Page 10 of How We Loved

He sets his phone down and gets up to follow me into the kitchen, where I’m pouring myself a cup of orange juice. “Morning, sweetheart. What’s your plan today?”

“I’m going to the corn maze in Springstown.”

“Sounds like fun. Is Ben going to come pick you up?”

It’s funny how I have my own car that I never really drive. Most of the time, it sits parked in our garage because Ben always gives me rides, so of course, my dad just assumes I’m going with Ben.

“Nope. I’m going to meet a friend there.”

He eyes me like I have a horn coming out of my head. “A friend? Who?”

“A guy I met, named Trevor.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Trevor? Who’s that?”

“Just a guy, Daddy. Don’t worry. We’re going to a very family-friendly place.”

He levels his eyes at me. “You’re going to a huge corn maze. Anything can happen.”

“Dad, it’s Saturday. Halloween is in five days. I’m pretty sure the place is going to be packed. It’s probably the safest place around right now to meet someone.”

“What do you know about this guy?”

I tilt my head to him. “Nothing. That’s why I’m meeting him in a public place. This is how you get to know someone.”

He sighs, obviously not liking the idea, but I’m growing up, and this is a very normal thing to do.

“I’d feel better if Ben was going too,” he finally says.

Now, it’s my time to level my eyes at him. “Dad, I can’t live my life with him as my sidekick. He has a life away from me. It’s my turn to have one away from him.”

He sighs. “I guess we just always figured you two would be a couple by now. I know your mom always dreamed you’d end up together.”

I place my hand on his shoulder. “Sorry, but he’ll always be just a friend.”

I walk past him and head back to my room to hop in the shower.

“You’ll have to text me when you get there and when you leave!” he yells out. “And I want you home well before it even starts to get dark.”

I wave my hand as my okay. “I know you’ll be tracking me the entire way too,” I tease, then close my bedroom door.

CHAPTER FOUR

Maya

I pull up to the corn maze in my red Range Rover Sport. I remember the day my dad bought it for me. It was the cutest car I’d ever seen. The only place I ever drive to is Ben’s, and his house is just down the street. Taking it on this longer drive reminds me of just how much I loved it back then.

When I exit the car, I turn around to see Trevor standing next to a beat-up truck, staring at me.

I wave. “Hi.”

He pushes off his truck and walks toward me. “So, it’s true?”

I look around in question. “What’s true?”

“You’re the daughter of one of the TimeLand creators?”

I laugh nervously. This is just common knowledge around Leighton River. I’ve never had someone even ask me. Seeing his sudden revelation makes me feel uneasy.

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