She frowns. “A date? I asked you to dinner.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
She pauses, her face registering what I just confessed.
I look at the floor, my ears hot. Why would I think she was asking me out? This isn’t even a real relationship. I need to get that through my head before I do something I can’t take back.
Eli comes around the corner and stops when he sees me. “What are you doing here?”
Scarlett steps toward him. “Brendan came for dinner.”
“Dinner?” Eli’s brow furrows, like he’d rather starve than sit down at the table with me.
Scarlett looks between us, trying to break the tension. “Isn’t this going to be fun?”
When I don’t respond, Eli says it for me. “Yeah. Real fun.”
FIFTEEN
Brendan
Through most of dinner, Eli and I shovel food in our mouths to avoid conversation. Scarlett tries to fill the silence by talking about her day at the cafe and asking if we want seconds.
It’s not until she brings out the famous triple-chocolate brownies that Eli finally looks between us.
“So, how did this happen?” he asks as Scarlett drizzles hot caramel sauce over the top.
“How did what happen?” she asks, handing him a brownie.
“This.” He waves his fork between us.
Scarlett lifts a shoulder vaguely. “It’s kind of a long story.”
“I’ve got time.” He leaves his brownie untouched, watching his sister over his water glass. “Because about a month ago, you told me dating was the last thing on your mind, with everything going on with Dad.”
Scarlett frowns, like she’s trying to remember. “Did I say that?”
“Sure did.” Eli takes a sip of water.
I get the sense he’s trying to poke holes in our story just to irritate me.
She slides a brownie toward me, still avoiding her brother’sgaze. “Well, people can change their minds, Eli. It’s not like anyone plans to fall in love.”
Eli chews slowly. “So who asked who out first?”
“I did,” we both say simultaneously.
My eyes snap to hers, and panic flashes across her face at our obvious blunder.
Eli leans back, one side of his mouth tugging up smugly. “Interesting answer. Which is it?”
“Well.” Scarlett clears her throat, tilting her head. “Technically, I asked if he wanted to hang out, but then he made it clear it was a date, so then he asked me out for real. Right?”
She looks to me for help.
“Uh, yeah,” I mumble around a mouthful of brownie, even though I have no idea what I’m agreeing to. “But you initiated the conversation, so I think you asked me…technically.”
Eli’s eyebrows climb toward his hairline. “Huh?”