“I know all that. But he’s Dani’s ex. And then there’s Seth…”
“Who you won’t even talk to.”
“I can’t help it.”
Molly sat up and let out a little squeak of surprise. “Speak of the devil.”
I glanced over my shoulder and Seth was at the counter getting coffee. Why me? Why now? I wanted to crawl under the table and hide. Naturally he chose that moment to look up and caught both of us watching him. With a big smile he headed towards our table.
“Great timing. Could this be any worse?” I groaned.
“Yeah. He could have his new girlfriend with him.”
“Okay, you've got me there.”
He sauntered up to us before I could come up with an excuse to run. “Hey, Molly. Allison. You ladies having a good vacation?”
Molly beamed up at him. “Of course. You still coming over after Christmas for our gaming day?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. I made sure to take the day off.”
“Good.”
“Are you two just hanging out today?”
“We came for the cinnamon rolls. And to take the curse off the place for Allie.”
He turned his mossy green eyes on me. “What kind of curse?”
So I had to tell him the story, too, which was weird because usually I couldn’t string two words together around him. I had no trouble today, though. When I looked at him he was still handsome enough, but the mere sight of him didn’t make my heart go into hysterics the way it had since my sophomore year. I wasn’t the only one who noticed, either.
“I can’t believe you’re actually talking,” Seth teased. “It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten more than monosyllables out of you.”
I shrugged it off. “I’m just getting an early start on my New Year’s resolution to be less shy.”
He saluted me with his coffee. “Good for you! You’re doing a great job. I really enjoyed the story. Now as much as I hate to, I’ve got to get to work. Both of you have a great Christmas.”
When he was gone Molly collapsed into a fit of giggles. “New Year’s resolution?”
“Well, what was I supposed to say? ‘I finally got over my crush on you?’”
“Good point. But you have, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. And now I wish I hadn’t.”
“I know you’re afraid of getting hurt, but sometimes you have to take chances.”
“Maybe so.”
But I wasn’t about to make the first move and throw myself in front of that speeding train.
Unfortunately Dylan didn’t seem to be in any hurry to do it, either, because I didn’t hear a peep from him that day or the next. His kiss haunted me, though. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and how utterly amazing it had been. Every time I thought of it I got shivery and tingly all over again. Had it just been me? Maybe it hadn’t been anything special to Dylan. After all, there had been all those girls last year. Maybe my lips just didn’t stand out from the crowd.
My spirits sunk lower each day he didn’t call, especially since my friends were all busy and I was stuck at home again with nothing to do but keep the kids busy while their parents got everything ready for the big day. At least it kept me distracted so I wasn’t thinking about Dylan all the time. Not more than fifty-eight minutes out of every hour, anyway.
On Christmas Eve we took the kids to an animated movie they’d been begging to see. While I was in line waiting for popcorn I looked up and saw Dylan standing on the other side of the concession area. Our eyes met and I felt a jolt from it even from across the room. He gave me a little smile and wave, but didn’t try to come say hello or anything. After a second he turned away and disappeared without a backwards glance into the crowd heading into the theaters.
“Miss?”
I blinked at the girl at the counter who was impatiently holding out my popcorn. “Sorry,” I mumbled, snatching it and hurrying to meet the others at the register.
I was over seeing the movie by then, though. Why was it that the only guys I was interested in were never interested in me? I flopped into my seat and shoved a handful of popcorn into my mouth. At least with Seth I’d known deep down that it was never going to happen, so I wasn’t totally disappointed. Dylan had kissed me, though, even if it had just been due to Molly teasing about the mistletoe. So I’d gotten my hopes up. I should have known better.
A cold front on Christmas Eve led to one of the worst ice storms Texas had seen in years, so the next morning our place was a total madhouse. I’d thought the kids were bad before, but unable to go outside to play with all their toys they took the insanity to a whole new level. They howled through the house like little banshees demanding attention, and when the adults tried to put them off on me again I went and hid out in my room and put my earbuds in to try to drown them out.
