“Hey, Delyla?” Drake hollered downstairs.
Trey and I leapt apart. My heart thudded so hard, it felt like I might burst. My breath came in gasps.
“I-I’m downstairs,” I said.
Trey’s eyes were dark with emotion. Did he feel the same things I had? “Did I do okay?” he said at last. “Is there something I need to work on?”
“I don’t think you need to worry about anything,” I said. “It was perfect.”
“So, I’m ready for Portia?” His gaze kept mine.
“Yeah.” The problem was I didn’t want him to be ready for her. In fact, I wished it was me he was ready for.
“Thanks, Del. I think I learned a lot today. See you at school.” He gave me a quick smile then dashed out of the room.
I’d learned a lot today too. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sat on the couch. I brought my knees to my chest. For starters, I was in love with Trey Garrett. Second, I was gonna have to break up with Rex because regardless of whether or not Trey ever wanted me, I knew Rex and I weren’t going to work out. Third. Well, I was kind of screwed, because the guy I loved was in love with someone else.
I tossed and turned all night. Thoughts of the kiss consumed me. I could still feel where Trey’s lips had touched mine. Did he feel anything? Better yet, did I want him to? But the biggest question I had was how the heck was I supposed to act around him now? Gah, I was so confused.
On top of that, I needed to figure out what to do on the Rex front. A part of me felt as if I should invite him over and just get it done with. But another part of me, the coward part, wanted to wait. With a sigh, I kicked my blankets off and paced my room. Drizzle splattered down my window like tiny teardrops. I pressed my head against the glass and peered outside, where I saw Trey climbing into his truck.
At last, I grabbed my cell, plopped on my bed, and dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, girl,” she said.
I swallowed hard, not wanting to have a meltdown on the phone. “I have a mondo emergency. And I really need to get out of here for a while. Can you come pick me up?”
“What’s going on?”
“I-I’d rather not say until you get here.”
“Okay, why don’t you get dressed and we can drive out to the mall. That way we have the car ride over to talk without being interrupted,” Kenadi said.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you in a few.”
I hung up and rummaged through my closet for a clean pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Once I had them on, I pulled my hair up in a ponytail, then tugged on a pair of flip-flops. I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs.
“Mom, Kenadi’s picking me up in a few. We’re gonna go to the mall.”
She poked her head out from the kitchen. “That’s fine. Don’t be too late though, I wanted us to have a nice sit down dinner.”
On second thought, maybe Ken and I should take our time. I could only guess what type of concoction Mom had in store for us tonight. Maybe roast, with beets in it. Or her infamous chili-meatball-green bean surprise. I wrinkled my nose at the thought and went out to wait for Ken to show up.
A few minutes later, she pulled into the drive in her mom’s sedan. She climbed out to greet me.
“You ready?”
“Yeah.”
As I walked to her car, I noticed Mrs. Foster, Jimbo’s owner, standing on her porch, wearing only a housecoat. Her face looked paler than normal. Dark circles made her face more gaunt.
“Hi, Delyla.” She gave a small wave, as if it was too much effort to raise her fingers. “You haven’t seen Jimbo, have you?” her voice sounded raspy, like she’d swallowed sandpaper.
“Not today.” I glanced down the road, wondering whose lawn ornaments he was breaking in.
She sighed. “He’s been so naughty lately—with me being si … gone so much, he’s not getting as much attention.” She swiped an absent hand at her dirty hair, which stuck to her forehead. Frail arms moved to tighten the belt on her house coat. She’d lost a lot of weight.
“Do you want me to look for him real quick?” My gaze met hers.
“If you could, that’d be great.” She broke out into a fit of coughing.
“Why don’t you wait inside? I’ll bring him back if I find him,” I said.
“She looks rough,” Kenadi said. “I wonder what’s wrong with her.”
“I’m not sure. My mom hasn’t said anything. But she’s normally smiling and perky. Not like this.” I racked my brain for the last time I’d even seen her. It’d been a few months.
Kenadi and I walked down the sidewalk, hollering Jimbo’s name. We went up our side of the street for two blocks, then circled back, taking the other side of the road.
