Until We Meet Again(35)
that could light up half the Eastern Seaboard. Then he presses
his lips to my cheek.
“I will wait for you,” he whispers into my ear, sending a shiver
over my entire body.
Grasping for composure, I back away. I can feel my pulse
beating from my scalp all the way down to my toes. This is
when I was supposed to say my poignant, preplanned words
of farewell. Instead, I turn away in a daze and run off without
another word.
Chapter 13
Cassandra
T
here’s, like, a month-long waiting list to get into this
place. Lucky my dad knows the maitre d’.”
Brandon’s smile is probably supposed to come across as casually smug, though his eagerness to impress me seeps through.
I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. It’s incomprehensibly lame
that I’m here. On a date with Brandon. I was perfectly happy
sitting on the couch wrapped in my bedspread, eating a tube
of processed cookie dough, and binge-watching Netflix. So,
of course, Mom had to ruin everything and make me go out.
She thinks she’s fixing the problem.
“Can’t see why there’s such a big wait,” I say, perusing the
menu.
It’s so strange to be around Brandon without Travis. Even
stranger to wrap my head around the fact that I am literally
living in an alternate reality right now. One where Brandon is
top dog in Crest Harbor, not just Travis’s wingman. Because
Travis has never existed. The difference is tangible, and
unfortunately I liked Wingman Brandon much better. There
was something almost endearing about his nervous, tryingtoo-hard-to-please manner. Confident, triumphant Brandon makes me want to punch something.
“So,” Top Dog Brandon says, glancing down at his menu.
“What have you been doing this past week, Cass? I feel like
you disappeared.”
Because I did. Because I met someone infinitely more
interesting and charming than you. I’d be with him now, if
not for…
I close my eyes and draw in a quick breath. I need to get hold
of myself. I’m supposed to be forgetting about Lawrence. That’s
the only reason I came on this date. Anything to keep from
thinking about that beach.
“Oh, you know,” I say, shrugging. “Just the typical stuff.
Joined a street gang. Sold some crack. Killed my first man in a
switchblade fight.”
Brandon raises an eyebrow. “Sounds interesting.”
“That’s Crest Harbor for you. Little America.”
“You know, after seeing you break into your neighbor’s backyard, I’m not totally sure you’re joking right now.”
I wink at him. “A lady never tells.”
He offers a strained smile, and I realize I should probably lay
off the sarcasm a little. Jade’s always telling me I scare guys off
with it.
But Lawrence liked my sense of humor.
I clench my jaw. Stop it.
“So,” I say, trying for a light, cheerful tone. “How about you?
Do anything cool lately?”
Brandon grins. Talking about himself proves second nature
for him.
“Getting ready for the lacrosse championships. We practice a
ton, but it’s paying off. The Crest Harbor league is killer strong
this summer.”
Taking his pause as a cue, I smile and nod. “Awesome.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty sweet,” he says. “We all meet up at Hector’s
after the games, have some drinks, swim—you know, hang out.”
His left eyebrow rises suggestively. “You should come sometime.”
In a blink, I can picture what it would be like to date
Brandon. Hangouts at Hector’s. Stupid drinking games. Lots
of talk about lacrosse and other sports. A few make-outs in his
car. Perhaps one or two in the jacuzzi, while his new, alternatereality guy friends drink beer from red Solo cups and high-five each other for their epic displays of manliness.
It would be a perfectly adequate, entertaining summer fling.
And don’t I have every right to that? I’m seventeen. It’s not like
I’m searching for my soul mate or something.
Soul mate… The words send tremors through my stomach. I
clench my teeth. Get a grip, Cass. Seriously.
“We have a game Friday night actually,” Brandon says, interrupting my thoughts. “You can sit with Sara, Jake’s girlfriend.
You met her the other night, didn’t you?”
“I think so.” I really have no idea.
“Sweet. It’s a date.” He smiles in triumph, as if simply
acknowledging that I knew someone was agreement to go out
with him.
Another date. Just what I’m in the mood for. I take another
long drink of my water, wishing it were something stronger.
Brandon goes on. “We could hang out at my place after the
game, but my mom killed that idea. She’s totally freaking out