The Romantics(56)

baltimore bound


When Gael got back to his house that afternoon, he was feeling more like himself than he had in a long, long time. The relief of finally forgiving Mason was enormous. He even told his friend that maybe he and Anika could join them at lunch again soon—not just yet, of course, but eventually.

And, okay, add to the happy feelings a sense of resolve. Gael couldn’t deny it any longer. He had feelings for Sammy, and he had to know if she did, too, before he could think seriously about dating Cara. It was only fair.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he would say to her, but as he walked down the hallway and into the dining room, he was feeling especially light on his feet.

Sammy and Piper were at the table as usual. Piper was copying out French definitions, so absorbed that she barely even gave him a nod.

Sammy, on the other hand, looked up immediately and smiled. She adjusted her glasses. Gael had a sudden urge to take them off and kiss her like they did in the movies. He forced himself to focus.

“So, do I get all the juicy details?” she asked.

“Huh?”

“Your date,” she said.

That got Piper looking up. “Date?” she asked.

He’d been so focused on what was on his mind that, for a second, he had no idea what Sammy was talking about. He stared blankly at both of them.

“With Cara?” she offered. “Halloween?”

“Oh,” he stammered. “Err, it wasn’t really a date.”

Sammy shrugged, made air quotes. “Your ‘hangout’ with your soon-to-be girlfriend, then.”

Piper looked from Gael to Sammy and then back again. “Wait, I thought you guys liked each other.”

Sammy’s face turned beet red, and she looked less composed than he’d ever seen her. Gael felt his own face heating up.

“No,” he said. “I mean, well, the thing is . . .”

“I’m your babysitter,” Sammy offered practically. “I can’t date your brother. Plus, another girl has already won his heart.”

“But you guys went to the movies together,” Piper said, matter-of-factly. “That’s like, a date.”

“All right, all right, Little Miss Matchmaker,” Sammy said, closing Piper’s French book. “Why don’t you go on the computer and get a little extra Wikipedia time in? I won’t tell your mom.”

“You guys are trying to get rid of me, right?” Piper asked.

“Yes,” Sammy said.

“You just have to ask, geez,” Piper said, and headed upstairs as fast as she could.

Sammy leaned back in her chair. Gael sensed that this was his moment. He just had to somehow find the right words.

“Well, that was awkward,” Sammy said, looking at him and laughing.

“Uhh,” Gael stuttered. He took a seat next to her. He could feel himself starting to sweat.

Sammy stared at him, but he didn’t say anything. Her embarrassed blush was already fading. She crossed her arms finally, breaking the spell. “I do want to hear more about your Halloween.”

He shrugged. Halloween was literally the last thing he wanted to talk about right then. “It was good, I guess. We were zombies. Umm, how was yours?”

She leaned her elbows against the table, tilted her head toward him. “You okay?” she asked.

Gael nodded quickly, wondering why this was so damn hard?

“Well, my Halloween was whatever. I didn’t end up going out at all, actually.”

Through the window outside, Gael saw three kids tossing a ball back and forth. He wondered, briefly, what Sammy had been like as a kid. Probably exactly the same. He scooted his chair back a little. He wondered how in the world to turn a boring conversation about Halloween into what he wanted to say—but what did he want to say?

“How come?” he asked finally. “I thought you said you had plans.”

Sammy sat up straight and wrung the bottom of her T-shirt in her hands. “Yeah, I was supposed to do something with my roommate, but, well, I ended up just talking to John.”

Gael felt his heart beat faster. He was taken aback completely. It was the last thing he’d expected to hear. “Your ex?”

She nodded. “He called me on Monday night . . .” Her voice dropped off.

“And what did he want?” Gael demanded.

Sammy hesitated. “He apologized for everything.”

“Everything including cheating on you?” Gael asked.

“Hey,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “He explained everything. He got with another girl at a party and then broke up with me the next day. I’d hardly call it cheating.”

“Oh, that’s convenient,” Gael said. He could feel himself getting worked up, his face becoming hotter.

“Well, it’s true,” she argued. “He said he was just scared by the idea of a long-distance relationship. Since Monday, he’s been texting a bunch, and he even sent me flowers on Tuesday. It was so sweet.”

Gael took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts.

Sammy fiddled with Piper’s French book, avoiding his eyes. “Anyway, I’m going to Baltimore tomorrow night. I figure I need to see him in person to figure out if we can give this a real shot again.”

“What?” Gael asked, dumbfounded. “You’re actually thinking about taking him back?”