They were so loud that even with my music blasting I could still hear the squealing and shrieking, though. Worse, being alone gave me time to think, and that was not a good thing. Once I started thinking about Dylan I couldn’t stop, and nothing I tried managed to divert my attention away from him.
After a couple of hours I gave in. I texted him.
Me: Having a good Christmas?
I waited for several minutes, but there was no response. He was probably too busy with his family to text back. Or he was like Jason and had lost whatever slight interest he might have had. There had to be something wrong with me. Unfortunately I had very little to do except sit around feeling sorry for myself. I tried reading Wuthering Heights, but I couldn’t get into it. My mind kept drifting away, and I found myself reading the same page over and over again but not remembering a single word.
An hour later my phone dinged. I snatched it up, hoping for a text from Dylan, but it was Dannika.
Dannika: Merry Christmas!
Me: Merry Xmas to you. How’s it going?
Dannika: You will never guess what happened
Me: You got so bored you walked home from Lubbock?
Dannika: Ashton came
Me: What?
Dannika: He showed up this morning. He drove all night so he could be with me for Christmas
Dannika: Isn’t that the sweetest most romantic thing EVER???
Me: In THIS weather? Is he CRAZY?
Me: He’s lucky he didn’t kill himself
Dannika: I KNOW
Dannika: I yelled at him about it, but I forgave him
Me: I’m sure you did. But the boy is still crazy
Dannika: Crazy about me! Any luck on your matchmaking project?
Me: Struck out again. I don’t think I’m cut out for this
Dannika: 3rd time is the charm!
Me: I really think I should just let it go
Dannika: Suit yourself, but I’m sure you can get it right this time
Dannika: Ash is calling. Gotta go play in the snow!
Me: Have fun. When are you coming back?
Dannika: Day after tomorrow. The roads should be clear by then
Me: See you. Don’t freeze
Dannika: Love ya!
I was happy for her, but Ashton’s surprise visit made me feel even worse. Why couldn’t Dylan have surprised me like that? Because he wasn’t interested in me, of course. I glanced at the matchmaking notes I’d left on my desk. Maybe if I finished the job I could get enough closure to push him out of my head. I got up and stared at them. Did I really want to do this?
I could set him up once and for all and be done with matchmaking—and with him. I was done with Seth already. I was over him, and didn’t need to be hung up on anybody. I could stay single until high school was over and I went to college where the boys were a little more grown up. That was the smart thing to do.
I kept telling myself that until Dylan texted me back after dinner. I almost broke my leg running back to my room so I could read it in private.
Dylan: Hey, sorry I missed your text earlier
Me: It’s fine. Have a good Xmas?
Dylan: Yes. I’m helpin
g Mom with some stuff so I can’t talk now
Dylan: Are you still going to Molly’s tomorrow?
Me: Yeah
Dylan: Cool! I’ll see you there. Merry Christmas!
Me: Merry Christmas
I twirled a strand of my hair while I considered our conversation. So he had been busy after all, but he hadn’t sounded very thrilled about hearing from me. I’d hoped that if he answered I’d get more than just a few lines of polite text. And maybe I was overreacting and reading too much into something he’d typed in a hurry. When I saw him at Molly’s I could figure it out, even though I was sure I wouldn’t like the result.
My eyes landed on my lists again. Out of boredom I picked them up and leafed through what was left. As I read I frowned down at them. Either the remaining prospects weren’t very good, or my heart wasn’t in it because none of them looked promising. I was tempted just to toss out the whole mess, despite Dani’s encouragement. No doubt Dylan could do a better job finding his own girlfriend than I could hope to manage. It was just another waste of time. With a sigh I dropped the papers back onto my desk and wandered off to find the kids and try to lose myself in one of the games they’d gotten for Christmas.
The next day my family started packing up to leave. The kids didn’t want to go and hung onto me like leeches until their parents bundled them into their cars. I kind of missed my fan club once they were gone, but I consoled myself with being able to watch what I wanted on TV and not having to stand in line for the bathroom. It didn’t take me long to get over it.
