The Delivery Girl

36. Truth

Julie

The discomfort continues as I find myself seated next to Kevin on the couch. This time, joined by grandma sitting on her rocking chair.

She's been mostly quiet, answering some questions here and there but staying out of my and Kevin's business. She hasn't mentioned a word about Callen, not that I was expecting her to. Knowing her, she won't spill the secret. She's expecting me to come clean.

I finish my tea and place it onto the table before standing up. "Excuse me, I'm going to step out for some air."

Slipping on my coat, I head downstairs. The icy air cools my burning face as soon as I step outside. The silence of the night is calming, even though I can still faintly hear the hum of chatting coming from upstairs.

I take a seat on the wooden bench by the restaurant's window. Dad actually closed the restaurant early today, just for this dinner. That's how serious he is about all of this.

"Mind if I join you?"

I turn to see Kevin standing to the side. I nod and scoot over, and he takes a seat.

"This was probably the most uncomfortable dinner I've ever been forced to sit through," he says with a small chuckle. "No offense to you, I mean. My parents just have a tendency to be pretty overbearing."

"None taken," I say with a shrug. "My dad too." We both sit in silence, unsure of how to address the situation.

"So I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're not interested in an arranged marriage either?" he says.

I let out a huff. "They're insane if they thought this would work."

Kevin turns and gives me an apologetic smile. "Honestly, you seem nice, Julie, but to be fully transparent... I have a girlfriend my parents don't know about."

I burst out laughing. "It's alright, I have a boyfriend."

The tense, awkward air between us eases as we share a laugh. For the first time tonight, I feel like a person and not a trophy being paraded around.

"So why haven't you told them?" I ask.

He leans back against the bench and sighs. "I'm sure for the same reason you haven't told your dad," he says. "She doesn't really fit what my parents are expecting. They think they know what's best for me, but they don't."

"Yeah..." I mumble. "What's she like?"

His eyes light up, a shift in his whole demeanour. Despite only having met Kevin two days ago, I can tell this is a genuine smile – probably the first one I've seen from him. "She's the best," he says softly. "Her name's Sarah. She's kind and gentle, but still confident and bold. The prettiest girl I've ever met."

I give his shoulder a pat. "She sounds wonderful," I say quietly.

"What's your guy like?"

Even just thinking about Callen is enough to spread warmth through my chest. "Incredibly smart and confident. Takes a while to warm up to, but there's so much more to him than what people see on the surface. He's thoughtful and caring underneath that hard shell."

Kevin sighs softly. "If only we could convince our parents of these things..."

"So how's the whole secret thing going?"

He drags his hand down his face and shakes his head. "They obviously don't suspect anything, but I feel guilty about it. Sarah thinks I've kept her a secret because I'm embarrassed about her, but that couldn't be further from the truth.." he says quietly. "I love her."