Page 95 of Going the Distance
“Okay.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Physically, I felt okay, anyway.
“Look, bud, I know how hard it must’ve been for you today, because I know how much you liked Noah, but—”
“Oh my God, Dad, I’m not having this conversation right now.”
Not when my headache was just starting to ease off.
“All right, all right…” He held his hands up in surrender. “But you know I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“I don’t. Jeez. I don’t care about Noah or his precious new girlfriend.”
He sighed. “Okay, fine. Well, just in case youdocare, they’re leaving on Sunday afternoon, and Noah said he’d like to talk to you before he goes, if you’re okay with that. You know, he seemed really upset about something.”
“I can’t imagine what.”
I was a horrible, horrible person to hope he’d been jealous.
“Elle…”
“Dad,” I snapped back, then felt bad for snapping. I pursed my lips. “I don’t want to talk to or about Noah. Can we drop it now?”
“Fine. Do you want some hot chocolate? I’m making me and Brad some.”
“No, I’m good. I think I’m just gonna get some sleep.”
Another sigh, and Dad pushed his glasses up his nose. “All right. Night, bud. Happy Thanksgiving.”
“You too.”
He snapped off the light on his way out, leaving me alone in the growing darkness.
My phone buzzed again, rattling across my nightstand. I glanced at it, expecting another text from Lee, or maybe Levi. It was neither.
Can you meet me tomorrow? Want to talk x
I stared at the screen in shock, thinking,He must be desperate to talk if he spoke to my dad AND texted me.
But I ignored it, and ignored the kiss at the end, and he didn’t send any more. I lay on the edge of sleep until past midnight, trying not to think about the fiasco that was the entire day and unable to think of anything but.
