Page 23 of This Could be Love

“Umm…yeah, of course.” I turned around and closed my eyes, ashamed. Hearing his shorts hit the floor, I realized I had no reason to be here any longer. “Well, I guess I’ll be going.” My voice was nothing but a pathetic squeak. I turned halfway around and moved straight for the door.

“You don’t want to stay out of it.”

I stopped and turned, but not toward Vince.

“Or else you wouldn’t have shown up tonight.”

His words weren’t bitter. Weren’t mocking whatsoever. And yet I still felt cornered somehow. Like a deer in headlights. So, I did what deer do. I fled.

Chapter 10

When Vince came back downstairs, he was wearing a navy-colored, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of bright, cotton shorts. I quickly turned away and pretended to be deep in conversation with Laurie, who was telling me about her marketing program at the University of Denver. Our encounter in his bedroom made me uncomfortable on multiple levels. For accidentally ending up in his room, for making a scene, for not having left immediately once he started to change, but, above all, because what he said was true. I didn’t want to stay out of it. I didn’t want to accept that my godmother was acting like a tyrant or that Vince was holding her responsible for every little thing. Somewhat unconsciously, I looked up and met his gaze. He’d sat back down by the fire, right across from me. He looked at me for another one or two seconds, then reached forhis guitar, his left hand running up and down the neck, his right moving onto the strings.

“Aww!” Pili gushed when he began to play Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros’ “Home.” She began to hum along as Milo began to whistle the melody, which made it even more rhythmic and closer to the original. Vince seemed to like it. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth and spread all the way up to his eyes. I hadn’t seen him that relaxed and loose the whole evening. And judging by Laurie’s expression, I wasn’t the only one. She happily watched her brother lose himself more and more in his playing. Pili caught his vibe and started singing the few lines she knew, grinning away the gaps, which caused everyone around the fire to laugh. Vince tilted his head in her direction and smiled, and for a second I wanted him to like me a little more.Dislikeme a little less. The realization was so confusing that I blamed it on the mood. I leaned back and looked up at the sky. Millions of stars twinkled above our heads. Brighter and clearer than back home in Munich.

“I should probably get going soon,” I said to Laurie as it got closer to ten. The fire had dwindled to a pile of embers. Just here and there little flames. “I’ve got training tomorrow morning and have to take off really early.”

“Of course. I get it. It was cool of you to come by. And…to stay.” She smiled, and I stood up. “Hey, Vince, could you take Louisa home, please?”

“God, no! It’s just a few feet.”

That I don’t want to take walking next to Vince. Not after our little run-in in his room.

“Still,” Laurie said, looking at her brother.

To my irritation, he nodded and got up too. I stared at him, perplexed. As if I might find the answer to why he hadn’t hesitated in his face. Why he hadn’t snorted contemptuously or rolled his eyes.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Umm…yeah,” I croaked.

I said goodbye to Laurie, Chip, and the others and wished them a nice evening.

“Listen, you really don’t have to do this,” I said, following Vince into the house. All of a sudden, the sounds died down and we were enveloped in a cocoon of quiet that was only interrupted by the hum of the refrigerator.

“I know, but Laurie asked me to.” Undeterred, he continued on his way.

“We don’t have to tell her. You can just wait until…”

He stopped so suddenly that I ran into him. His back was as hard as his expression when he turned around. “It’s important to her.”

One look in his eyes was enough to make it clear that this discussion was over, and I decided to let it go. It wasn’t even five minutes to Kay’s; somehow or other we’d manage.

“Is it dangerous around here at night?”

The moon was casting its silver light onto the driveway. A breeze rustled through the palms, which were silhouetted against the sky.

“No, not at all.”

Wrinkling my brow, I followed him down the driveway to the street. As he walked quickly, I had to make an effort to keep up. Well, also because I knew about all the potholes and was worried about hurting myself.

“Could we walk a little more slowly?”

“I thought tennis consisted of running.”

“Yeah. Which is why Ireallydon’t want to screw up all my ligaments again,” I replied sharply.

The slapping of his flip-flops stopped. He waited for me to catch up.