Page 53 of All These Beautiful Strangers
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Oh, okay, good,” he said.
He still had his hands on my arms. Why did he still have his hands on my arms?
“Is that all?” I asked, glancing pointedly at his hand on my arm.
“You’re leaving . . . just because?” he asked, finally letting go of me and burying his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah, I’m tired,” I said. “What’s with the third degree?”
“You’re upset?” he asked, confused.
I didn’t know why I was snapping at Dalton when just a second ago I had been fantasizing about being in his arms, but all of a sudden I was so annoyed I couldn’t help myself.
“What do you want, Dalton?” I asked.
“Can I walk you back to your dorm?” he asked.
“You want to walk me back to my dorm?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why not?”
“What about McKenna?” I asked.
“What about McKenna?” Dalton asked.
“Are you a parrot or something?” I asked. “Are you just going to repeat everything I say?”
“Sorry,” Dalton said, taken aback. “So, you’re mad at me?” he asked after a moment.
I rolled my eyes. “I just don’t understand what you’re doing. Go enjoy the dance with your date.”
“You’re mad that I brought McKenna to the dance?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “I don’t care who you go to the dance with.”
“Okay,” Dalton said. “Because I remember asking you to the dance, and I remember you telling me to ask someone else, which is what I did. But now you seemed pissed off about it.”
Yes, that’s exactly right, I thought.
“No,” was all I said.
For some reason, he was smiling. Why was he smiling? Was he laughing at me? Did he find this funny?
“Stop smiling before I hit you,” I said.
“Charlie,” he said. “I’m going to tell you something, and I want you to listen, and then I want you to tell me the truth in return.”
“Fine,” I said.
“I like you,” he said.
“Well, obviously,” I said.
