

I squinted at him like he was a hallucination or something, since he was pretty much the last person I expected to see.

Well, him and actual Tom Holland. But at least Tom would have had a better reason to be here, to watch his own movie.

Lottery, slim chance, but still better than Dad being here.

Something wasn’t right. “Why didn’t you call me? ”

“Oh, I should have, huh? I guess I forgot.” Dad glanced away, but not before a flicker of uncertainty crossed his face.

Uh-huh. It was obvious that Dad didn’t call because he didn’t want me to escape. He was such a horrible liar. I have no idea how he was ever able to have a secret affair with Mom in the first place.

Speaking of Mom, there was no doubt that this was her plan. This had her trademark sneakiness written all over it. Especially because she knew that Linh was babysitting tonight. She even asked us before we left for the movies.

Linh’s eyebrows rose. “It’s okay, Chu. I have my car. I was going to drive Nina home before going over to the Haynes’.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I can take her home,” he quickly said. His voice was a little higher than usual as he waved me forward again.

Still holding on to my arm, Linh tugged me aside. “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you can come babysitting with me instead. Although—”

“Although Mr. Haynes doesn’t like it when you bring random people to their house,” I finished for her. “I know.”

“But you’re not a random person. You’re my cousin. I’m sure he’ll understand. Especially if you don’t want to go home right now.”

Touched by her loyalty, I forced a reassuring smile on my face. “It’s okay. It’s just a car ride home. How bad can it be?”

Linh gave me a skeptical look like she knew exactly how bad it could be. But she nodded and waved at my dad as she walked away. “I guess I’ll see you guys later, then. Text me when you get home.”

Letting out a deep breath, I pasted a smile on my face and came around the car to the passenger side. “So why didn’t Mom come with you?”

“She was busy. I was hoping that we could get some ice cream or something. Hang out.”

My fingers froze on the car door. “Hang out?”

His voice was low and hesitant. “Yeah. I thought it would be nice … with just us.”

I blinked at him as his words slowly sunk in. The word us kept floating around in my head, like it didn’t want to be caught or understood.

To be honest, I knew Dad wasn’t asking for much.

Fifteen or twenty minutes at the ice cream parlor as we got a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

And whatever it meant to “hang out.” Then home.

That’s it. Maybe it wouldn’t be totally unbearable.

We could even talk a bit. Have fun. It shouldn’t be such a big deal.

But it was. Because I couldn’t help thinking about what happens next.

What if this became a regular thing next week?

And then next month? What if one day, being us wasn’t that strange anymore, and what if it suddenly stopped?

And our outings would become a thing of the past when he moved on without us.

I know these were all what-ifs, but they were what-ifs that I couldn’t risk. No matter how much I urged my fingers to open the door to get into the car with him. I just … couldn’t.

Because one ice cream cone wasn’t going to promise anything. It didn’t guarantee anything. Nothing could.

“Sorry, Dad, but I forgot I—I have plans,” I said quickly, letting go of the handle and backing up.

My mind whirled rapidly as I scrambled to find an excuse, any excuse to escape.

Ryan’s blue car appeared in the distance like a glowing beacon.

“I forgot I promised to help Ryan’s little sister with a project. ”

“But—”

“I’ll be home by ten-thirty. I promise.”

Without a second thought, I dashed across the street toward Ian and Ryan’s car.

Thank God they hadn’t left yet. I didn’t know if they were picking music or talking, but it felt like some sort of miracle that they were still here.

Ian had started the engine when I banged on the trunk of their car so they wouldn’t back up and run me over.

Both of them stared at me as Ryan quickly rolled down the passenger window. “Nina? What’s going on?”

Breathing heavily from my sprint, my hand grasped at the open window like it was a lifeline. “So, it turns out that Linh can’t drive me home after all.”

“Oh, okay. Then do you need us to drive you home—”

I immediately shook my head. “No, I—I can’t go home. Not right now. Do you mind if I hang out with you guys a bit longer?”

“We were going back to our house. Dí Mai brought the twins and Ollie over …” Ryan trailed off, and for a split second I thought he was going to tell me no.

Anxiously, I glanced over my shoulder at Dad’s waiting car. “Please?”

At the look on my face, Ian reached out to lightly touch Ryan’s arm.

They both stared at each other for a minute or two as though they were having a silent conversation without me.

Like some kind of twin superpower. The only thing that moved on their faces was an occasional raised eyebrow and their eyes as they blinked.

I held my breath for what felt like ages—although it was probably barely a minute—and then Ryan broke their eye contact and punched on the unlock button on the car door. “I guess you’re coming home with us, then. Come on.”

With an inner squeal, I jerked on the car door and dove into the back seat. Ian glanced at me through the rearview mirror. His mouth opened like he wanted to ask me something. Instead, he glanced over in Dad’s direction.

Following his gaze, I could see Dad in the other car. He was still parked by the theater. His profile was cast in the shadows, but I could tell by the way his face was turned down, by the way his shoulders were slightly hunched over, that he was disappointed. Sad.

I felt it, too.

For a split second, I almost told Ian to unlock the door.

Almost called out to Dad to tell him—everyone—that I changed my mind.

And that we could go get ice cream together after all.

Maybe we could try to be more than just roommates for Mom’s sake.

And that I wanted to trust him and be a normal family.

But I didn’t. Instead, I buckled my seat belt and looked out the other window until we pulled out of the parking lot and Dad’s car was out of sight.