My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 21

Maddie

"So, who are you boys bringing to the homecoming dance next weekend?" My mom grills Ethan and Cameron from the front seat, so they have no choice but to answer. My mom always waits until we're in the car together to talk about anything. We can't run away, we have nowhere to go.

I wait intently to listen to what Cameron replies. Ethan says he's taking Jennifer, which is completely unsurprising, but Cameron just sits next to me, his body stilling.

"And Cameron?" Mary repeats. "Who are you bringing, honey?"

"I'm uh, not sure yet," he replies, and my Dad and Ethan both let out a scoff.

"You don't have a date?" My dad narrows his eyes at him in the rearview mirror. "That's hard to believe."

"He's probably taking his mystery woman." Ethan reaches his arm behind my neck to smack Cam on the back of the head, and Cam can't help but laugh, dodging him and accidentally elbowing me in the side.

"Ow!" I hiss. "You guys are so stupid."

"Well, he is!" Ethan exclaims. "I'm excited to finally meet her. That's the only reason why he wouldn't have a date right now. He could literally take anyone he wants to."

I try very hard to fight back a smile as he rambles off a list of names. Sadie, Kelsey, Lindsey, Brittany, you name it, he's done them. And I'm the girl he chose to be exclusive with. Whether it's a secret or not, and even if we haven't labeled it, I can't help but feel somewhat special.

"Okay!" Cam stops him from naming any more women, clearly embarrassed before he grabs onto my hand again. He thinks I'm mad, but I'm far from it. I know he's been with countless girls. This news isn't shocking to me.

"I'm just saying." Ethan shrugs and slumps back more into the seat as my dad pulls into our driveway. "There's not going to be many girls without dates. I'll figure it out eventually."

A lump forms in my throat automatically, and right on cue my mother asks, "Maddie, are you going to go this year?" She thinks she's changing the subject, but she's definitely not. She's making it one thousand times worse.

"You know I don't go to those kinds of things," I say, but my voice falters. I sound nervous.

Can they tell?

"Bore!" Ethan slams the door shut before I can reach over to punch him, Cam chuckling slightly beside me as he holds our side of the car door open so that I can climb out.

"Honey, I know you don't like dances." She smooths my hair down with her hands to hold both sides of my face. "But you will regret this later in life if you don't go. Trust me."

I want to tell her that the only boy that would ever ask me can't, but I just keep my mouth shut and look down at the pavement.

"Even if a boy doesn't ask you to go," she reassures me, and my entire family, including Cam, is standing right there. Embarrassing.

"Okay," I quip, leading the direction so that we can get into the house. "I'll think about it."

As my Dad fishes out his keys to unlock the door, I can't help but wonder if Ethan is right. Will he be able to figure it out? I saw the way Cam reacted when my parents said he was like their second son. If we continue down this road then my brother or my parents will figure it out eventually.

Is it worth it?

Everyone heads inside, and as we follow in behind them Cam grabs briefly onto my hand again to give it another squeeze for reassurance, the butterflies erupting into my stomach once more.