After lunch I took off for Molly’s, wishing Dannika was home already. I smiled as I looked at Delaney’s house across the street. Her dad was slowly fixing it up, but surrounded by bare, skeletal trees it still looked like a horror movie set. Laney had stopped caring, though, because her next door neighbor being her boyfriend outweighed any other factors. Considering that her boyfriend was the super gorgeous Walker Dean it wasn't hard to see why.
Molly’s mom let me in, and I went upstairs to find Delaney and Molly gushing over Ashton’s surprise visit to see Dani while the boys sat engrossed in a game. Walker and Quinn were there, along with Daniel and his girlfriend Alice and a couple of Molly and Quinn’s other gamer friends. There was no sign of Dylan.
“He went downstairs with Trent to bring up some more snacks,” Molly said without me having to ask.
A shiver of anticipation crawled through my insides. Was he going to blow me off the way he had at the movie theater on Christmas Eve? Maybe he’d just been in a hurry to get to his movie that night. Or he hadn’t wanted to deal with my pack of little cousins while they were hopped up on candy. Why did this stuff have to be so complicated? I sat down beside my friends and tried not to think about it while they went back to gossiping about Ashton’s oh-so-romantic trip.
“Walker and Quinn are going to have to really up their games if they want to top that,” I said.
Delany just smiled. “Walker is always romantic. He doesn’t have to try.”
“Quinn could use some pointers, though,” Molly muttered. She beamed over at her boyfriend. “I love you, Quinn!” she called out.
Her boyfriend put down his game controller, walked over to us, and then kissed her the way Dylan had kissed me. Cheers and catcalls erupted from the room until he finally released her and went back over to rejoin the game. Molly stared after him, her eyes glazed in shock.
Delany raised her eyebrows. “The boy seems pretty romantic to me. I think I need to go see Walker for a minute.”
Molly’s lips twitched up in a shy smile as Laney went to go claim a kiss of her own. “It’s still hard to believe we’re together sometimes. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“By being you,” I told her. “You deserve Quinn.”
“And what about you?” she asked me.
“Maybe I could be a nun or something.”
“Oh, stop it. There’s nothing wrong with you. Have you talked to Dylan?”
“Just a couple of short texts yesterday. He sounded busy. But I really don’t think Dylan is a good idea for me.”
“After that kiss?”
“Especially after that kiss. Because if we got together and he left like everyone else it would hurt that much more.”
“But what if he didn’t leave?”
“But what if he did? And what if he’s not into me at all and that kiss was just a kiss to him? Nothing special at all.”
“I was there, Allie. If that was just a kiss I’ll give up video games. Now stop being such a downer.”
I needed to get away, so I stood up. “I’m going to go find something to drink.”
“Bring me back a Mountain Dew. They drank all the ones I had stashed up here.”
As I reached the bottom of the stairs I ran into Dylan and Trent.
Trent grinned at me. “What’s up, Allie? Have a good Christmas?”
“Better now that it’s over and my family left. You?”
“Can’t complain. No one would listen if I did.”
I turned to his companion, struggling against the lump that suddenly formed in my throat. “Hi, Dylan.”
“Glad you made it, Allie.”
He gave me a friendly smile, but that was all. My heart shriveled up inside my chest. How could he not feel the same as I did after that kiss? I had to be crazy or something.
“I’m going to grab some drinks. See you guys upstairs.”
I stayed in the kitchen until I regained control of my pulse. That was it, then. Molly was wrong, and I needed to get over it. Fast.
I trudged back upstairs with our drinks and wished I had an excuse to leave so I didn’t have to see Dylan again. Delaney was still with Walker, and there was no sign of Molly. I headed for her bedroom, thinking that she might have ducked in there, but stopped outside the doorway when I heard voices. It was Molly—and Dylan.
