Page 52 of Romantic

“Sorry,” Pepper says, not sounding the least bit sorry.

“No foul, no harm,” he says, which is a little ironic considering his nose is still bleeding. “I shouldn’t have tried to take the phone out of your hands,” he says to Pepper. “That was uncool.”

I’m thoroughly annoyed that Jack is quick to admit his fault. I want him to be the self-entitled prick I believe him to be.

“Thanks for understanding. Again, I’m sorry about the nose,” I say, sounding even less sorry than Pepper. It felt good to punch Jack Willoughby.

***

We walk in silence all the way home. This is not the silent treatment. I need a few minutes of quiet to help me gather my thoughts. I lived a million lives today.

“What were you doing on his phone?” I ask as soon as we are safe in the cottage.

“I made a shortcut so that every time he types “I” his phone automatically types “I am Pampas Grass.”

“What? Where did you get this idea?”

“Edward.”

“There’s no way Edward taught you that.”

“Not exactly, he was complaining that his stepbrother Robbie had done it to him. Every time he types “I” it autocorrects to the full lyrics of “I’m too sexy.”

“And you did this to his phone?”

“I didn’t get a chance,” she says with no remorse whatsoever in her eyes. And I get it. Jack is just so damn irritating. I’ve resigned myself to Annie dating someone other than me. But Jack Willoughby! Seeing him with her has been so infuriating. I want to throw caution to the wind, risk it all, and make a wild declaration of my love. Although I pretty much did that singing to her tonight. And all it did was make her furious. I suppose it’s a good thing I didn’t say all that I really wanted to say. It was bad enough hearing her defend Jack.

I can’t do this anymore.

“We need to pack up and go home.”

“Nooo, Dad! I promise I’ll stop pestering Jack.”

“You already made that promise and broke it, many times. Trust me, I get it. I’m tempted to punch him again.”

“Dad, that was so cool!”

“Yeah, well, I’m not proud of that. In fact, that’s one more reason to go home.”

“So you’re just giving up?”

“She’s dating someone else. We have to accept that.”

“But do we?” she says in a cajoling voice.

“Yes, Pepper. You can’t force someone to love you.”

“But Annie already loves you! I know it.”

Pepper’s words twist my heart. I want to believe that Annie cares for me. I look for signs of it everywhere—in how she says my name, or how she seems to linger every time she touches me, and how often I find her looking at me. And tonight, while I sang, our eyes locked, and I felt such a deep connection. She felt it too. I know it. That’s why she had to chew me out. But she’s made up her mind.

“Ah, Pep, I wish. But she’s dating Jack,” I say, as much to remind myself. “I have to honor that.”

“Well I don’t.”

“I know—you’ve made that clear, and that’s why we’re going home tomorrow.”

“Noooo . . . nevermind! I promise I won’t do anything else.”