Page 86 of Better Than the Movies
“You say the word ‘pizza’ and the room clears.”
I jumped when Michael spoke. I hadn’t even realized he was still there.
I smiled and casually stood. “Who doesn’t love pizza, right?
He gestured to the hallway. “Do you want to go get in on that?”
“Um, no, thanks.” I shook my head, not wanting to follow Wes, especially if he was canoodling with Alex. “Wes and I went to Stella’s before we got here and I’m still full.”
“That’s right—he told me you were getting dinner before you came.”
“Yeah.”
“He also told me that things were more friend-y with you two and he’s thinking about asking Alex out.”
I tried to look like I didn’t care. I smiled over the heavy feeling in my stomach and said, “Yeah, he’s right. He totally should—she seems great.”
“Yeah. Apparently he’s sick of being stuck in your friend zone so he’s moving on.”
“Finally.” I rubbed my lips together and focused on Michael’s blue eyes.This is what you wanted. Starting anything with Wes would be bad, bad news. Eyes on the prize, girl.“I didn’t want things to get weird, so this is really good.”
“Probably.”
“Um, when did he tell you that?”Days ago, please.“About Alex?”
“When we were in the kitchen.”
“Ah.” I looked at the piano keys and swallowed, and it felt like there was something stuck in my throat. I mean, it was exactly what we’d planned for Wes to say, so there was no reason for me to feel unsettled by this, right?
Michael’s phone made a noise, bringing me out of my daze. He looked down at the message, sighed, and then put his phone back in his pants pocket.
“Um—are you okay?” I asked, because his anxious face looked the same as it had back in grade school when he’d dropped his favorite Boggle game on the sidewalk and all the little letter pieces had bounced into the bushes. He’d always been the kind of person to stress about every little thing.
Except—dear Lord—I knew nothing about Michaelnow. At all. I knew he spoke with a Southern drawl and had good hair—that’s all. Sure, the Michael I knew in elementary school liked bugs and books and being kind, but what did I know about him today? I knew Wes a thousand times better than Michael, and I was kind of starting to adore that next-door neighbor of mine.
Shit.
What was I even doing in this room with Michael?
He fingered the sharp keys, staring at the piano. He pressed his index finger down on the middle C and said, “It’s this whole thing with Laney and prom.”
My body’s innate response to the name “Laney” was to jump for joy when it was said in a less-than-positive tone. But now I couldn’t muster up the emotion. I asked, “Are you guys going? I didn’t know. I mean, I heard you were talking. But, y’know…”
I trailed off, not wanting to seem like I knew all the gossip.
“Well, no. I mean, no, we’re not going yet.” He sighed yet again. “See, wehavebeen talking, and Laney’s wonderful. But on the day I met her, her boyfriend had just broken up with her. Literally. I met her because she was outside crying.”
“Oh.” I had no idea who she’d dated, but it was kind of hard to believe that Laney Morgan got dumped.
“So I have no idea what’s going on in her head. I don’t want to move too fast if she isn’t ready, and I especially don’t want to start something if she’s still hung up on her ex.”
I felt a little bad for him because I could totally empathize. Wanting something but being unsure if you’re able to have it?Or if it’s safe to have? Yeah, I got that. And now that I knew how I actually felt, the new, enlightened, emotionally honest Liz wanted to help Michael with Laney, give him some kind of advice.
But at the same time, I wanted to leave this conversation and bolt downstairs to find Wes before Alex started wearing him like a shirt. I said, “Can’t you ask her to prom as a friend and see where it goes?”
“I could.” He played with the keys a little more. “But prom shouldmeansomething. Maybe it’s the Texas bigness I’m used to, but to me, it’s about the promposal and dinner and flowers andmore. Is that silly?”
I snorted a laugh. “Oh my God, no—think about who you’re talking to here.”
