The Fill-In Boyfriend(37)

“You’re fast,” he said.

“Oh. You don’t have to walk me up.”

“I can’t help it. My dad raised me right.”

“Where was your dad tonight?”

“He goes to bed early and wakes up with the sun.”

“So your mom named you but are you more like your dad or your mom?”

“Do you mean am I a wild free spirit or a conservative early riser?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think?” he asked.

“I don’t know. You went to prom with me at the drop of a hat, no questions asked.”

“I asked questions.”

“Not ones that mattered.”

“You were too pretty for those questions.”

I smiled and tried not to be too flattered but a few butterflies took flight in my stomach. “Don’t you mean too lonely?”

He gave me a smirk. “Well, that too.”

We made it to the doorstep and I turned toward him. “So prom night makes me think you’re like your mom. But . . .”

“But?”

“But then you walk me up to my door out of the obligation instilled in you to be a gentleman and that makes me think you’re more like your dad.”

“My mom might take offense to that.”

“Why?”

“Because had she taken you home, she would’ve probably walked you to your door too.”

“So then I’d be standing on my front porch with your mom.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, not a great image.”

“So you’re saying you’re like your mom?”

“No. You got it right. I’m a little bit of my mom, a little of my dad, and a lot of me.”

“Well, that’s a very good mixture.” I pulled out my keys to unlock the door. “I had fun tonight.”

“What would you have done tonight if you hadn’t gone with me?” he asked.

Logan’s party. I hadn’t even thought about it since the beginning of the night. At first I’d even thought that the second Hayden dropped me off I would head straight there for the end of it, but I didn’t feel like doing that at all right now. “My friend from school is having a party tonight. He’s thrown some killer . . .”

I trailed off because I couldn’t remember the last time a party had really been all that killer. Hayden tilted his head like he was waiting for me to finish. He was giving me that look again, the one where he was searching for something beyond what I was offering. Hadn’t he learned by now that what he saw was what he got?

“Go on,” he said.

“Never mind. It was stupid.”

The front door opened then—how could I forget that my parents always waited up for me?—and my dad appeared.

“Gia?” he said.

“Yes, sorry. I’m coming in.”

My dad took one step out. “Hello, I’m Mr. Montgomery.”

“Good to meet you, sir. I’m Hayden.”

My dad looked at me to explain who this was and I didn’t know how. “He just brought me home. Thanks, Hayden.”

I walked inside and heard my dad offer a better good-bye than I had then close the door.

My mom sat on the couch reading. “How did studying go?”

“I don’t think she was studying,” my dad said.

“What?” My mom looked concerned.

“The girl you met earlier? It was her brother. The one I told you about. He gave me a ride home.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so?” my dad asked.

“I just did.” I looked between the two of them, waiting for them to ask more, to accuse me of not being where I said I was. My mom just folded the blanket she’d been using and placed it on the couch. I tried to imagine what would happen if I told them about revenge and fake dating. The images in my brain consisted of a lot of sputtering speeches and confused looks. “I’m going to bed.”

“Say good night to your brother too. He’s leaving first thing in the morning.”

“Okay.” I knocked lightly on my brother’s door but there was no answer. I cracked it open and saw that he was already in bed.

He rolled over and sat up a little. “Hi, G. You’re home.”

“Yes. Just saying good night. Have a safe drive tomorrow.”

He dropped back onto his pillow. “What was up with Goth Girl earlier? Why are you hanging out with her?”