When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(68)
“Mom. Dad, this is Graham Black,” Kennedy’s voice is strong as she introduces me.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad,” I release her hand quickly to shake theirs quickly returning my hand to Kennedy’s. She ushers me over to the loveseat where we sit down waiting for a plethora of questions to fly from her parents. I have just walked out of their daughter’s bedroom when they haven’t been home to protest my whereabouts. Surely that will raise a few flags.
“So, what do you kids have going on today?” Mr. Conrad asks. It appears that Kennedy and I are going to get a free pass for our indiscretions.
“Homework. I’ll be doing that here soon but other than that I don’t think we have anything planned,” Kennedy answers looking over at me for back up.
“What about you, Graham? Do you have homework to do too?” I can tell he’s trying to give me the Daddy of the daughter third degree. I don’t mind. I’ve never had a girlfriend. This makes situations like these easy to avoid. This one I’m willing to walk right into.
I smile at Kennedy who’s waiting for my answer with a glee in her eyes begging me to say that I have homework to do. “I have some homework that I could do.”
“We could always do it together, if you’d like.” Kennedy playfully elbows me in my side causing me to jump in my seat. She never drops her gaze on me. I start to feel self-conscious in front of her parents at the way she’s looking towards me.
“Graham, why don’t you stay for dinner,” Mrs. Conrad’s voice rings through the silence of the room. Her voice sounds just like her daughters, just a pitch higher. I quickly look away from Kennedy turning to face her parents.
“If that’s okay with you sir, I’d love to stay for dinner,” I address Mr. Conrad. I can feel Kennedy’s tight stare bounce between me and her father waiting for his answer. If anything, I learned how to be a gentleman around adults from my Grandmother. She won’t tolerate anything less.
I remember when I was younger my Grandmother would smack us upside our heads if we didn’t address an adult with Sir or Mam. It seemed to stick with me. Too bad she didn’t stress how to treat girls. Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten into some of the situations that I have in the past.
“Only with one condition,” Mr. Conrad’s voice is suddenly unapologetically serious. “Graham, if you hurt my daughter I promise I will hurt you twice as badly.”
“DAD!” Kennedy shouts from her seat on the couch. She’s embarrassed by her father’s threat. Her reaction is sweet.
“Mr. Conrad, I already told your daughter that I’d never intentionally cause her any pain. If you haven’t already, I’m sure you will hear that I don’t have the best reputation, but somehow your daughter see’s something in me worth knowing and I can promise you that I understand that I don’t deserve someone like Kennedy,” I profess in a strong honest voice. My confession surprises me. Mrs. Conrad grins over at her daughter and I making me feel comfortable. I basically confessed my feelings towards their daughter straight out the gate. How embarrassing.
“That’s all I needed to know. You are more than welcome here at our house as long as Kennedy will have you,” he stands up to shake my hand before heading into the kitchen returning with a glass of water.
Mrs. Conrad’s looking at Kennedy with a knowing gleam in her eye. It seems they’re having a silent conversation between the two of them. I can’t see what she’s mouthing to her mother, but I know it has to do with me. Her father sits oblivious of their interaction probably due to several years of enduring these silent exchanges.
Kennedy gets up from the couch leaving me sitting alone with her parents. Rubbing a hole in the top of my jeans seems only a few strokes away from grinding my palms over the denim. I’m more nervous than I thought waiting for her parents to throw another curveball my way.
“Are you coming or not?” Kennedy’s voice comes from her bedroom. I’m not sure if I should follow her or sit exactly where her father can see me. Disrespecting your girlfriend’s parents the first day meeting them is not a way to start off on a good foot. I sit still pretending that I don’t hear her even though my body’s practically throwing itself in her direction in anticipation of just being near her.
“She’s calling for you. You might want to get in there. She can be impatient,” Mrs. Conrad smirks trying her hardest to stifle a laugh. They both fall into a fit of laughter. I think they enjoy watching me uneasy.
“It was nice meeting you and thanks again for allowing me to stay for dinner.” I stand up to walk back towards Kennedy’s room.
I walk through her door closing it behind me to find it empty. The shower’s running. The bathroom door’s ajar allowing steam to leak through the small crack. I sit down on her bed waiting for her to come out patiently twiddling with the fabric on the blanket thinking about what had just happened earlier this morning.
I feel out of place. I push the thoughts to the back of my head. I won’t allow my insecurities to cause a riff in our already fragile relationship. That’s what we had here. We were in a relationship. She had just given up a big chunk of herself to me and now I’d have to prove myself worthy. Could I be good enough for someone like her? I have my doubts.
“Whatcha thinking about, Black?” Kennedy’s voice sings as she walks into the room. My eyes bounce around until I see her walking across her room to her dresser with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body.