to me, his eyebrows raised. “ Leelee, huh?”
I shrug, putting Ainsley down. “She can’t say Hadley apparently.”
“I like it.” He locks eyes with mine, and for a minute I feel like I’m drowning in his dark brown eyes.
“I don’t.” I lower my gaze, feeling unnerved by his intense stare. “Look, you don’t have to keep babysitting with me. I’m sure you have more exciting things to do.”
“Not really,” he says.
I fix him with an incredulous stare. “You expect me to believe that?”
“You can believe whatever you want.” He plops down on the grass, bringing his knees up. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he peers up at me. “You like to think you know everything about me, Hadley, but the truth is you don’t know me at all. You get so angry at the popular crowd for judging you, but you do the same thing to us.”
Anger bubbles inside of me. I glare down at him. “It’s not the same thing at all. I’m just calling it like I see it.”
“Oh, yeah? Then go ahead. Now’s your chance. Tell me what you see in me.” He spreads out his hands before him, like an offering.
I bite my lip, lowering myself to the ground next to him. I’m ready to tell him off. To tell him what a jerk he is , how arrogant and selfish. Only I can’t. The truth is, that doesn’t really describe Tripp. Sure it describes Sonya and many others from that group. But he’s right about one thing. I don’t really know him. And in all the interactions I’ve had with him he’s seemed nice. I feel the fight withering inside of me, like a balloon deflating. I finally say the only honest thing I can. “I see a guy who has everything.” I turn to him and add, “And I guess I can’t figure out why you’re wasting your time hanging out with me.”
“Maybe this is where I want to be.”
I huff at that.
“Hadley, it’s clear that you’ve been treated badly by some of my friends. But I’m not my friends. I’m my own person. And I assure you this isn’t a part of some prank.” He laughs lightly. “Call me crazy, but I’ve enjoyed our conversations.” He flashes me a lopsided smile. “Even if most of them have included you calling me names.”
I want to come back with something, but clamp my mouth shut instead knowing that he’s right. “Sorry about that,” I mumble, the words stinging the back of my throat.
“ So, what do you say Leelee? Can we agree to start over?”
“If you promise to never call me Leelee again.” I pick at a blade of grass, not able to look him in the eye.
“It’s a deal.” Tripp glances up at the kids as they run through the grass. “So, how do you feel about your new insta-family?”
“Insta-family. I like that.” Scrunching up my nose, I look at Ainsley and Adam. “Truthfully, I kinda liked it b etter when it was just Mom and me, but I know that Rob makes her happy, so I guess it’s fine.”
“Your dad’s not around?”
I wasn’t expecting Tripp to be so inquisitive. “Um…no, my dad’s around. My parents split up a couple of years ago, but he still lives here in Folsom.” Hoping to get the conversation off of me, I ask, “What about you? Are your parents still together?”
“Yeah.”
I feel a small pang of jealousy. “Well, that’s nice.”
“I guess.” His expression darkens, surprising me.
My gaze lifts to his house, and I wonder what goes on inside. Clearly there is more to Tripp’s story than just what I know. I’m about to press further when a car pulls into the driveway. I jump up to hold the kids back. I’ve witnessed their dad coming home enough to know that they will go running in his direction the minute they can. Once he’s parked, I allow them to go after him.
Then I turn to Tripp. “Last chance to get out of this.”
He smiles. “I’m not looking for a way out, Hadley.”
“It’s your funeral,” I say , before guiding him up to the house. As we step inside together, I work hard to temper the smile on my face. No matter how
I shrug, putting Ainsley down. “She can’t say Hadley apparently.”
“I like it.” He locks eyes with mine, and for a minute I feel like I’m drowning in his dark brown eyes.
“I don’t.” I lower my gaze, feeling unnerved by his intense stare. “Look, you don’t have to keep babysitting with me. I’m sure you have more exciting things to do.”
“Not really,” he says.
I fix him with an incredulous stare. “You expect me to believe that?”
“You can believe whatever you want.” He plops down on the grass, bringing his knees up. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he peers up at me. “You like to think you know everything about me, Hadley, but the truth is you don’t know me at all. You get so angry at the popular crowd for judging you, but you do the same thing to us.”
Anger bubbles inside of me. I glare down at him. “It’s not the same thing at all. I’m just calling it like I see it.”
“Oh, yeah? Then go ahead. Now’s your chance. Tell me what you see in me.” He spreads out his hands before him, like an offering.
I bite my lip, lowering myself to the ground next to him. I’m ready to tell him off. To tell him what a jerk he is , how arrogant and selfish. Only I can’t. The truth is, that doesn’t really describe Tripp. Sure it describes Sonya and many others from that group. But he’s right about one thing. I don’t really know him. And in all the interactions I’ve had with him he’s seemed nice. I feel the fight withering inside of me, like a balloon deflating. I finally say the only honest thing I can. “I see a guy who has everything.” I turn to him and add, “And I guess I can’t figure out why you’re wasting your time hanging out with me.”
“Maybe this is where I want to be.”
I huff at that.
“Hadley, it’s clear that you’ve been treated badly by some of my friends. But I’m not my friends. I’m my own person. And I assure you this isn’t a part of some prank.” He laughs lightly. “Call me crazy, but I’ve enjoyed our conversations.” He flashes me a lopsided smile. “Even if most of them have included you calling me names.”
I want to come back with something, but clamp my mouth shut instead knowing that he’s right. “Sorry about that,” I mumble, the words stinging the back of my throat.
“ So, what do you say Leelee? Can we agree to start over?”
“If you promise to never call me Leelee again.” I pick at a blade of grass, not able to look him in the eye.
“It’s a deal.” Tripp glances up at the kids as they run through the grass. “So, how do you feel about your new insta-family?”
“Insta-family. I like that.” Scrunching up my nose, I look at Ainsley and Adam. “Truthfully, I kinda liked it b etter when it was just Mom and me, but I know that Rob makes her happy, so I guess it’s fine.”
“Your dad’s not around?”
I wasn’t expecting Tripp to be so inquisitive. “Um…no, my dad’s around. My parents split up a couple of years ago, but he still lives here in Folsom.” Hoping to get the conversation off of me, I ask, “What about you? Are your parents still together?”
“Yeah.”
I feel a small pang of jealousy. “Well, that’s nice.”
“I guess.” His expression darkens, surprising me.
My gaze lifts to his house, and I wonder what goes on inside. Clearly there is more to Tripp’s story than just what I know. I’m about to press further when a car pulls into the driveway. I jump up to hold the kids back. I’ve witnessed their dad coming home enough to know that they will go running in his direction the minute they can. Once he’s parked, I allow them to go after him.
Then I turn to Tripp. “Last chance to get out of this.”
He smiles. “I’m not looking for a way out, Hadley.”
“It’s your funeral,” I say , before guiding him up to the house. As we step inside together, I work hard to temper the smile on my face. No matter how
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