Single And In Love With My Fake Boyfriend (Single Girls Club #1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Lincoln

Two days have passed since I dropped Callie off at her apartment after we spent the weekend together. We texted a little here and there and I wished her good morning and good night every day, but I kept my distance because I want to give her space. So she can gather her thoughts and decide what she wants. Now that we’re back in the real world, she might realize she doesn’t want her life to be public. Or perhaps she’s not ready to date me yet.

I don’t want to sway her in any way, which is why I kept our contact to a minimum.

I miss her a lot, but she needs to figure out if she truly wants to be with me. I’ll wait for her, for however long she needs.

“Lincoln!” a voice shouts in the distance.

Blinking my thoughts away, I smile and wave at my parents, who are heaving their luggage toward my car. They’re back from their cruise and have just disembarked from the airplane.

“Mom, Dad, hi!” I say as I accept hugs from them.

Mom holds onto me tightly. “My sweet boy,” she says with a bright smile. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you guys, too. Did you have a good time?”

“The best,” Mom gushes.

“Food was top-notch,” Dad adds with a thumbs-up.

I chuckle. “Which is the most important thing, huh?”

“Let me get a good look at you, Linc.” Mom scans me from top to bottom. “My, you grow more handsome with each passing day. Doesn’t he, Tom?”

Dad claps me on the back. “Thanks to my genes.”

“Excuse me? He looks more like me than like you,” Mom argues.

“I believe it was my genes that made him tall and strong. I did play football in my younger years, you know.”

Mom gives me a look. “Can you imagine two months on a ship with him?” she teases.

Dad stretches his arm around her, pulling her close. “Best two months of my life.”

“Aw.” Mom pecks his lips.

I smile, feeling hopeful that I can have that with a girl one day. And not just any girl. A special girl with pretty brown eyes and a killer smile.

As if she can read my mind, Mom scans around. “Is Callie here? I’m dying to meet her.”

“No, she’s at work.”

“All right. Another time, then.”

We load the luggage into my car and get in. Mom and Dad talk about their trip as I drive them toward their house in Spring Falls.

As I’m listening to Mom, I get a text.

Mom, sitting in the front seat, gets all excited. “Is that Callie?”

At a red light, I check who it’s from. “No, it’s Coach reminding me about our practice schedule this week.”

Mom beams. “I’m glad we’ll be able to come to your games. Seems like forever since we’ve seen you play.”

“Yeah, I missed having you guys cheering for me in the stands.”

Dad bends forward. “But you have your girl now. You don’t need your parents.”

“Oh hush, Tom.” Mom playfully slaps his arm.

I chuckle. “I’ll always need you.”

Mom scoots closer. “Do you have any questions about girls? Need any advice? I feel like I’m not doing much in the mom department.”

My cheeks are warm for some reason. “Uh, I don’t think I have any questions.”

“Lydia, he’s a grown man. He won’t come to his parents for advice.”

“Of course he can come to us. I’m an expert on love. You look very happy, Linc.”

“I am. Extremely happy.”

Dad puffs up his cheeks. “Heard we dodged a bullet with all that rain. I see some fallen trees and some houses that are still flooded.”

“Did you manage it okay?” Mom asks with concerned eyes.

Instead of focusing on the rain and flood, I think about Callie and me under the umbrella, falling asleep on the couch, dancing, her kissing me, and my going to her room to kiss her and show her I wanted it. And of course I think about the conversation we had the next morning.

I wonder what she’s doing now. If she’s thinking about me, about us.

“Lincoln?” Dad breaks me from my thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“I asked how you managed the flood.”

I tell them it went okay, that I didn’t have any damage. I omit the part that I had Callie over because I don’t want them to read too much into it. And because I’d like to keep that part of my life private for as long as I can. I want my parents to get to know her and see what a beautiful person she is, but I don’t want to rush things.

It takes about an hour for us to drive to their home. Once I pull into the driveway, we get out of the car and carry the luggage inside.

“Home sweet home,” Dad says as he spreads out his arms. “As much as I loved being on the ocean, there’s nothing like coming to our house.”

“With our family,” Mom adds as she gives me a side hug.

I hug her back. “I’m glad you guys are back.”

Mom lifts a brow. “I have a feeling it’s my cooking you miss.”

I give her a smile. “Actually, I’ve started cooking. I’m not the greatest at it, but I’m learning.”

Mom’s jaw nearly reaches the floor. “Lincoln, cooking?”

I shrug. “Figured since I have a girlfriend, I should cook her home-cooked meals.”

Dad prods Mom in the rib. “He must really like this girl.”

Mom’s face shines. But she must see the uncomfortable look on my face because she holds up her hands. “Okay, okay. We won’t press you. Just…” She throws her arms around me. “I love seeing you happy.”

I tighten my arms around her. “Thanks.”

We sit around the table and they tell me more about their trip. My thoughts travel to Callie and me, older like my parents, and going on trips and cruises together.

It’s a future I can see myself having, but like I said, I’ll wait for her to decide what she wants and needs.