Dylan sounded frustrated. “Because I saw you two in the coffee shop. Talking to Seth.”
“Oh,” Molly said in a tiny voice.
“I saw how she was looking at him, and I know she’s had feelings for him for a long time.”
“I know, but—”
“I just went through that with Dani. I can’t put myself through it again.”
“If you would just give her a chance. I saw you guys kiss. I know there’s something there.”
“Look, I like Allie. But I don’t know how I can trust her not to run off after Seth the way Dani did after Ashton.”
“Allie wouldn’t do that.”
“You’re probably right, but I’m not in a very trusting place right now. I’m sorry.”
My throat went tight, and I glided away as quietly as I could before they caught me eavesdropping. I could understand how he felt, but at the same time I was hurt and a little bit angry because he wouldn’t trust me. I’d never done anything like that to anyone, and I never would! How could he even think that?
When Molly got back I pretended not to know that they’d talked. I didn’t try to talk to Dylan again, either. I had no idea what I was going to do now.
Chapter Eight
To my great relief Dannika came home the next day, and the moment their car pulled into the driveway she texted me to come by. I headed straight over and as soon as I got there she dragged me into her room and shut the door. I steeled myself for hearing yet again how wonderfully romantic Ashton was, but to my surprise she didn't mention him.
“Okay, who is he?” she asked.
“Who?”
“Your matchmaking project.”
“Oh. Him.”
“what's going on, Allie? Why be so secretive about it? You know you can tell me anything.”
I bit my lip and looked down. “I just didn't feel right about it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it's someone you know, and it's kind of awkward.”
“Don't be silly. Just tell me already.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. “It's Dylan.”
Dani frowned,
puzzled. “Dylan?”
“Yeah. I ran into him at a party.”
So I told her about how the girl he'd been with had cheated on him with her ex and our meeting afterwards at Caroline's.
“Poor Dylan,” Dani murmured, shaking her head.
“That's what I thought. So I decided to try to find someone who'd be good for him.”
Dani studied me closely then her eyes went wide. “You like him!”
“I didn't mean to! It just... Happened.”
My friend clapped her hands and laughed. “Allie, that's awesome!”
“What?”
“He's a great guy. He just wasn't Ashton. If you like him I certainly wish you luck. I couldn't have done a better matchmaking job on you two if I tried.”
“It doesn't matter. He's too afraid to trust me after you...” I trailed off lamely, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “Because of how I felt about Seth. He's afraid if I get a chance I'll go running after Seth instead.”
“Ah, I see. I kind of messed things up for you, huh?”
“It's for the best. It wouldn't have worked out.”
“That's ridiculous. He's perfect for you now that you're over that obsession with Seth.” She gave me a crafty smile. “Now that I know who you're matchmaking for, maybe I can offer some of my expert assistance. Why don't you tell me about the girls left on those lists of yours? I might have some ideas.”
I stared at her, baffled, but she just kept smiling.
“Trust me, Allie.”
What other choice did I have? With a sigh I began giving her the rundown on my candidates for Dylan.
I shivered and pulled my coat more closely about me as I climbed the stairs to Ashton's beach house on New Year's Eve. The damp wind blew icy cold, stirring the palms along the shore into melancholy restlessness. As much as I loved the beach, on days like this it was too depressingly bleak to enjoy. Hot chocolate in front of a fire was more my speed.
Why had I let Dannika talk me into this? I had no desire to be out or around other people, but she had insisted that I join the rest of our friends. My gut told me it had something to do with Dylan, which did nothing to make me more enthusiastic. She was determined to stick her nose into things, but I had no illusions that it would turn out well. He'd never said he was interested in me. When I'd overheard his conversation with Molly he'd only told her that he wouldn't give me a chance, not that he wanted to. But Dani had pushed and nagged and when I continued to balk she dragged Delaney and Molly in to back her up. I had no chance when all three of them ganged up on me, so I gave in although I didn't even pretend to be happy about it.
The Perfect Match Page 7