arms over my chest, and the movement brought his eyes back up to my face.
“Clark told Braden you had a date tonight. We both wanted to drop by for the momentous occasion. Who is he?”
I rolled my eyes at his overbearing tone. “Just a boy.”
“And how old is this boy?” Adam asked softly as he took a few steps toward me.
“Where’s Braden?”
“Downstairs. Don’t dodge the question. How old?”
“Sam is seventeen.”
“What?” He inhaled sharply. “And Elodie agreed to this?”
He didn’t mention Clark, since Clark was far more laid-back about these things than Mum. “She’s excited for me actually.”
“She’s chirping like a nervous chicken downstairs.”
“That’s because Sam will be here any minute.” I avoided his eyes, not liking that stubborn tilt to his chin.
“Where is he taking you?”
“To the cinema, then dinner.”
“You’ll be home before eleven?”
I grabbed my purse off my bed and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yes...”
“And you won’t let him touch you.”
It wasn’t a question.
I froze at his command and narrowed my eyes on him as he took the last remaining steps toward me until he was standing right in front of me, so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “It’s a date, Adam,” I whispered. “Touching is supposed to be involved.”
“Not when you’re a fifteen-year-old girl. Not when you’re you.” I flinched back, taking that as an insult, and Adam immediately grimaced. “Els, I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean . . . you’re not just
some
girl.”
“Look, Braden gave me this speech three hours ago on the phone.”
“Ellie,” Adam gave me a look that clearly meant “shut up.” “You’re special. You deserve a boy who understands that, and a boy who understands that won’t try any funny business, okay?”
“Funny business?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “I’m pretty sure Sam won’t try any funny business.”
“Els, you’re a romantic, and you’re young. Boys his age . . . they’re not romantic. They have one thing on their mind and one thing only. And the little swine isn’t getting it from you.”
Annoyed at his suggestion that I was some naive little girl, I brushed past him. “Don’t you have a comatose date waiting somewhere for you?”
“You cheeky little bugger,” he grumbled behind me as I walked out of my room and started heading down the stairs. “I preferred you when you were wee and cute and didn’t talk back.”
I rolled my eyes and jumped at the sound of the doorbell.
“I’ll get that,” Adam announced determinedly, but I flung out my arms and blocked his passage.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough limbs to stop Clark who darted out of the living room with a glower I’d never seen before.
Uh-oh.
So perhaps Clark wasn’t as cool about the whole “first date” thing after all.
“Dammit . . . ” I said under my breath as I hurried down the last few steps.
Braden came out of the living room with a bottle of beer in his hand. Eyes wide at his sudden appearance and the darkening of his expression when he saw my dress, I raced by him and collided against Clark’s back as he finished greeting my date at the door.
“She’s right here,” Clark said as I stumbled around him, giving him a questioning look. He was all glaring and intimidating. It was weird.
“Sam . . . ” I said, feeling the butterflies in my belly explode at the sight of him. Sam was as tall as Braden, although lanky and slim, and he had messy light brown hair that seemed to have a life of its own. He was famous at school for that hair. All the girls wanted to be the girl who got to run her fingers through that hair. I was hoping that after tonight, that girl would be me.
Sam finished eyeing Clark warily and then threw a dimpled smile my way. “Hey, Ellie. You look great.”
“She does not.” Braden suddenly appeared behind us. I closed my eyes in actual pain after watching Adam
“Clark told Braden you had a date tonight. We both wanted to drop by for the momentous occasion. Who is he?”
I rolled my eyes at his overbearing tone. “Just a boy.”
“And how old is this boy?” Adam asked softly as he took a few steps toward me.
“Where’s Braden?”
“Downstairs. Don’t dodge the question. How old?”
“Sam is seventeen.”
“What?” He inhaled sharply. “And Elodie agreed to this?”
He didn’t mention Clark, since Clark was far more laid-back about these things than Mum. “She’s excited for me actually.”
“She’s chirping like a nervous chicken downstairs.”
“That’s because Sam will be here any minute.” I avoided his eyes, not liking that stubborn tilt to his chin.
“Where is he taking you?”
“To the cinema, then dinner.”
“You’ll be home before eleven?”
I grabbed my purse off my bed and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yes...”
“And you won’t let him touch you.”
It wasn’t a question.
I froze at his command and narrowed my eyes on him as he took the last remaining steps toward me until he was standing right in front of me, so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “It’s a date, Adam,” I whispered. “Touching is supposed to be involved.”
“Not when you’re a fifteen-year-old girl. Not when you’re you.” I flinched back, taking that as an insult, and Adam immediately grimaced. “Els, I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean . . . you’re not just
some
girl.”
“Look, Braden gave me this speech three hours ago on the phone.”
“Ellie,” Adam gave me a look that clearly meant “shut up.” “You’re special. You deserve a boy who understands that, and a boy who understands that won’t try any funny business, okay?”
“Funny business?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “I’m pretty sure Sam won’t try any funny business.”
“Els, you’re a romantic, and you’re young. Boys his age . . . they’re not romantic. They have one thing on their mind and one thing only. And the little swine isn’t getting it from you.”
Annoyed at his suggestion that I was some naive little girl, I brushed past him. “Don’t you have a comatose date waiting somewhere for you?”
“You cheeky little bugger,” he grumbled behind me as I walked out of my room and started heading down the stairs. “I preferred you when you were wee and cute and didn’t talk back.”
I rolled my eyes and jumped at the sound of the doorbell.
“I’ll get that,” Adam announced determinedly, but I flung out my arms and blocked his passage.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough limbs to stop Clark who darted out of the living room with a glower I’d never seen before.
Uh-oh.
So perhaps Clark wasn’t as cool about the whole “first date” thing after all.
“Dammit . . . ” I said under my breath as I hurried down the last few steps.
Braden came out of the living room with a bottle of beer in his hand. Eyes wide at his sudden appearance and the darkening of his expression when he saw my dress, I raced by him and collided against Clark’s back as he finished greeting my date at the door.
“She’s right here,” Clark said as I stumbled around him, giving him a questioning look. He was all glaring and intimidating. It was weird.
“Sam . . . ” I said, feeling the butterflies in my belly explode at the sight of him. Sam was as tall as Braden, although lanky and slim, and he had messy light brown hair that seemed to have a life of its own. He was famous at school for that hair. All the girls wanted to be the girl who got to run her fingers through that hair. I was hoping that after tonight, that girl would be me.
Sam finished eyeing Clark warily and then threw a dimpled smile my way. “Hey, Ellie. You look great.”
“She does not.” Braden suddenly appeared behind us. I closed my eyes in actual pain after watching Adam
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