He's the guy moms warn their daughters about. Bold, outspoken, and self-confident, Brian O'Brien returns to his hometown only to discover some things changed in his absence.
Brian has a new neighbor - a shy, smart girl Leah, who hates his guts since...
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I'm standing in front of the mirror in my room, wearing my only dress. Mom bought it for me a couple of years ago. My body is as thin as it used to be; the garment still fits.
This date with Gavin has been scheduled for weeks. It baffles me how he has to plan every little detail, writing everything down in his agenda. I can't help comparing him to O'Brien, who seems to be a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy. It's hard to picture him checking his calendar to see if he's free. He might always be free to do whatever he wants, and it's something I wish I could do.
Although I'm not really excited about the date, Gavin is my only chance of leaving the house that feels more suffocating the longer I stay in my room. I don't know where we're going; I just want to get away from my mom and her glares.
She told me Mr. O'Brien wasn't the only one who could offer her a job and that she'd have something else soon. I didn't believe her, but arguing with her and trying to convince her would be pointless. So, I did the usual — I kept quiet and went to my room.
As soon as I'm downstairs, I see Gavin talking to my mother. A smile is pasted on both their faces. They don't notice me until I clear my throat and stand next to Gavin.
"Are you ready? If you are, let's go," I say to him. Mom purses her lips; how I spoke to him isn't what she wanted me to do.
Gavin and I say our goodbyes and leave. He opens the car door for me. I buckle up in the passenger seat while Gavin starts the ignition and drives off.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"To my place. We're going to have tea with my parents."
A snort leaves my mouth, and I clamp my hand over it.
"Do you have a problem with that, Leah?" Gavin asks in a measured tone.
I sit straighter and shrug. "I do. If you wanted us to hang out at your place with your parents, you shouldn't have called it a date."
"You used to like their company," Gavin says as if he has no idea why I reacted the way I did. How can he be so clueless?
"Why are you even with me?" I mumble. "We have nothing in common. Your friends can't stand me, and I don't like them, either. Our families are different. You study all the time, and I find it boring. We haven't hung out as a couple since September."
Gavin grimaces. "I like you. Isn't that enough?"
"What can you possibly like about me if we hardly talk?"
We keep silent for a while. I stare at the country road leading to Gavin's huge Victorian. His family is loaded and famous in town, and he could date any girl. Why me?
"You're not making any sense, Leah," Gavin finally says. "Of course, we talk. You could show more interest in the things I like. Perhaps that way, we'd have more topics for conversation."
