Lilah didn’t bother trying to get in touch with her mother that morning, and her dad didn’t answer her call. She shot Rover a text, but he was busy playing some online multiplayer thing. Lilah wondered if he ever even went to sleep the night before.
The car ride into the city wasn’t the worst. Lilah did find that Kyler’s mother was very inquisitive, but she eventually gave up after she realized that some of her questions affected Lilah, especially those when it came to family. Lilah was thankful to get a text from Alice. Whatever convention she was at was huge and had an unlimited breakfast buffet. Lilah desperately wanted to tell Alice about her breakfast but deleted the text before sending it. Alice would ask too many questions, knowing full well that bacon wasn’t present in the McCallister household.
Kyler tried to keep busy on his phone, anything to distract him from the girl sitting next to him. He’d have to have a talk with his mother. He had never really brought a girl home, and when it came to Lilah, it was under completely different circumstances. His mother and sister just didn’t get the hint.
He hadn’t really talked with Lilah since the night before. She seemed quiet, but slightly happier, although he was pretty sure that someone like her would think going to the zoo was a pretty lame idea for an outing. He wished he could have had just a moment or two alone with her to ask how she was. Whenever his mother had brought up anything about her family, Lilah shied away from the questions. He knew something was wrong, and though he had no reason to care, he did.
Kyler: What are your plans for tonight?
He watched as Lilah froze, intently looking at the screen. Though childish, it was much easier than talking about it aloud in front of two very intrusive females.
Lilah: What do you mean?
Kyler: Are you going back home? You said you needed to be gone this weekend.
Lilah felt a sting of disappointment. She was stupid to think that Kyler would be asking for any other reason.
Lilah: Alice might be back from her mother’s conference.
She thought for a moment and a wonderful idea came to her.
Lilah: Actually, they’re in the city! Maybe I could get dropped off to where they are?
Kyler’s insides knotted up. Lilah could see that he had read the text and he needed to respond quickly. Despite his mother and sister being around, and fully knowing that spending the day with Lilah was definitely not a date, he looked forward to it.
Kyler: All of your stuff is at my house.
Lilah: I didn’t think about that. There’s also no way that I could explain that to her, nor would I want to attempt to.
Kyler: What if she’s not back tonight? Then what?
His pulse raced as he awaited her response. Maybe it was selfish to hope that Alice wouldn’t return. There was also the tiny voice in his head screaming at the top of its lungs asking him if he had lost his mind. In what world would he want Lilah McCallister spending the weekend with him?
Lilah: I’ll figure it out when the time comes.
Kyler dropped it. No matter how many times he told himself how stupid he was, he secretly wished that any plans she had would fall through.
Chapter 21
The zoo was slightly crowded, but that was a given for a Saturday. Kyler couldn’t get over the fact at how amazed Lilah became with every exhibit. He and his mother came to the zoo at least twice a year, but from the looks of it, it was like Lilah had never been.
“Oh, Ky! Sweetie,” his mother called out. “The elephant looks beautiful right now. Let me get a picture!” She dug her phone from her back pocket and shooed Kyler to stand in front of the exhibit.
Kyler was confused at first. His mother must have had a hundred pictures of him with the elephants. It wasn’t until he saw her reach off to the side and grab Lilah that he understood. That was it. He really had to talk to her after this.
“Hmm…If you could move over just a little?” Just to annoy her, Kyler moved in the opposite direction from Lilah. “Kyler!” While it did his intended job, it also caused a faint giggle from Lilah that he found affected him more than he’d like to admit. “Just put your arm around–”
“Mom!” Kyler glared at her as she hid behind her phone, the smirk on her face clear as day.
She finally took the picture and Kyler stepped far away from Lilah. While she stood admiring the elephants, he pulled his mother to the side, making sure they were definitely out of earshot from Lilah.
“What are you doing,” he growled.
Innocently, “I don’t know what you mean. I just wanted a picture.”
“One minute you’re about to blow a gasket, and then ever since breakfast, you’re trying to play matchmaker. There’s nothing there and there won’t ever be. I told you, she’s my tutor and she’s going through some family stuff right now. She just needed somewhere to stay this weekend,” he emphasized.
“That may be true…” She allowed her words to slowly drift away
Knowing she wasn’t done, “But?”
Helen shrugged. “I see the way you look at her.”
“Gross. This conversation is getting weird.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so shy. Just tell her–”
“Stop,” Kyler whined, frustrated that his mom wasn’t letting it go. Raising his voice, “I will never ever like her like that!”
Lilah tried not to let his words bother her, but they did. If she ever felt uncertain when it came to Kyler, that was a pretty strong and definite answer as to how he felt about her. It just sucked that she couldn’t tell the butterflies in her stomach that whenever he looked at her in just the right way.
✽ ✽ ✽
“I’m not used to so much walking,” Helen sighed, taking a seat next to Lilah on a bench while Kyler went to the restroom.
“I’m sure you’re on your feet a lot. You probably needed today to rest.”
Helen laughed. “It’s good to keep busy, and I like helping people. At least Kyler got that from me.” When she noticed Lilah’s reaction, she quickly corrected herself. “Although I guess I should replace people with animals.”
