Classics in Summertime

Even though Dylan had turned me into a paranoid mess 95% of the time, it seemed my paranoia was for good worry, because just as I was finishing getting ready for the barn dance, I recognized the sound of Wyatt’s boots walking through the kitchen even from up in my bedroom. I had just finished slipping on a knee-length white dress and a small pair of heels, and if I was Wyatt, he would definitely be asking where I was going dressed like that.

Unfortunately, I’d have to go downstairs if I was going to leave the house, and oddly enough, I still didn’t have Dylan’s phone number to cancel – not that I would have. It would have been nice to have the option, though.

Fully prepared for a fight, I took a deep breath as I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Wyatt’s eyes fell on me immediately, and his eyebrows furrowed just as quickly. He took a step away from the counter where he had been standing and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Where are you going?”

I paused, clicking my tongue to the roof of my mouth. It would have been easier to lie than tell the truth, but it would have required a lot more thought, and Wyatt had always been able to tell when I was lying.

“The barn dance,” I said simply, clasping my hands behind my back as I stood nervously in front of Wyatt. His lips pressed together while he cocked his head to the side. “What are you doing here?”

“My mom’s borrowing some pans from Anne, so I came by to grab them,” he said. It was still weird when he called my mom by her first name. “Who are you going with?”

“Oh, which pans? I can help you find them.” I began walking towards the cabinets, but Wyatt quickly stood in front of me, causing my heart to race in my chest. He pulled his hands from his pockets and wrapped them around mine. His gentle pressure moved me a step forward, so I was standing right in front of him.

“Ev,” he said softly, his eyes looking down at me in that way they always did when we were together. “You’re not going with that city kid, are you?”

“Dyl –”

“You know it kills me when you’re with him, Ev.” He interrupted me, his lip trembling as his eyes looked down into mine. “It kills me.”

The moment so closely resembled the hundreds of times before when Wyatt and I had made up, and I could almost feel the make-up kiss at the end of all the fighting. It would have been so easy to just cut things off with Dylan and go back to Wyatt. It all would have made so much sense.

“It can’t kill you anymore, Wy,” I said simply, pulling my hands out of his grasp. “We’re not together anymore.”

“Everly, please.”

I took a quick step back, shaking my head as I looked at Wyatt. He had been my first kiss, first boyfriend, first love, first everything. All of him just made so much sense. My parents loved him, and he would have made a great husband to someone, but with Wyatt and me, there was just more bad than good.

“I have to go,” I said quickly, not giving him a chance to respond before I was walking out the front door.

It was still light out, and I could see Dylan’s bright red car still parked in his driveway. I didn’t want to seem clingy by showing up at his house when he said he’d pick me up, but I couldn’t risk Wyatt following me outside and making a scene.

Just as I was getting ready to make the short journey down to Dylan’s house anyway, an old white truck turned down our dirt road, clanking up and down as it made its way towards my house.

When it stopped right in front of me, I was surprised to see Dylan sitting in the front seat with a huge smile on his face. He left the truck running, but put it in park and quickly stepped out, walking straight towards me.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said immediately, stopping in front of me when he was just a few inches away.

“You look pretty nice yourself,” I said as I admired his tight California jeans and black v-neck shirt. I only gave him one more quick look before I was looking at the truck, laughing softly. “What are you driving?”

Dylan chuckled, his cheeks getting a bit red while he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, I figured if we were going to go to the barn dance, we should have the proper vehicle to get us there, so I checked the paper and found the sweetest old lady who was selling this.”

“You just bought a truck? Just because you could?”

Dylan laughed again, slamming his hand against the truck. “You know how much this bad boy cost, Ev? Two grand – that’s it. I couldn’t pass up a deal like that.”

Shaking my head, I laughed as I looked at him. “I don’t see how anyone could, really.”

“Exactly.” Dylan nodded and his smile widened. “Now, let me get that for you.”

He moved quickly around to the passenger’s side and opened the door, holding out his arm for me to follow him. As soon as I sat down, he shut the door and smiled at me through the open window. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look?”

I laughed at him and nodded. “Yeah, once, I think.”

“Just in case,” he said, a soft smile on his face while he leaned his hands against the side of the truck. “You look absolutely beautiful, Ev.”

“Thank you.” My cheeks were hotter than the roaring engine of his old truck, and I was sure they were just as red as his fancy car.

He didn’t say anything else before he moved around the truck and hopped into the driver’s seat, struggling with the stick shift to get it moving again. It didn’t seem like he was very familiar with driving a stick, but he was able to get it going and backed out of the driveway with only a little bit of difficulty. I’d probably have to give him a lesson one day, I thought.

Once he finally got the car turned around and ready to head down the road, he turned to me with a smile on his face and his cheeks a shade redder than mine were. I smiled back at him, blushing a bit myself, before I had to look away and back out the window.

The moment my eyes landed on the front window of my house, they met Wyatt, who was standing in front of the curtain with a sad look on his face and his arms folded across his chest. I had no idea how long he had been standing there watching us, but I was thankful when Dylan began driving forward, so I wouldn’t have to look at him anymore.