Throughout the journey, he hadn't noticed my true thoughts.
He still thought I had just gone out for a brief break with my best friend.
"I'll pick you up later. Is everything packed up at home?"
Jaxon had already moved off-campus.
As a seasoned senior, he hardly needed to go to school anymore.
Plus, living in the same dorm room with Dashiell was indeed quite inconvenient.
"Yeah, it's all packed. Should I come pick you up instead?"
"Sure, that'd be great."
"Melody."
"What is it?"
"Today's Dashiell's birthday. He's throwing a party tonight and wants me to come... the kind where you bring your girlfriend."
Only then did I remember that Dashiell's birthday falls on Independence Day.
"Melody, would you be willing to come with me?"
I neither agreed nor refused.
I just felt quite conflicted inside.
It wasn't that I was unwilling to make our relationship public.
It's just that the Rutledge family would soon cut ties with me.