“Are you okay?” Tanner asks as he approaches and rests his hand against the small of my back. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I wave my hand in an attempt to feign indifference and force out a laugh. My voice cracks as I do. “Come to my house tomorrow,” he whispers so quietly I can barely hear him. “I can’t do that. That would be rude.” “It’s not rude, because I’m inviting you. Come tomorrow—my mom loves meeting new people.” I dwell on the thought for a moment before turning to him. His eyes are so sincere that I quickly come to a decision. “Okay.”
