Page 89 of Here's to Yesterday

“Likewise. And apologies in advance for my jackass son!” he callsback.

“See ya, oldman!”

I squint at the sun as we bust through the doors and crunch our way across thegravel.

“You still want to come hang out?” I ask her nervously as we approach my car, no longer mad at her fromearlier.

“Of course,” she answers, shaking our joinedhands.

I open up her door for her, but she doesn’t get in straight away. Instead, she tilts her head up at me, shielding her eyes against the brightdaylight.

I tilt my head at her because, despite the shadows in her eyes, I can tell she wants tocomment.

“Thank you,” she says, referring to what justhappened.

I opened up to her and let her into a part of my life, my history, which no one knows about. I couldn’t tell you why I picked her or why I picked today. It could be because I’m falling in love with her or because of how she was there for a significant part of my futuretoday.

Wait, backup.

Fallingin love? Fuck that. Iamin love with her, and I think I have been since I pseudo-stalked her atPerk.

I meet her stare and say, “Ofcourse.”

She smiles, starts to get into the car, and turns around halfway throughit.

“Hey,Tuck?”

“Yeah?”

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to say. Okay? And no laughingeither.”

Despite what happened earlier with her not instantly trusting me, I know I trust her, so I say, “Okay.”

She looks down at the ground in a shameful manner, peeks back up at me, and then drops her eyes again. I bend down to try to meet her stare, but she’s not letting ithappen.

“Can…,” she starts shyly. “Can we watch Supernaturaltonight?”

Maura punches me in the gut because Isolaugh.

---