Lilah wasn’t following. “What do you mean?”
Helen realized that maybe Kyler was telling the truth, maybe Lilah was just his tutor and barely a friend. “Him wanting to be a veterinarian.” She almost hesitated telling Lilah, but it wasn’t some big secret. That’s exactly what Kyler’s plans for school were.
Lilah’s face lit up. “Really?” Helen nodded. “Wow. That’s…” Lilah watched her choice of words, feeling as though his mother would read into any little thing at this point. “Admirable.” There. That was a good word. It, in no way, suggested anything that might be running through Helen’s head right now. “I just assumed that he’d do football.”
Helen shook her head. “No. He has more sense than that. He’ll use football for a scholarship if he can, but he knows the chances and risks of going pro. It isn’t something he’s interested in.”
That surprised Lilah. Up until recently, whenever she saw Kyler in school, that’s all she saw. Star quarterback of the football team.
“Oh,” Lilah gasped, remembering something. “Not to sound stupid, but why didn’t he have a game last night?”
“It was their bye week.” When Lilah looked at her with confusion, she absolutely knew that Lilah wasn’t the kind of girl that Kyler was typically interested in. “It just means that it’s their off week.”
“Oh, okay,” Lilah said with a sense of relief and understanding. She was thankful that she hadn’t asked Kyler about it that morning. He would have thought she was an idiot.
✽ ✽ ✽
The way back was a little easier and much less awkward after Kyler had talked to his mom.
“Lilah,” Krista called from the driver’s seat. “Are you staying for supper?”
It was only a little after three. Lilah still had half of the afternoon to decide what her plans were for the evening.
Kyler had leaned over earlier and was show
ing Lilah some of the pictures he took on his phone. Lilah immediately looked to him for an answer, but all he did was shrug.
“I really don’t know yet.”
“Well, I’m making a cottage pie–”
“Yes,” Kyler softly exhaled, to which his sister shook her head and laughed. Directing his words to Lilah, “She’s a really good cook and that dish is awesome.”
“I’ll see.”
Lilah then focused back to the screen in Kyler’s hands, and continued to watch him scroll.
“Wait,” she gasped.
She grabbed his wrist to pull the phone closer and he tensed at her touch. If she noticed, she was too concerned with the picture to care.
She briefly looked up at him and smiled. “When did you take this?”
It felt like an intimate moment aside from the fact that his mother and sister were listening to every word between them. He had to brush it off. “Obviously, when we were at the gorilla exhibit.”
Lilah playfully nudged him. For once she felt happy and relaxed. She didn’t even allow herself to think that Kyler West had made that happen. “You know what I mean.”
“I can send it to you if you want.”
“Please,” she said with a great deal of excitement.
The picture was of her leaning down toward the glass, the large gorilla on the other side raising his hand to try to touch hers, only the clear barrier separating their contact.
Kyler didn’t continue to swipe to another photo, allowing Lilah to marvel at the one he had taken of her. The notification appeared just a split second before he felt the alert. Once he saw the name, he tried to clear it off, but Lilah’s hand, that had been lingering on his wrist, immediately dropped to her side and she pulled her body back slightly, distancing herself from him.
Kyler tried to maintain his composure, but the girl had the worst timing.
Sarah: Are you coming tonight?
Normally he wouldn’t have cared who saw his messages, but for some reason, he didn’t want Lilah seeing that. He didn’t know what Sarah said to her at Dawson’s party, but he could easily tell that they weren’t friends.
Feeling the need to clarify, “Some of the guys are getting together to go out tonight. Gavin told me they were going to play Frisbee in the park and then head to Flip’s Grill after.”
All Lilah did was nod her head. That’s when a strange idea hit Kyler. Was it as simple as Lilah having an issue with Sarah over some stupid girly thing that he couldn’t comprehend, or was Lilah jealous? If it had just been the two of them, he may have called her out on it; however, his sister’s interruption proved that she and his mother were still very much listening in.
“So you’re not staying for supper then?” Krista quickly turned around with a frown and puppy dog eyes, before turning back to the road.
Lilah saw that Kyler was tapping something out on his phone. A sick part of her desperately wanted to see what he was texting Sarah; however, her eyes widened when she felt her own phone vibrate on her lap.
Kyler: What do you think?
Lilah: I don’t care what you and Sarah do.
Kyler couldn’t believe that Lilah would actually say it like that. A sinister smile came to his face and even though it wasn’t the best way, he was pretty sure that with her sitting right beside him, she’d at least give him some sort of reaction; however, once he hit send, he knew that he was starting to tread into a dangerous territory with her.
Kyler: I think you do.
He felt a blow to his chest when Lilah read the message and was able to keep a straight face, showing no emotion or even the slightest bit of discomfort. Was she that good at hiding her thoughts and feelings, or did she truly have none when it came to any interest in him?
Kyler realized that his sister was still watching him from her mirror, waiting for a response. “Hold on. I’ll let you know in a minute.”
Helen finally chimed in. “You rarely ever go out with your friends anymore. If you’re not helping around the house, you’re at work.”
Lilah shot Kyler a look. Work? He had a job?
