Free Awkwardly Ever After by Marni Bates Page A

okay?”
    Dylan began walking again and I scurried to keep up. “Okay, then you probably shouldn’t try to date Logan. Beyond that—”
    â€œWhat happens if we have a fight?” I blurted out. “A big one. You want me to go somewhere with you and I can’t go and—”
    â€œThat’s your idea of a fight?” Dylan’s eyebrows had shot up in disbelief, but his eyes kept boring into me, past the fake confidence that functioned as a veil and hid my nervousness from sight, right to the heart of the girl who was sick of pretending to be fine.
    I flicked a long strand of hair back away from my face, using the movement to cover some of my discomfort.
    â€œWell . . . yeah.”
    â€œIf I wanted to go somewhere and you couldn’t make it, I’d be disappointed. That’s it.”
    â€œRight,” I laughed hoarsely. “You’d just be disappointed if I didn’t make it to your middle school graduation because it would make me feel like a cougar?”
    â€œOne year, Melanie. I am one year younger than you are. And yeah, it would suck if you didn’t show up. Is that what you want to hear? Hell.” He started walking, only to stop abruptly in his tracks. “You want to know why I hate my dad, Melanie?”
    I did. I wanted to know all his secrets. To be the one person he could confide in even when his whole life felt upended.
    But now I was terrified by what I might hear.
    â€œYes.” I couldn’t manage anything beyond that single word. Dylan didn’t need a bigger opening, though.
    â€œHe bailed. That’s why I hate him. He could have been my father and still raised two other kids with his home wrecker. I would have been furious about the way he treated my mom—I’m not sure I could ever overlook that—but I still would have loved him.”
    I nodded speechlessly.
    â€œBut he wanted a fresh start. That’s why he pretended that Mackenzie and I never existed. He took the easy way out. He bailed.”
    Those two little words began repeating over and over again in my head.
    He bailed. He bailed. He bailed.
    My stomach sank as it hit me that I was doing the exact same thing to Dylan. Making him believe that for reasons beyond his control he wasn’t good enough for me.
    â€œAnd I never confronted him about it.”
    â€œYou were what? Five at the time, Dylan?”
    He acknowledged that point with a brittle smile. “Yeah, but as you can see, I’m a whole lot older than that now. And I never called him up. Never yelled at him over the phone. None of it.”
    I bit my lip as I searched for the right words. “Do you want to—I mean, should we turn around? Do you want to talk to him now?”
    Dylan shook his head. “I don’t need to anymore. Mackenzie may need to have him answer her questions, but I don’t. I already got mine years ago: not interested. That came through loud and clear.”
    I flinched. That was the same message I was supposed to be giving him.
    Isn’t it?
    I didn’t even know anymore.
    â€œI don’t hide now, Melanie. Not even for you. So if you actually want to do this thing—well, you’ve got my number.”
    This time when he started walking, I stayed in place.
    I didn’t feel I had the right to be anywhere near him.
    Because I had been lying; not on purpose, but I’d been misleading him nonetheless. Dylan wasn’t too young for me. He wasn’t too immature. He wasn’t lacking anything.
    I’m not good enough for him.
    And it was only a matter of time before he realized it too.

Chapter 8
    The whole notion of prom is fundamentally flawed. It’s meant to be one long romantic night; arrive in a limo with your One True Love in a dress with a matching corsage that elicits gasps from everyone in attendance.
    Except if my One True Love is at Smith High School—well, I haven’t met him.
    And I’m not willing to