Page 62 of The Bad Boyfriend Curse
His brows knit together. “Who’s Dr. Tan?”
“My friend Keeley’s dad. He’s the veterinarian I worked for in the city. He’s been lecturing us about career choices for years.”
Noah chuckles. “You know, I can’t say any of my friends’ dads have talked to me about careers.” He pauses a moment. “Does he talk to you about this stuff because you don’t have a father?”
I frown. “I don’t know. Dr. Tan gives the same lectures to Adanna, and shedoeshave a father. But… maybe?”
He’s quiet for a second, watching me work, before he asks, “You think you’ll ever want to find your father?”
“I doubt it. Or…” I stop typing to think about the question.
“You don’t have to answer that,” Noah says quickly. “It’s too personal.”
I shake my head. “I’m not afraid to get too personal with the guy who just had his tongue in my mouth,” I say, which makes Noah laugh. “Definitely not now, but maybe in the future? I mean, I’ve never felt like I was missing something by not having a father in my life. The sperm donor—that’s what I call him—would by all accounts be aterriblefather, judgingby the fact that he got a sixteen-year-old pregnant and then ran off to India instead of supporting her. I have no doubt my life was better because he wasn’t in it.”
“And you have a stepfather now,” Noah says.
“Jason barely speaks to me. I don’t need a father.” I pause. “But maybe one day I might want to find the sperm donor so I can get to know my extended family? Maybe I have biological siblings or cousins? Maybe even some nice grandparents on that side. But not until I’m way older. I’m not emotionally equipped for that yet.”
Noah stares at me for several long moments, and I can’t tell what he’s thinking at all. It’s… unnerving.
“What?” I ask. “You’re looking at me funny.”
He chuckles. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a teenager who…knows themselvesas much as you do.”
My eyes narrow. “I can’t tell if that’s a compliment,” I say.
He laughs, taking both my hands. “It’s a compliment. Like, you know who you are and what you want.”
I frown. That doesn’t feel right—I’ve never felt more confused about who I am until I moved to Cherrybridge. “I’m not sure that’s true. I know what I want to do, but I don’t think I know who Iam. I…” I hesitate. “I thought I did, but after coming here, I wonder if I was defining myself based on who I want to be, instead of who I actually am.Youare better at knowing who you are. That’s what I like about you. You’ve taught me that it’s okay to let myself beme.” I smile awkwardly, afraid I’m being too deep right now. But it’s true. For the first time I’m doing what I want to do, instead of what I think Ishouldbe doing. I’m dressing how I want to dress, andI’m with the guy I want to be with, instead of the one I think I should be with. I’m not letting my curse, or fear, tell me what to do anymore.
He smiles at me and squeezes my hand. “We complement each other. That’s why we work so well.” He pulls me onto his lap. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you coming into my life right when I needed you, Noorani.”
I grin. “Right back at you, Jacobs.” I lower my lips to his.
Later we quietly sneak out of Jason’s parents’ house and Noah gets on his bike and rides away. I walk quickly, and am home by ten, long before Mom and Jason are expected home. It was a perfect night. Honestly, breaking the rules hasneverfelt so good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWOPrying Jason’s Eyes Open
At the end of CROP on Thursday, while Noah, Kennedy, Lainey, and I are tidying up the paint supplies, Jason, of all people, walks toward us in Gordon Park.
“Mr. LeClair!” Lainey says, clearly nervous that someone from city hall is here to inspect her work in the park.
Noah quickly moves to the other side of Kennedy instead of standing next to me. I don’t think it’s necessary—we’re notforbiddento speak to each other while we’re here—but I guess he doesn’t want to get me into trouble.
Jason gives us his politician smile. “Lainey, please, call me ‘Jason.’?” He glances at the bandstand. “You guys have done anamazingjob. I don’t even recognize the old stage.”
Lainey grins and shows him what we’ve done so far, pointing out the posts and boards we replaced and the new shingles we nailed on last week. She sounds super proud of our progress, and I don’t blame her. The bandstand looks amazing. It went from a graying, falling-down monstrosity that creaked when you stepped onto it, to a bright cream structure with brand-new light gray shingles. We’ll be starting the sage-green accents tomorrow. I bet it looks even better than it did in the nineties, when Jason and Noah’s dad used to play here.
I watch Jason as he carefully inspects the bandstand. I wonder if he’s going to mention to Lainey that he used to sing in a grunge band that played on this stage. Or mention that it’s so fitting that his stepdaughter and the son of his bandmate were among the kids who did the restoration. But he doesn’t say anything about his history with this stage. He barely looks at me, and definitely doesn’t look at Noah. I roll my eyes at Noah. If I’d known Jason was coming today, I would have told Noah to wear the Crash on Jupiter shirt.
Eventually Jason shakes hands with all the CROP kids here today (even Noah), with his nauseating fake smile. “Are you ready to go, Meera? Your mother is at a meeting at the hospital, so she asked me to bring you home.”
“Yeah, I guess, if it’s okay with Lainey.” Lainey says she’ll finish cleaning and I can leave. I look at Noah, and he nods back.
I don’t say anything at all when I get into the car and Jason starts driving. Which is pretty normal, since I’ve barely had an actual conversation with him since that first day he drove me to CROP and pointed out all the sights in Cherrybridge. That seems like so long ago. I can’t believe it’s been only three and a half weeks. Back then I thought this was a dull little town where I would have nothing to do and make no friends at all. Now I know that Cherrybridge is both so much better and so much worse than my first impression. It’s got some amazing, talented, complicated people who are doing the best with what they have. I would never have imagined that I would meet my favorite person in the world that day when Jason first drove me to Gordon Park.
“You kids have really done an amazing job,” Jason says again. He’s still using his politician voice.
