weighed a ton—almost as heavy as her heart felt in her chest. “I’ve been thinking about it too,” she said.
“And the dance? Will you go with me?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? I told you I don’t care about dancing. I just want to be with you. I want to show you off.”
“I’m not a prize cow, you know.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” His voice sounded hurt. “I miss you, Carley. I miss talking to you. Visiting with you. I even miss your Books on Tape. I have a bunch to return, you know.”
“Just keep them. I can get more.”
“What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to see me?”
Her heart was thudding so loudly that she was afraid he might hear it through the receiver. “I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me. Please.”
Her gaze fell on a photograph of Janelle and Jon taken over the Christmas holidays. They had their arms around each other and Jon was wearing a Santa hat. Inspiration flooded through her. “Remember in the hospital when you asked me if I had a boyfriend?”
“You said you didn’t.”
“Well, that wasn’t exactly the truth.”
“You have a boyfriend?”
“Yes. Jon and I’ve been going together for over a year, but we had a big fight before Christmas and sort of broke up.”
“If you broke up—”
“But now we’re back together,” she added hastily.
“And the whole time you were in the hospital he never paid you a visit?”
“He was away on a skiing trip with his parents.”
“At the start of the new semester?”
Carley chewed on her bottom lip. This wasn’t going as well as she’d hoped. “What is this, Twenty Questions?” she asked. “Take my word for it, he and I had a fight but we’ve made up and we’re together again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this in the hospital?”
“I—I didn’t know how.”
“Simple. You say, ‘Kyle, let me tell you about my boyfriend.’ I remember asking you if you had one.”
“Sorry. I didn’t.”
“And so you met my friends and let them think you liked me.”
“I
do
like you.” She began to squirm. “It’s possible to like you
and
still have a boyfriend, you know. I really thought we had broken up for good when I met you in thehospital. But now that I’m back in school and all—well, I realized I still liked him.” Lying to Kyle was difficult, but she felt she was in too deep to turn back now.
He didn’t say anything for such a long time that she wondered if he’d put the phone aside and walked away. She asked, “Kyle?”
“I’m here.”
“I—I’m sorry.”
“I still want to meet you.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe he was being so insistent. “Why?”
“Carley, when I was in the hospital, you helped me more than anybody. The talks we had, the visits, the phone calls—all those things kept me from climbing the walls. I want to meet you. I want to see you for myself. I want to tell you thanks to your face.”
“Jon’s jealous,” she blurted. “He doesn’t like me seeing other guys.”
“Couldn’t he understand this one time? I’m not asking for much. After this one meeting I’ll drop out of your life. I promise.”
Her head was spinning, desperate to find away out of her dilemma. She didn’t want him out of her life, but the need to protect herself was far more intense than her willingness to tell him everything. Suddenly an idea came to her. “Okay, all right, fair enough. I’ll let you see me. But it has to be from a distance.”
“How far? North Carolina?”
The sarcasm in his voice made her cringe. “I don’t want Jon to know about you,” she explained. “Please. If you care about me, you’ll do me this favor.”
Again there was a long pause. “All right. Whatever you want.” She sagged with relief. “Where can I see you?” he asked.
She realized she had no place to tell him because she’d never been anyplace on a date.
Where would Jon take Janelle?
she wondered. She remembered her sister telling her about the
“And the dance? Will you go with me?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? I told you I don’t care about dancing. I just want to be with you. I want to show you off.”
“I’m not a prize cow, you know.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” His voice sounded hurt. “I miss you, Carley. I miss talking to you. Visiting with you. I even miss your Books on Tape. I have a bunch to return, you know.”
“Just keep them. I can get more.”
“What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to see me?”
Her heart was thudding so loudly that she was afraid he might hear it through the receiver. “I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me. Please.”
Her gaze fell on a photograph of Janelle and Jon taken over the Christmas holidays. They had their arms around each other and Jon was wearing a Santa hat. Inspiration flooded through her. “Remember in the hospital when you asked me if I had a boyfriend?”
“You said you didn’t.”
“Well, that wasn’t exactly the truth.”
“You have a boyfriend?”
“Yes. Jon and I’ve been going together for over a year, but we had a big fight before Christmas and sort of broke up.”
“If you broke up—”
“But now we’re back together,” she added hastily.
“And the whole time you were in the hospital he never paid you a visit?”
“He was away on a skiing trip with his parents.”
“At the start of the new semester?”
Carley chewed on her bottom lip. This wasn’t going as well as she’d hoped. “What is this, Twenty Questions?” she asked. “Take my word for it, he and I had a fight but we’ve made up and we’re together again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this in the hospital?”
“I—I didn’t know how.”
“Simple. You say, ‘Kyle, let me tell you about my boyfriend.’ I remember asking you if you had one.”
“Sorry. I didn’t.”
“And so you met my friends and let them think you liked me.”
“I
do
like you.” She began to squirm. “It’s possible to like you
and
still have a boyfriend, you know. I really thought we had broken up for good when I met you in thehospital. But now that I’m back in school and all—well, I realized I still liked him.” Lying to Kyle was difficult, but she felt she was in too deep to turn back now.
He didn’t say anything for such a long time that she wondered if he’d put the phone aside and walked away. She asked, “Kyle?”
“I’m here.”
“I—I’m sorry.”
“I still want to meet you.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe he was being so insistent. “Why?”
“Carley, when I was in the hospital, you helped me more than anybody. The talks we had, the visits, the phone calls—all those things kept me from climbing the walls. I want to meet you. I want to see you for myself. I want to tell you thanks to your face.”
“Jon’s jealous,” she blurted. “He doesn’t like me seeing other guys.”
“Couldn’t he understand this one time? I’m not asking for much. After this one meeting I’ll drop out of your life. I promise.”
Her head was spinning, desperate to find away out of her dilemma. She didn’t want him out of her life, but the need to protect herself was far more intense than her willingness to tell him everything. Suddenly an idea came to her. “Okay, all right, fair enough. I’ll let you see me. But it has to be from a distance.”
“How far? North Carolina?”
The sarcasm in his voice made her cringe. “I don’t want Jon to know about you,” she explained. “Please. If you care about me, you’ll do me this favor.”
Again there was a long pause. “All right. Whatever you want.” She sagged with relief. “Where can I see you?” he asked.
She realized she had no place to tell him because she’d never been anyplace on a date.
Where would Jon take Janelle?
she wondered. She remembered her sister telling her about the
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