The Thing About Three

chapter twenty-eight | almost

MY MUSIC CUT off when Dallas called me, making me look up from my sketchbook of doodles and towards my phone lying on my nightstand.

"Hey," he said as soon as I answered the call.

"Hey," I replied, sitting up from my prone position on my bed. "Is Amelia not there? Do I need to come in today?"

"No, that's not why I'm calling," Dallas answered. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to come with me to pick up something from my dad's shop."

"Um . . ."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he said quickly. "I just feel like I haven't seen you much this week, and I miss you."

"Uh . . . well . . ." I wanted to go with him, because I had missed him, too. I had been avoiding him that week because I was hyperaware of Noah's feelings towards Dallas, and didn't want to do anything to jeopardize my relationship.

"It's fine, Claire. You can say no if you don't want to go."

"No, I'm—I want to go, but—" I sighed, giving up and giving in, because even though I was in love with him and should avoid him because of that very reason, he was still my best friend. And I had really missed my best friend. "What time will you pick me up?"

"Ten minutes," he said triumphantly.

"Alright, Dal, I'll see you then." I ended the call with a smile, and then immediately frowned when I remembered what I had promised Noah a week before.

I quickly shot him a text, explaining everything.

Me:

Just wanted to let you know that Dallas is picking me up to go with him to pick up a car part from his dad's shop.

Noah:
Ok

Be careful

I breathed out a sigh of relief at his response. This was good. This looked like progress. Maybe I didn't have to avoid Dallas like I had been doing. Maybe all I had to do was keep Noah in the know and be honest with him.

Digesting my thoughts, I smiled as I got ready, Dallas showing up a few minutes later in his blue Camaro.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi." I blushed, feeling butterflies as I slipped into the passenger seat. It felt like I hadn't seen him in ages, despite having seen him yesterday at work.

This was different, though, because it wasn't mandatory, and I didn't have to try and limit my conversations with him, or worry about Noah seeing us at any given moment.

Dallas grinned at me. "Hi," he said again.

We sat and smiled at each other for longer than we should have, and I was the one to break it. "Um," I turned forward, taking my phone out of my pocket, "can I put on some music?"

He nodded. "Put on whatever you'd like."

"I don't think you'd be saying that if we didn't have the same taste in music," I pointed out.

He pulled out of my driveway and onto my street. "You know I'd let you play whatever."

"Even country music?" I asked, knowing his distaste for the genre.

"Even country music," he confirmed.

I didn't put on country music, satisfied enough with his answer to put on music I knew he liked.