“Why don’t you and Lilah go out with your friends tonight,” Helen continued.
Lilah tried her best to recover from her own spit that she suddenly choked on.
“I get the impression that Lilah isn’t the type of person to hang out with most of Kyler’s people,” Krista pointed out. Despite its accuracy, Lilah felt like it was a comment that she was supposed to take offense to; however, before she had the chance. “And that’s a good thing.”
Maybe she liked his sister after all.
Chapter 22
“I’m pretty sure I’ll mess this up,” Lilah repeated once again as she drained the potatoes.
Krista laughed. “I promise, you won’t. Just put them back in the pot and I’ll tell you what to add.”
Lilah did as instructed. Krista assumed that she was bored and wanted to help out, but the truth was, Lilah had never really been in a kitchen and she was always up for learning new things. Most of her learning generally only came from books.
“Okay, I have the butter and milk measured out. Add that. Then look in the door of the fridge. There’s a small block of goat cheese. Throw that in.”
Lilah was good with following instructions and did just as Krista told her. “Now how do I mash them?”
Krista stopped stirring the meat mixture and reached under a cabinet for something with a cord attached. The little Lilah did know when it came to cooking, she was certain that the contraption that Krista just plugged in was not a masher.
Krista saw the confusion. “There are different ways. I want them smooth and creamy, so we’re going to use a hand mixer.”
Krista turned the machine on low and then handed it over to Lilah.
From the kitchen, the two heard Kyler yell from the sliding glass doors for Helen.
“She got called in,” Krista yelled back. “Emergency procedure.”
Upon hearing that, Kyler made his way into the house. Lilah glanced up briefly but not for long. She didn’t need Kyler distracting her and for potatoes to end up all over the wall.
He was covered in a black goo, grease perhaps. He walked into the kitchen, only to be scolded by Krista about how he smelled. He then grabbed some paper towels in hopes of cleaning his hands a bit before washing all that grit and grime down the bathroom sink.
“Can I try some,” he asked, hovering over Lilah’s shoulder.
“No,” Krista screeched from nearby. “Get out! You’re gross. Lilah doesn’t want you around.”
Deciding to push his boundaries with Lilah once again, he took a step closer and whispered in her ear from behind. “Is that true,” he asked in a low and deep voice, sending chills down Lilah’s spine. “Do you really not want me around?”
Skittishly, Lilah turned, neglecting to turn the mixer off as she did so. Kyler screamed and stumbled backwards, doused in little remnants of mashed potato.
Krista quickly took the device from Lilah’s hand and switched it off. For a second Lilah thought that she might be in for a scolding as well, but instead, Krista doubled over laughing.
“I’m glad someone thinks it’s funny,” Kyler grumbled. He pretended to be more annoyed than he actually was. After seeing Lilah’s face light up with laughter shortly after his sister’s, there was no way that he could be upset, not even for a second.
“Go shower and change,” Krista managed as she tried to get some air.
“I’ll get you back for that,” Kyler warned, his attention completely on Lilah.
She rolled her eyes. “It was an accident.”
“Either way.”
Krista called out to Kyler as he was leaving the kitchen to head upstairs. “Did you ever decide on what your plans are?” She began pouring her meat and vegetable mixture into a large dish. “Not that it really matters. I probably made enough to feed half the team.”
Kyler stood at the base of the staircase, thankfully his sister was busy with pre
parations and wasn’t looking at him. He and Lilah locked eyes and he could tell that she was waiting for an answer as well, though he knew she’d never ask for it.
Very flatly, giving nothing away, “I’m staying in tonight.”
Once he left, Lilah felt like she could breathe again. Did he know what he was starting to do to her? When had his sole presence caused her whole body to tense, become overheated, feel lightheaded and dizzy, as it did now?
She felt both excited and nervous when Kyler answered his sister; however, she felt guilt as well. Did he really want to go out with Sarah and his friends, and only decide to stay in because he felt sorry for her? She was fine. She had her books, and now Krista. Or did he actually want to stay at his home because she was there?
Lilah shook the thought and continued wiping the counter. Lately Kyler had been quite teasing and playful at times, but she couldn’t tell if that’s just how he was once he got to know someone, or if it meant anything. Then there was the kiss. They still hadn’t talked about it, and since nothing had come from it, she had to assume it was just a one-time thing. Just another accident.
✽ ✽ ✽
Supper was nice. It was different than Lilah expected. She hadn’t realized what it was like to sit down and have a conversation during a meal. Generally, if her family ever did have a sit-down meal together, her dad was sending off business emails on his phone or even his laptop. Yes, he brought his laptop with him to the table. Lilah now assumed that anytime her mother was on the phone it probably involved texting another man. Overall, supper with Krista and Kyler was nice. Kyler was a little quiet, but most of the time the amount of food in his mouth didn’t allow for lengthy conversation.
Lilah had made her way out onto the deck to the backyard, despite the fact that she had to bundle up. She didn’t mind it. She had chosen Kyler’s hoodie that he had allowed her to borrow the night before. It was much softer than any of hers, but not only that, it smelled wonderful, like being wrapped in a blanket of safety.
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