Free The Best Week of My Life by Suzanne D. Williams Page B

in. That I think he just hadn’t had time to realize how he really felt.”
    “But he hasn’t come all day today, and so I thought …”
    “Daphne, dear.” Mom petted my head. “It’s pouring outside. Maybe he simply needed some time to think. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, as the saying goes. You get that from your father.”
    “I do not do that,” he said, his voice growing deep.
    “Yes, you do. All the time. Why you’re the one who thought the Pederson’s didn’t invite us at Christmas because we ate too much, when all along it was only because their daughter was sick. And you thought we didn’t get into the Club because our income was too small. But they simply weren’t taking members until they got into the new building.” Mom made a broad gesture. “I always say look positive about things, and this is no different. It’s raining. The boy’s had a lot on his mind, and he needed to work through it. The sun will come out tomorrow.” She said that almost in a sing-song way to the familiar tune. “And he’ll come back, and it’ll all work out. I feel it in my bones.”
    “Well then,” my dad said. “If you feel it in your bones, then it’s true. I’ve always trusted your bones.”
    This made me giggle, and I covered my mouth. Then Dad’s lips curved up, and my mother began to laugh.
     

CHAPTER 8
     
    “Hi.”
    “Hi.”
    I stood in the doorway, facing Carter unsure what else to say. “You … want to come in?” I asked.
    He looked past me and then at the landing. “I was thinking we could go for a walk. Talk, you know.”
    “Okay.” I glanced behind me and Mom smiled and waved a “shoo” gesture. I closed the door.
    I stuffed my hands in my pockets for lack of anything else productive to do with them. Carter started walking, and I followed. We didn’t talk until we’d reached the pool. A rather large lady in an immense black swimsuit floated in the deep end, looking to me like a giant jelly donut. It would’ve been funny, except I was so nervous.
    “You wanna sit here or go down to the beach?” he asked.
    “The beach,” I said. I didn’t like the thought of donut lady hearing us.
    He opened the beach gate and we padded into the sand. We were both huffing and puffing too much for conversation until we’d reached the water. Then he let me set the pace and fell in at my side.
    “I’m sorry about the other night,” he said. “I shouldn’t have freaked on you, but I want to explain.”
    I stooped to pick up a sea shell and rolled it around in my palm. “Go ahead then,” I said.
    He took a deep breath. “I’ve had these doubts, about me, I mean. What if I’m like my dad, and I hurt you? I couldn’t stand that.”
    I came to a halt. The sun was in my eyes, so I squinched up one side of my face.
    “But probably that isn’t fair to think because I might not be like him at all. I talked to my mom, and I think it helped. But I gotta be honest, I’m afraid.”
    Afraid? Carter was afraid? Yet hadn’t my dad said that last night? I waited.
    “I’m afraid I can’t be all the things you think I am.”
    But he didn’t see. I squeezed the shell harder. “You … you can’t not be all those things,” I said.
    His brow furrowed, and he scratched his neck. “I don’t understand. You think I’m so perfect, but I’m not. I am sensitive, like Carrie said, and …”
    “You’re perfect to me .” I broke into his thoughts and stepped closer. “All I want is someone to like me for who I am, stupid mistakes and all.”
    “Just like ?” he asked.
    My face heated, and I glanced away.
    He captured my chin and tipped it forward and up. “Don’t you see? The problem I’m having isn’t with you; it’s with me. I want more than liking you, Daphne. I want to fall in love. Head over heels crazy in love … with you. And …” He paused. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
    I could see he was about to say something big, something he’d been working toward for a while, so